Crowd Control

Terra -- Someone needs to report to those in charge what's going on in your unit. Things are way out of hand. Management isn't happening. And Security isn't performing as if they're on the same team.

Hope this gets addressed soon.

I am serious about this, call a friend with a pre agreed signal and have them call a TV station.

It worked wonders at a Florida county hospital a few years back

Call a TV station and say what? I'm sorry, I'm not catching on.

"Attention- the ER is closed"

:chuckle

your screen name seems to fit you.

Let's see, what do TV crew's do, wow, do you think maybe a crowd out of control going nuts with only one triage nurse stuck in the middle of the mess be something newsworthy? Sounds like a kodak moment to me................

Don't be mean.

that would be a normal day where I work.

NOTHING, AND I MEAN N-O-T-H-I-N-G. IS WORTH CRYING OVER.:)

If you are upset, it is ok to get MAD!, Then let it go. This is a job, not a 24 hour-take-it-home and worry about it thing. LET IT GO! No job is worth crying over. Especially when you have no control!

if your ability to do your job (triage) is effected - then your charge nurse should handle the situation so that you can continue to function in a timely and appropriate manner. That is his/her responsibility as charge nurse/ team leader/ whatever - that person is the go to person to problem solve on a shift to shift basis - should your charge rn be ineffective then you need to take the issue to your manager/supervisor

IF this still doesn't work - find another place to work - because sooner or later - your delay in triage will cost someone !!

When your hospital is too busy kissing butts because they want to be THE Best hospital in town it makes work a *****. I have been in your position and this is basically how we resolved our "crowd control." Every night triage had a problem the charge nurse was called to the lobby to handle it. After several months the hospital hired Police from the local police department to manage our security "problems". Also it was so funny to watch people coming to the ER turn and walk out when they saw ME sitting in triage.

I knew too many of them and they knew that I could not be bulldozed and would just smile while I closed my door to protect the patient I was triaging. Also cops learned to go the other way instead of cutting thru my triage room.:chuckle

Remember a quick pulse ox does a lot to settle folks down.

Just call me canoehead Jr. - I didn't get it either.

do you remember the white broncho chase watched by millions during the OJ chase..... calling the news got attention really quick

TerraRN:

I know it must be frustrating for you, but crying is simply not an option! Remember, at work we think logically, cognitively, not

emotionally! Don't allow work issues to project onto your home

life! This is a very negative situation, and management should

be made aware of it! There is no reason why you should be made a "sitting duck" out in the center of the crowd. Security

needs to run interference and keep the crowd far from you while

you are triaging other patients. Sounds like your Security force

needs to be revamped! Where I practice in a dangerously poor-

urban-based facility, we have armed policemen/women who do

not hesitate to intervene when needed, and who acknowledge

that when the RN says to remove a patient's family member, etc., it is done, no arguments, no negotiations, they are out! Can't

tell you how many times I've heard "just wait until you leave in

the AM!" threatened to me as they are escorted out of the ER.

These types interrupt patient care and are impediments to the

flow of the ER. Don't argue, don't try to explain your methods, etc., they do not need to know, nor do they care. If they are

ignorant enough to harrass you like that, they won't understand

your explanations anyway!

Unfortunately, you need to first make your charge person aware, and if the situation persists, take it up the ladder to ER management. They may have to convene with the management

of Security.

There is no reason for you to work in such a hostile environment, however, you can facilitate change, as long as you do it professionally. No tears!!!! Good Luck! :)

Whoa, I don't see any similarity between a celebrity leading the police on a chase after his ex-wife, who he was known to abuse, was found murdered, and an overwhlemed triage nurse who has a management with no back bone. But maybe that's just me.

I can actually see the media making the situation worse because they would probably show a pt, teary-eyed and complaining "I've been waiting for two hours with this sore throat I've had since noon, I could barely scarf down my biggie fries at lunch and now my nose is getting stuffed up. And just 15 minutes ago they took some guy with a little bit of chest pain in before me, when I was clearly the next in line."

Then there would be a commentary on how people are suffering in the waiting room, and the nursing staff isn't doing anything about it. The next days headline would probably be something like "Triage Nurse Reprimanded By Hospital Administration".

Sorry Terra, it sounds like the only way things will change is if management backs you up. You can't effectively triage in that atmosphere. Hopefully it won't take something serious to enforce the triage policy.