A Generation of Wimps?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Is is just me, or is anyone else seeing more and more patients in their late teens to early 30's that are a bunch of wusses? I mean relatively minor ailments (nausea/vomiting for 1 day, headache, cough/congestion, back pain) and these pts act like they are at death's door! Enough drama for a year's worth of Broadway shows. I'm not referring to any pt with serious or chronic illnesses. I mean stuff that is really minor, that should be addressed with a routine PCP visit, but instead they end up in the ER. Inevitably they get the million $ workup (labs, Xray, CT, etc.) only to be discharged with DX of "gastritis" or "muscle strain." I just worked a 4 day stretch and easily half of my pts fit this category. What's going on?!:uhoh3:

Is is just me, or is anyone else seeing more and more patients in their late teens to early 30's that are a bunch of wusses? I mean relatively minor ailments (nausea/vomiting for 1 day, headache, cough/congestion, back pain) and these pts act like they are at death's door! Enough drama for a year's worth of Broadway shows. I'm not referring to any pt with serious or chronic illnesses. I mean stuff that is really minor, that should be addressed with a routine PCP visit, but instead they end up in the ER. Inevitably they get the million $ workup (labs, Xray, CT, etc.) only to be discharged with DX of "gastritis" or "muscle strain." I just worked a 4 day stretch and easily half of my pts fit this category. What's going on?!:uhoh3:

As an indication, did you know that the US uses 80% of the world's supply of all opioids and 99% of the world's supply of vicodin. That's mindboggling given that we make up like less than 5% of the earth's population.

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I have just recently started in the ER and oh lord some of these people are just crazy. I have only been in the ER for not quite 2mo now and I have seen the same family come in at least 4 times for minor things that could have waited until the clinic opened up in the am. But of course they wait until 1-2 am and then decide that they just can't take it anymore so the whole family loads up and comes to us for a few hour visit only to get sent home & f/u w/ their doc in the am. We've had people come in& say that they are constipated but they just had a BM that day. What??????? W/ our society everybody is looking for a quick fix. If the clinic is not open well let's just go the ER pay a ridiculous amount of money so we can feel better faster.

Is the mom divorced? I have a relative who, after her divorce, would do things like this just to soak her ex-husband, because part of the divorce decree was that he had to pay all the kids' uninsured medical bills, so why send him a bill for $25 for a regular doctor's visit when he can fork out $150 for an ER visit?

(Those are the deductibles for the plan where I work, anyway.)

:angryfire

He turned out to be a complete jerk (the kids want nothing to do with him and stopped seeing him when they reached an age where the court no longer dictated it) but she really isn't much better.

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People once tolerated pain because there was no choice.

My mom had completely natural childbirth. It wasn't because she was so noble, or pain tolerant, it was because in her country in her day she didn't have a choice.

Lack of options also ruled in the days of "natural dentistry".

If you launch a campaign to agressively treat pain in hospitalized patients, they figure that pain must be optional in life, right? If they hurt, it must be because you are not treating their pain.

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Does anyone else have a problem with all our focus on pain? I agree that we should make people as comfortable as we can and think anyone in a terminal state should have access to any and all meds available to them, but we've gone a little overboard. The ED where I work doles out dilaudid like it's skittles so that now folks come in b/c they stub their toe and expect a dose of dilaudid!!! and the scary part is that they get it b/c no one wants them to leave unhappy. Of course no one cares that we are creating a whole generation of legal drug addicts. When were we guaranteed a completely pain free life?

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Specializes in ER, SANE.

We have the same problem in our ER and it is the topic of many department manager and ER nurse meetings. Some of the providers were scared into treating not so convincing "10/10" pain when EMTALA was the big news and are afraid of being 'turned in'. As the DM, I am trying to re-educate these folks into realizing that we DO NOT have to give Demerol, Dilauded, Stadol etc in order to be giving good patient care. We have recently began RN Medical Screening forms on patients with recurring symptoms. It is amazing how quickly the 'word' is out that this screening does not get you the drugs you are seeking. Of course this is time comsuming but has REALLY cut down on this type of traffic. We'll see what the long term affect is.........:idea:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I only go to ER for little problems, Appendicitis, Cholecystitis, Acute MI, # er visits, 2 trips to OR and 1 trip to the cath lab.

