Why oh why must patients bring the entire family to the hospital's ER? For support? Yeah right, most of the time they are either arguing or chit chatting about who aunt sally just remarried... again. Are they bringing them because they are familiar with their medical condition? Yeah, right.... most of them start telling you about their own medical problems, not the patient being seen. Do they bring them just to take up space and annoy the nurses... yup.. that's it .. that's the one.
Now, mind you I don't mind patients having family with them. They are useful to both patient and staff. I'm just venting about bringing 15 of them. Often the young children are running around touching things they have no business touching, screaming and disturbing other patients. And yes, I know there are all kinds of childcare issues that may necessitate bring young one, but come on, use some common sense.
And my final gripe is when the whole fam damily wants to be seen. Mom: I've had a sore throat for 2 hours and I need to be seen. And as long as we are here, little Johnnie has had a cough for 2 weeks and little Susie has had vomiting and diarrhea for 1 1/2 weeks and baby Neil who is 3 weeks old today has had a fever of 102.5 for 3 or 4 days. Now notice, and this is consitent, that mom has had symptoms for 2 hours while the kids have suffered for weeks. And the babe.... let's not have the child seen with that fever on it's own merit.. only when mom can't tolerate her poor little sore throat.
Maybe they think there will be a group discount or something? Maybe even buy one get one free.
Oh.. and how about all those unattended children roaming the Er willy nilly.... ugh... that's another thread... I'm done venting...lol
