Bad Weekend

[htrn]

Phone calls that start out with "well, uh, my name is XXX, and, uh, well"

- "Is the medication I'm on lethal?"

- "my child popped a pimple and now it's swollen and oozing"

- "I have (symptom) and was seen in the ER and told I was fine last week. I went to my regular doctor the next day and he said it was ok. But I have (symptom,) what should I do?"

Patient's primary complaints:

"exposed to RSV"

"cough X 30 mins"

"vomiting X1"

"sore knee X 2 weeks"

And then of course, "You are going to send me home with pain medication aren't you? What do you mean go to the pharmacy, don't your understand, I don't have any money? (smokes 1 1/2 packs a day) You have no idea how bad this hurts, have you ever (had this particular injury)?" When I offered to show her my scars and told her about the compound tib/fib fx I had from the same mechanism of injury as she suffered, except she only had contusions!! Let's just say I'm expecting a phone call from administration about a patient complaint. ARGGGGGGG

Oh yeah, then there is the new sphincter that a patient chewed out of me on the telephone because the ER doc wouldn't call in an abx script for his kid without seeing him - and then I couldn't quote the cost of an ER visit. How dare I!! Do you realize what kind of racket we have going on in the hospital!

Gotta love ER!

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Phone calls that start out with "well, uh, my name is XXX, and, uh, well"

- "Is the medication I'm on lethal?"

Gotta love ER!

Oh my were you so tempted to repeat the medicines name then gasp and say "oh my--where did you get that? Have you taken any? "

I dont typically work ER, just get floated down there when they are extra busy, I always enjoy myself and many times wonder how exactly have some of these people managed to exist in society for so long.

You know 100 years ago some of these people would have probably froze to death in the winter. Makes me wonder, are all our special programs really helping society or just allowing it to dumb down.

[Anagray, BSN]

I hear you!!! :cheers:

Hey, but if we left the ER, I think we would run out of reasons to make sarcastic remarks!

Nat

[bollweevil]

I hear you!!! :cheers:

Hey, but if we left the ER, I think we would run out of reasons to make sarcastic remarks!

Nat

Oh, no, there's plenty of grist for funnies in any area where you have people.

[maryloufu]

htrn-

:urck:

I am beginning to think that aggressive ER care does inhibit natural selection- (someone's signature line says that)