Eat Before You Get Here!

Specialties Emergency

Published

WHY is it that as soon as people step one foot into the ER, they suddenly are overcome with hunger and thirst? Now I can understand if the patient is admitted and has been there all day and has eaten nothing. But I don't understand how when someone comes in at 10:30 at night they IMMEDIATELY ask for food and drink because they haven't eaten all day. They have had the entire day to eat.Its not my fault that they didn't eat at home. I don't know how many signs are posted stating "no eating or drinking until evaluation is complete". Then again we have I don't know how many RESTRICTED AREA signs and people ignore those too. The other day I needed to use a bedside table but there was a tray on it so I asked the young lady if she was finished. And she said(snottily)" THAT was lunch. I didn't even GET dinner, yet." She was NOT an admitted pt. Matter of fact she was discharged an hour later. Does this happen everywhere? :uhoh21:

wow what a thread! I have a couple of questions though... WHERE on earth are staff RN's making $40 per hour??? I want to move there!!

Here in PA, agency/travelling RN's can probably make close to $40/hour, but they are driving sometimes 75 mi (one way) to a hospital to work. I currently work in the 2nd highest paid hospital in the entire state, and I am getting just shy of $29/hr (including differential, not including charge pay) and I have been nursing for 10 years and in the ED for 7 1/2.

I used to live and work in California, the wages are not nearly high enough for the cost of living.

One more thing, feeding dinner to someone who is going to be discharged is not my priority. My diabetic patients in the middle of a long workup or patients who are going to be admitted after 6:00pm (who will miss dinner trays on admission) are the ones we worry about feeding. We have a Taco Bell on one side of our hospital and a Hardees on the other, everyone else can stop by for fast food after discharge.

veetach...in my neck of the woods weekenders can make 40/hr. with benefits. staff nurses are more along the 25-30/hr. new grads around 21/hr.

although, one of our registry nurses took a job with a hospital's "inhouse" agency and makes 50/hr travelling to 3 hospitals within about 45 mins of each other.

Specializes in Emergency Room/corrections.
veetach...in my neck of the woods weekenders can make 40/hr. with benefits. staff nurses are more along the 25-30/hr. new grads around 21/hr.

although, one of our registry nurses took a job with a hospital's "inhouse" agency and makes 50/hr travelling to 3 hospitals within about 45 mins of each other.

WOW! In my opinion those wages are great! I do think our cost of living is much lower here than other places, so I am not complaining. Our New grads start out at $18-$19 per hour I think. We are a union hospital and just starting negotiations for a new contract so we will see what they come up with.

I know a lot of people like working agency, and I am SO glad they do. But it isnt for me, I like the comfort of working in our ED where I am comfortable and relaxed. :)

When I moved to PA from KS in 1999, I got a $9/hr raise in pay just due to the change in location!!

Specializes in Emergency Room/corrections.
You know it amazes me that no matter what the start of a thread...someone always comes around to finger pointing and telling the ER nurses to "find another career". And that person is NEVER an ER nurse. (Thank God!!!)

career2...want can I say that better nurses than I have already said to you?

Hmmmmm...how about lighten up and think career number 3..cuz nursing ain't gonna be right for you my friend.

:o

Well said, my friend!! :)

Specializes in LTC.

Eating is a way people deal with stress.

Also, often they have to wait a long time for care. It was frustrating when my 5-year-old son was hit by a car one morning, (thankfully, he only broke an arm), and he had to wait all day until evening before he could be taken to surgery. Granted, a broken arm is not a top priority, but a 5-year-old who is not allowed to eat ALL DAY because he must wait his turn to be taken to surgery? At least we had a compassionate nurse who was understanding.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Holy Moly Carolladybelle, where have you worked, Attica? You HAVE been through the ringer!

I have worked in Florida and Georgia prior to becoming a traveler, and all of the above incidents occurred in those states.

Little elderly people can be devils when they get sundowner's/dementia.

I worked ID/HIV for 3 years and Oncology the rest.

And no, these days even experienced travelers rarely make a regular $40/hour unless they strikebreak...something that I refuse to do. Or all of their assignments are high end.

My point is some things are not worth ANY amount of money...like losing one's health/life.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
At least we had a compassionate nurse who was understanding.

It has little to nothing to do with understanding and/or compassion.

