I didn't know this actually happened

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Had a patient who called 911 for her water breaking at full term.

I mentioned it to another nurse who was like "and why are you surprised by that?"

i didn't know people actually did that. Not an emergency!!

maybe she didnt have a car, that i get. but, how did the rest of her family arrive shortly after?

I don't get why people want to go to the ER for minor issues. The free insurance issue aside, you have wait with dick, dirty, often smelly people spreading germs around you for hours before you are seen. Even urgent care is gross. These are necessary services but 6 hours in a waiting room with a bunch of weirdos at 1 am isn't my cup of tea.

Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.
I don't get why people want to go to the ER for minor issues. The free insurance issue aside, you have wait with dick, dirty, often smelly people spreading germs around you for hours before you are seen. Even urgent care is gross. These are necessary services but 6 hours in a waiting room with a bunch of weirdos at 1 am isn't my cup of tea.

Well, you're a normal person. For some people, this is social hour. They come in just to have something to do. You know it's bad when it seems like there is the Moron High School Reunion night in the ER waiting room:lol2: !

Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.

I'm not a nurse, yet, but I've been around the block a few times. When I am a nurse, I plan to focus on fixing up my patients and sending them on their way with as little judgement over their circumstances as possible. I'm assuming nursing will be stressful enough in it's own right without having to worry about why this, or that, patient didn't follow the protocol I've set up in my own head for what they really should have done in their situation, or comparing them to what other people usually do.

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Yeah, well, good luck with that.:uhoh3: Don't be too disappointed with yourself when your are a nurse and you don't feel the same way.

Where does it say in the Hippocratic Oath that we as medical personal should judge and comment about patient's decisions?

So lets look at this, one item at a time:

1. In this particular patient's situation (and its nice to actually know about her instead of guessing) she had experienced a very quick delivery with her first delivery, generally it's quicker the second time.

2. She would know if any family member was capable of driving her safely, to the hospital and possible deliver the baby along the way.

3. Some woman have complicated pregnancies and know that it would be better to have medical professionals in immediate attendence.

4. As far as seeing pregnant women laughing when the ambulance arrives...I just went through a 911 call for myself. I had had the most excruciating chest pain, it had totally stopped when I decided to make the call. I was scared to death and my dealing with that kind of fear is to laugh and crack jokes (of course my BP was 220/110 out of sheer fear). I think that the doctor thought I was nuts which again was unfortunate because he didn't feel it necessary to do tests, which he did when my blood work showed a heart test out of wack. I thought that I had thrown a clot and since my mother had died of a pulmonary emboli, I was afraid. Maybe this woman had friends that lost babies for whatever reason? What is an emergency to one might be a walk in the park for another.

I don't judge, I am thankful if at the end of the day all my patients lived through what they came in for, REGARDLESS of HOW they got there.

When I let go of what I am. I become what I might be.

1: pay attention to your body...when it's near, call a friend...or a Taxi...In Phx, if one is on state aid (literally 85% of our pts), taxis are free...

2: If I had a dime for every 911 call I went on, with a house full of people, and a driveway full of cars...

3: see 1

4: In general most HUMANS have no idea what an emergency is...THAT'S the problem...Ambulances are for IF transports of patients, and the dead and dying...Common sense is not all that common...My mother was a teacher...I rode 3 wheelers as a kid...I crashed that thing weekly...How many ER visits in my childhood? ZERO...I needed stitches once...I went to my PCP...

ambo abuse is costing us lots of $$$$...It certainly contributes to increased health care costs, increased insurance premiums, etc...

People that abuse ambos should be "educated"

Yes I have even chastised people (like the guy at my urgent care who we sent to the ER at 0200 for a GB US...The ED charge sent him to triage, as this is NOT emergent - we treated his pain - he WALKED back to our UC, blamed me for him going to triage, and then he called 911 from my waiting room...HE SHOULD GET THAT 911 BILL!!!

1: pay attention to your body...when it's near, call a friend...or a Taxi...In Phx, if one is on state aid (literally 85% of our pts), taxis are free...

2: If I had a dime for every 911 call I went on, with a house full of people, and a driveway full of cars...

3: see 1

4: In general most HUMANS have no idea what an emergency is...THAT'S the problem...Ambulances are for IF transports of patients, and the dead and dying...Common sense is not all that common...My mother was a teacher...I rode 3 wheelers as a kid...I crashed that thing weekly...How many ER visits in my childhood? ZERO...I needed stitches once...I went to my PCP...

ambo abuse is costing us lots of $$$$...It certainly contributes to increased health care costs, increased insurance premiums, etc...

