Do you ever have patients that you know?

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Have you ever had to care for a patient in the ED that you knew in some way(personally, a friend, casual acquaintance, family member)? Do you ask to be reassigned if you know them? Is it okay/appropriate to take the assignment of a patient that you know? If you work in your hometown, I could see this come up pretty frequently.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I work in a community hospital in the county I live in. So yes, I often run into people I know or have been acquainted with, but have never been assigned to a relative or friend, thank God!! I try to avoid eye contact with the ones who I don't know well. I also try to avoid walking thru the waiting room when going to the gift shop or ATM machine. Several times, I have been waved down by people I barely know, who hope to be brought in right away. Its very awkward, especially when its busy. I don't offer information on where I work unless asked. Who needs to hear more complaining!?!?!

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Specializes in Emergency.

I work in a hospital in the community in which I grew up. I often care for people I know. I have not treated a family member and am not sure if this would even be a policy issue. It has never come up before.

Knowing some of the patients is what makes my job enjoyable. It is better than anonymous faces.

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I live in a small town - I know just about everyone who comes into the ER.

steph

I also work in a veeerrryyy small town and if you don't know the patient, you will know at least half the family because you have taken care of most of them.:lol2:

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Specializes in Med surg, ICU, office, ER.

I work in a small rural ER in a town I have lived in 40plus years, so yes, I take care of a lot of friends and coworkers and their families. I have taken care of some of my own also, including my grandfather, both my parents and my son and garandson. It has never been an issue. The only folks I refuse to care for, (and I guess I would if I absolutely had to) are the EX daughter in law and her crazy family..:uhoh3: .(but that is another whole thread!

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Specializes in ICU,ER.

A few weeks ago, a male coworker in the ER asked me to "straight cath the person in room 7". I am sooo glad I looked at the chart first.

It was my boyfriend's ex wife.

~shudder~

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.

I have taken care of people I know in the Ed and one time on med surg. On med surg I was the only one left and incharge to take this pt. Ended up being a fellow person in a music group I worked with. She was so anxious then I couldn't start her iv and almost left ama that I thought I'd never care for anyone I know AGAIN! Just for both our sake b/c then we go back in the community and is a little uncomfortable. However in ER it's so fast paced. It depends. if I know who they are but are not that close I will and if I know them very well I won't and we are not suppose to. I was surprised how many people from HS and other areas there i recognized. Even going to the pharmacy I recognize people now! But there were 2 pts, I'm still on orientation though, but I felt very uncomfortable and told me preceptor so. One was a former coworker who I got along well with in person but caused a bunch of gossip and trouble maker who I saw now was pregnant. i would of had to do fetal hrt tones. No big deal but just didn't feel comfortale whatso ever. The other was a girl I knew from school with a major psych hx that I never knew so I dind't want to work with her for her and my comfort level. So it all depends.

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A few weeks ago, a male coworker in the ER asked me to "straight cath the person in room 7". I am sooo glad I looked at the chart first.

It was my boyfriend's ex wife.

~shudder~

Eewwwwww!

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Unless it is really uncomfortable for the patient I just take the assignment. As a medic I pronounced 2 people I had known and took care of many friends and neighbors. In 15 years of nursing I have taken care of many neighbors, people I knew from church, grocery store clerks, my insurance agents husband, and never a family member so far. One paramedic I worked with went out on a 444call (cardiac arrest) at a local business, turned out it was his dad. He was very professional through the call, but was a basket case back at the base....we let him go back to the hospital to be with his dad. This was the worse family medical emergency needs to go home that I remember.

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Specializes in ICU,ER.
Eewwwwww!

Yep...I did not want to go there.....:uhoh3:

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Specializes in ER, telemetry.

Medical problems are sometimes very, very personal problems as well and I would feel very uncomfortable taking care of someone I know unless the complaint was very minor. Like needing stitches for something legit, or a broken bone. I once did come on duty and took over care of my cousin, but all I did was discharge him home, and he was there for muscle strain.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Nurse Educator..

yup!! he's my schoolmate during high school days.:rolleyes:..........yaiks!!

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Don't work the ED, but post partum. Went into a room one night and low and behold was the girl that had a hand in breaking up me and my first real love. I just smiled and did my job. I think she was a little freaked too that I was having to look at her lochia and help her with her breastfeeding. But there is only two of us that work on the unit on weekends, so I took her.

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