Yes the younger generation is raised to be very wimpy. Thats ok call it Job security. Really think about it. If it werent for wimps and druggies going to the ER, We wouldnt be able to keep ER doors open. For those that truly need ER.

Wimps equal job security, love it or leave it.

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Specializes in CNA, Surgical, Pediatrics, SDS, ER.

I agree that we are setting up a genereation of legal drug users. Our facility sends out these lovely surveys to our drug seekers and if they do not get what they came for then our survey is in the toilet. Of course management believes these people filling out the surveys and then we get reemed for not providing "quality service". Some of our docs will not give into these people but others want a good survey so they give them what they want. It's too bad that we have to let the general public influence how we do our jobs when it's not in their best interest as a patient. I don't believe that the surveys are all bad but it's too bad they can't take into consideration who is filling out the surveys.

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When working in the ER you only see those who go to the ER.

Tens of thousands of people of every generation are in pain and/or vomiting at home right now.

We will not see them in the ER.

It is good to be able to vent and complain here on ALLNURSES.COM

My hospital has an urgent care clinic across from the ED. It is staffed with one MD, NPs, PAs, and LVNs. When the triage RN assesses that the patient does not need to be assigned to a registered nurse the patient is accompanied to the clinic.

It is not a perfect situation and a few need to come back to the ER but decreases the waiting and allows the staff to be prepared for a true emergency.

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Does anyone else have a problem with all our focus on pain? I agree that we should make people as comfortable as we can and think anyone in a terminal state should have access to any and all meds available to them, but we've gone a little overboard. The ED where I work doles out dilaudid like it's skittles so that now folks come in b/c they stub their toe and expect a dose of dilaudid!!! and the scary part is that they get it b/c no one wants them to leave unhappy. Of course no one cares that we are creating a whole generation of legal drug addicts. When were we guaranteed a completely pain free life?

I don't have a problem with "all the focus on pain" but rather where the focus is going. IMHO the focus isn't in the right place. Given that 95% of the world's populaton uses 20% of all opiates, how are the people managing pain. I understand many possibly tolerate pain due to the state of health care in their country (e.g., impoverished, 3rd world countries), but that's certainly not the case in many parts of Europe, Canada, etc. So how does pain management happen?

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.
I only go to ER for little problems, Appendicitis, Cholecystitis, Acute MI, # er visits, 2 trips to OR and 1 trip to the cath lab.

Yes the younger generation is raised to be very wimpy. Thats ok call it Job security. Really think about it. If it werent for wimps and druggies going to the ER, We wouldnt be able to keep ER doors open. For those that truly need ER.

Wimps equal job security, love it or leave it.

Don't forget about the part that "stupidity" plays in your job security...that in itself has kept food on the table for me & flight-nurse husband!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Don't forget about the part that "stupidity" plays in your job security...that in itself has kept food on the table for me & flight-nurse husband!

Stupidity with a wimp chaser, now thats a combo that is increaseingly more common

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

Other than making money, my last visit as a patient was 17 years ago for 70+ sutures in my hand...if I could have steri stripped...I would have!

My kids and husband are the same way...husband has two bum knees...referees bball with them...eventually will be replaced. My daughter walked around with a fractured wrist for 2 days before treated as such...stubborn like mom. My son's the same way. My mom calls us Christian Scientists...I just say suck it up.

Can't stand grown men who cry with needles and iv insertions with their young children looking on. Can't stand parents and patients who don't treat their fevers or cold symptoms. Can't stand people who have gi problems, are off work so come to ER....turning out to be constipated. (happy to give that golytely) Lately, just can't stand people! This holiday season has been ridiculous. Let the sick people come to the ER....all others keep your 24 hour bug, or chronic bs problem at home!

Maisy:madface:

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