People that abuse ambos should be "educated"

Yes I have even chastised people (like the guy at my urgent care who we sent to the ER at 0200 for a GB US...The ED charge sent him to triage, as this is NOT emergent - we treated his pain - he WALKED back to our UC, blamed me for him going to triage, and then he called 911 from my waiting room...HE SHOULD GET THAT 911 BILL!!!

You sent him from where?

He called 911 from the ER for what and to go where?

I hate to see people abuse the system. 3 years ago my husband accidentally stabbed himself in the leg while trying to cut a plastic band. He sliced both his artery and vein in his leg and the only thing that slowed the knife down was when it hit his bone. We literally lived 2 minutes away from the hospital, only 1 stop sign between us and the hospital. We called the ambulance because I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. He bled through 3 hand towels in the kitchen and the entire kitchen floor was covered in blood, not to mention it was squirting straight out. It took the ambulance over an HOUR to get there. By the time they got there I had managed to stop the bleeding so the EMT/paramedic (not sure who exactly it was) told him it was fine, wrapped it up and told him he didn't need to go to the hospital. Needless to say 3 years later he has to have surgery because his artery and vein fused together during healing due to the wrapping (according to his surgeon.) Sorry for the off topic vent but I can't help to think that if it weren't for misuse of abulance we could have gotten him proper care and avoided this upcoming surgery. Looking back, I should have just tried to take him myself!

Or insisted that they take him to the hospital.

You sent him from where?

He called 911 from the ER for what and to go where?

He came to our urgent care at 0200 for belly pain...our doc spoke w/ the ER doc (1 block away) and decided to transfer his care to the ER for an ultrasound...We trated his pain w/ demerol, and copied his chart, and sent him, with his friend driving, a block away to the ER. (routine for us at 0200, as we have only xray and urine dip capabilities after MN)...I called report to the charge at the ER. When the pt arrived to the ED, he was seen and kept in triage (their decision)...

He walked back to my UC, yelled at me for being sent to the ER triage, and called 911 from MY UC waiting room...I layed into him about ambo abuse, he cursed at me...

Specializes in geriatrics, telemetry, ICU, admin.

My oldest boy cut part of his hand off in the lawn mower. He was fairly young and so was I, but I called 911 (mistake) and when they arrived, I was greeting with "what did you call us for?" I would drive him today, but it's true-- perception of emergency. With regard to babies, I have driven my wife to the hospital each time (barely making it once), except for the last two, which we decided to skip the drive and have them at home. Depends on your perception.

She might not have been a drama queen. She might have just been uneducated or just really panicked, especially if it was her first baby and she was alone at the time.

Specializes in ER.

Geez, cutting a child's hand off, or any part, qualifies as an emergency to me.

Specializes in NICU.

Interesting thread. I don't work OB and I've never had a baby .... so I'm kinda clueless on all that!

I've never taken a ride in an ambulance. But I have gone to the ER for what might be seen as a non emergent reason. When I was little I stepped on a golden barrel cactus (those of you that aren't familiar with those ..... they've got huge needles .... YOWCH!). My parents couldn't get the stickers out of my foot and it hurt, they were deep. So off to the ER we went. I remember they took me in rather quick too, said I looked pale. So while it didn't seem like a huge emergency, I don't know what else we would have done rather than go to the ER (called the dr's office and they said to go to the ER). So I can see how things can be relative, like someone had mentioned.

where does it say in the hippocratic oath that we as medical personal should judge and comment about patient's decisions?

so lets look at this, one item at a time:

1. in this particular patient's situation (and its nice to actually know about her instead of guessing) she had experienced a very quick delivery with her first delivery, generally it's quicker the second time.

2. she would know if any family member was capable of driving her safely, .......i don't judge, i am thankful if at the end of the day all my patients lived through what they came in for, regardless of how they got there.

wow... some people just don't get the this-is-a-place-for-professionals-to-vent thing.

we know there are ligitimate times for people to call 911. i did when i went into chf. the problem is we see so many folks who use it when it is definitely not appropriate. there are many who don't abuse the system - but there are also many who do. and i can guarentee you it isn't the privately insured ones.

don't worry about being judged. if your situation is legit, any nurse with half a brain can tell the difference.

i wasted precious time, as my lungs were filling up with fluid, trying to decide if i really needed an ambulance or if i could go by car. i didn't want to run up the bill any more than i had to. i was staying home with my kids back then. we lived on a shoestring. (but we still made 'too much' to qualify for medicaid)

i have to pay for my insurance, and the co-pays, and the deductables, and 20% of what's left, and for the prescriptions..... all the while my tax dollars go to those who don't pay a dime. the least they could do is not abuse the gift!

it must be nice not to have to worry about how much health care costs.

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