It has to do with a nurse that has had nothing to eat herself for 8 hours or for the two shifts or more that she has worked that week. It has to do with no dietary service after 1900 at night and nothing but dry crackers anywhere in the pantry or the three nearest units. It has to with hospitals too cheap to even keep a coffee pot on a unit, for the staff to bring in coffee for - the staff has to walk 2 blocks away to buy coffee from a vender...at 0200 AM, if they want some.

It has to do with the hospital not seeing fit to provide ANY way to provide food at night in the hospital.

An assignment ago, at the worst hospital that I have ever worked, they had mandated overtime. Even though I was not mandated (due to traveler status), I would often work, to keep coworkers that were sick/had childcare concerns from having to do a double.

One night, a coworker that had just found out that she was pregnant got mandated at 2340 at night (shift ended at 2345). I couldn't cover as I was due back at 0715. I gave her my emergency stash of food (easymac, instant cocoa/soup packs, microwave popcorn). It is sad that she had to choose between those for nourishing her unborn child that night....so bountiful is the way that hospitals treat their staff that they mandate.

The comments were not from you but they were on this thread. There have been comments about mental illness and various forms of government assistance.

Pay here is over $40/hour for an experienced RN. Thats close to a six figure salary if you work some overtime. How much money does one need even for a really hard job? My sister actually makes less than $40/hour as an MD. She seems pretty happy. She took less money to work in a clinic for poor people. Maybe you could get out of the hospital and find an RN job with better conditions.

$40/hr?! Holy cow! Where do you live? I wannna work there!!! (This in not in an acute care facility is it? What kind of facility can pay that kind of money?) WOW!! Do I seem dumbstruck?! Sure am!!

I have to admit, I first read this thread a couple of weeks ago but last Friday I ended up in the ER with an acute attack of vertigo. As soon as I got checked in, I remembered all the things from the posts and was very conscious not to ask for food, water, or to use the bathroom. I didn't want to be known as one of "those patients".

Let me just say it one more time...

"One of Those Patients" do not care.

They come into the ER for reasons that are ridiculous.

They are demanding of everything but will cooperate with nothing.

The family members who are demanding food, vouchers, free this and free that are RARELY demanding anything in the best interest of their loved one.

If those so-called "loved ones" cared about the patient...they wouldn't bring in their children, their children's friends, their second cousin once removed, their next door neighbor, etc. to watch the show. They would bring in their loved one to receive care and let that person perhaps, I don't know, maybe get some rest!!!

They would not scream at every tech who passes by their room for food for their children who have been "starving all day" (did they wait to come in to the ER before feeding their children their breakfast and lunch?!!?)

They would not yell at the nurses and say "How much yelling do I have to do to get a free meal aroud here?!!? (SWEAR!)

When my mother in law was in the ER for her acute CHF and Pulmonary Edema, my husband and I drove to the ER to be with her. She wasn't doing well. It was a critical moment for all of us. Funny enough, the thought of food was furthest from my mind. I think I would have thrown up. However, when my son showed up (he was 18 at the time) to see grandma, I left the room...walked across the street...and bought him dinner.

I figured my son...my nickel. Call me crazy.

I wanted the nurses and docs focusing on helping my mother in law...not feeding me for God's sake.

I know this is long but the thing is it's the off balance "sense of entitlement" that some of these people have that blows my mind.

You are entitled to quality care and compassion.

You are entitled to honesty and integrity from the healthcare providers.

Free food, meds, cab rides, etc are not part of that.

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

I have so much respect for what you ER nurses do! There is a LOT of stress coming at you from all directions and I, for one, would rather see you vent on a message board with fellow nurses than hold it in & one day blow your top at work.

I am outraged. I CANNOT believe that your ER does NOT have a meal waiting for your guests, or a McDonlad's in the waiting area! :roll

Parkland (in Dallas) has a MCD's within the hospital :)

I have to admit, I first read this thread a couple of weeks ago but last Friday I ended up in the ER with an acute attack of vertigo. As soon as I got checked in, I remembered all the things from the posts and was very conscious not to ask for food, water, or to use the bathroom. I didn't want to be known as one of "those patients".

An acute attack of vertigo?

Sorry, no food or water...And no walking to the bathroom...A urinal/bedpan, or a BSC are safer alternatives...

Eating is one's own responsibility...

If I wait all night for Van Halen tickets, should the concert venue give out free food while I'm in line?

I'll call someone to bring me food. I own that responsibility, NO ONE else.

The same goes for the ER

sean

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