why do we baby our pts

Specialties Emergency

Published

:confused: i was just wondering why some of the health care professionals feel the need to baby our patients. on several occasions, i have heard other staff and even on this bb say that they had to talk their (adults who are mentally and medically competent are the ones included in this post only) pt into staying or talk thier pts into coming into the er in the first place!

in my experience, i have found that these "babyied" pt's are the ones who often become demanding, rude and well, just plain ignorant.

why do we as health care workers think we know better than the patients. yes, we may know more about health than the ones with no health education but these people are adults who when told once about their conditions are able to make an informed descion, not a "preformed descion".

i am tired of begging the preforming arts crowd to stay in my er for their own good. fine, if they think they know so much, let them leave. who cares? they are adults and i am tired of treating them like children. my 9 year old listens better than some of the adults that i have come into contact with over the years! some people are just down right rude and stupid.

i was wondering if anyone else felt like that and would like to vent!?!;)

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amen....

you wanna leave...here's your form...sign at the bottom...

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Specializes in Emergency/Critical Care Transport.

"Yes, thank you for choosing Jones Memorial Hospital where our motto is 'Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!'"

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I totally agree Magik Girl. When I first started working in the ER, I babied the difficult patients. I talked them into tests, blood work, taking meds, staying for treatment........Needless to say, that lasted about 2 months. I'm a little slow, it took me that long to realize that those type of patients don't give a crap how much you care. Their whole agenda is to see what they can get, how fast they can get it, and how much freaking s#it they can dish out.

I have turned over a new leaf. If a patient refuses to talk to me...I walk out. If a patient refuses a med...I walk out. etc.

Just today a patient came in c/o irregular very heavy periods.....she refused the CBC and beta HCG. I told the doc, and much to my pleasure he handed me the chart back and said "tell her to follow up with her doctor" ROCK ON DOC!!!

We have enough patients that want care to deal with that. I love to say "This ain't Burger King, you can't have it your way":nono:

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I totally agree with you guys. I work in the ER also and I may start out my shift a little more forgiving but by the late morning I'm

all for "you can leave if you want to, I'm not forcing you to stay". Some times it is very frustrating when you go to call some one for the third time and they're pissed off @ you for taking so long when the whole time they have been outside smoking or gone down to the cafeteria because they have'nt eaten since lunch. And they are here for nausea and vomitting.

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my favorite quote to these unsatisfied patients was " if you are unhappy with our services there are 20 other Ers in this city you can go visit"

of course with the advent of patient satisfaction I no longer use it.

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I totally agree..it is their health. They need to take some responsibility b/c it is ultimately up to them how healthy they will be. Sometimes it is just a waist of time to invest so heavily in a pt just to have them turn around and not try to take care of themselves. Once they are out of our direct care, they need to be able to take care of themselves. I am all for offering guidance and knowledge but I refuse beat my head against a brick wall!

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sometimes i get ticked like when they refuse proceedures. you tell the doctor and the next thing you know, he is in the patients room on one knee begging them to have the test!

well, i ain't no mother hen and i can go home and look my self in the mirror in the morning!!!:chuckle

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Does anyone have to baby their Doctor's and do they get the patients thru the ER as quickly as possible and not hang on to them for 8 or more hours @ a time?

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Originally posted by vitalsigns

Does anyone have to baby their Doctor's and do they get the patients thru the ER as quickly as possible and not hang on to them for 8 or more hours @ a time?

i baby no one!:D

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.
Does anyone have to baby their Doctor's

Boy do we! There are times when I want to get the pacifers out and stick it in their mouths!

As for babying patients, is it me or does anyone else automatically throw a sympathy wall up when someone is complaining loudly about pain or is whimpering? It seems like the ones who are whimpering and crying the most are the ones that are in the least amount of pain; it's the ones that are silently suffering that you have to watch out for cause they are usually the ones that are the worst.:eek:

JMHO, Pam;)

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i baby no one!

liar....u baby me......and lurch sometimes...

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