ER vs ICU, how did we get there?

RNin92 · Mar 10, 2004

Sometimes I shovel it pretty deep :chuckle :chuckle
Then you have to realize they already had the best nurse in the hosp while in my ER, ME :rotfl:

ya gotta love a man with a sense of humor!!

:rotfl:

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2004

Someone said earlier that communication is key, and I would agree.
I think part of the problem is personality. To work in either ED or ICU you have to be assertive and strong. So two people with those attributes can be a dynamic team...or horrific adversaries. I'm sorry that so much of the time we seem to be the latter.
Sometimes I think that the administration LIKES it this way...
If we are fighting with each other...we certainly cannot be fighting with them!
If the reason we are overworked and underpaid is the ED/ICU (depending on which floor you live!) then the REAL issues do not have to be addressed.
Kind of makes you think a bit!!!

This is true of most all nurses in most all specialities, not just ED - ICU.

And I agree that administration does little to solve it, as it deflects problem perception away from them.

I have been dumped on by both departments. And received the perpetual stall from other units and ICU. As well as from coworkers on the same unit, etal. As I am sure that we all have.

We need to stop fighting among ourselves and work to solve the problems that initiate dissension between departments.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2004

personalities is an issue

as that old song saya

youve got personality

walk with personality

talk with personalty, too

cute song

very apropos

marcicatherine · Mar 10, 2004

I had a patient come in the ER a few days ago. CP, diaphoresis, vomiting, SOB, and ST elevations through the roof. We did the whole nine yards on her, NTG, Heparin, and Retavase. Finally by the second dose of Retavase she started to reprofuse.....which, in itself, can be a touchy, scary time. Luckily she didn't fibrilate. I had her for about 90 minutes before I transported her to ICU. When I got to the unit with her, I attempted to give report to the nurse taking over, all she was concerned about was why the patient still had her pants on!!!! Who cares that we just freaking saved this lady's life! I calmed explained to her that removing the patients pants was not a high priority in an acute MI situation and walked out the door. Is it just me?? :angryfire

RNFROG3, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2004

Wow. I'm ever so thankful our Ed and Icu get along. We even have a code nurse and one of her jobs is to come down when we have an ICU pt and help us if needed or facilitate the trf by placing the pt. Bed control still gets notified but there is a direct link between our ED and the ICU. I treasure our ICU nurses and their abilities because while I'm perfectly comfortable stabilizing a pt. I'm not comfortable monitoring them forever. It's always nice to know there is help even just an comforting voice telling us hang in there you're doing good.

We run into problems holding pt's in ED- ICU pts' nurse's have there own protocols as set by the internal med docs. We don't have that access and once pt is admitted the ED docs don't touch the pt. So the reletionship between ED and our ICU is close - we desperately try not to dump on them and they in turn are there when we need help.

veetach · Mar 11, 2004

I had a patient come in the ER a few days ago. CP, diaphoresis, vomiting, SOB, and ST elevations through the roof. We did the whole nine yards on her, NTG, Heparin, and Retavase. Finally by the second dose of Retavase she started to reprofuse.....which, in itself, can be a touchy, scary time. Luckily she didn't fibrilate. I had her for about 90 minutes before I transported her to ICU. When I got to the unit with her, I attempted to give report to the nurse taking over, all she was concerned about was why the patient still had her pants on!!!! Who cares that we just freaking saved this lady's life! I calmed explained to her that removing the patients pants was not a high priority in an acute MI situation and walked out the door. Is it just me?? :angryfire

HAHAHA are you sure you are in Arkansas and not here in PA with me??? LOL One night I had a lady come in with full blown pulmonary edema, we worked like a bunch of madmen to get her stablized. I cut off her vest (some nicely knitted vest with button holes too small for the buttons so I could not get it off easily) anyway, it was touch and go for a while, but we finally stabilized her. The next night I had a call from the ICU nurses trying to chastise me for cutting off her clothes. :rolleyes: I told them I chose to sacrifice the clothes instead of the patient.. good grief!

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2004

I had a patient come in the ER a few days ago. CP, diaphoresis, vomiting, SOB, and ST elevations through the roof. We did the whole nine yards on her, NTG, Heparin, and Retavase. Finally by the second dose of Retavase she started to reprofuse.....which, in itself, can be a touchy, scary time. Luckily she didn't fibrilate. I had her for about 90 minutes before I transported her to ICU. When I got to the unit with her, I attempted to give report to the nurse taking over, all she was concerned about was why the patient still had her pants on!!!! Who cares that we just freaking saved this lady's life! I calmed explained to her that removing the patients pants was not a high priority in an acute MI situation and walked out the door. Is it just me?? :angryfire

'

You promptly reach over with your trauma scissors and cut them off for her and then smile sweetly

Or let her borrow your trauma scissors

RNin92 · Mar 12, 2004

'
You promptly reach over with your trauma scissors and cut them off for her and then smile sweetly
Or let her borrow your trauma scissors

Hmmmmmm...

I can think of a MUCH better use for those scissors!!!

:angryfire :angryfire

Kiddin'...Just Kiddin'

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2004

I will leave that alone hehehehe

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: