I wish I had a nickel for........

petiteflower · Apr 6, 2004

Speaking of cigarrettes, what about the ones who want to know if it is ok to go out and smoke while they are waiting for lab results, or waiting for the doctor? (after they get to the room)

Rain · Apr 6, 2004

I refuse to let my patients go out and smoke. If they sneak out, then I sign them out AMA and they have to go through the whole process again. I feel if they think they are sick enough to be in the ER then they don't need to smoke. I tell them up front about this. MD's back me up too

z's playa · Apr 6, 2004

I refuse to let my patients go out and smoke. If they sneak out, then I sign them out AMA and they have to go through the whole process again. I feel if they think they are sick enough to be in the ER then they don't need to smoke. I tell them up front about this. MD's back me up too

That's a little extreme considering how much of taxpayers money it costs just to triage one person! I realize how frustrating the addiction is that pts drag themselves out in all kinds of shape but to waste money on making a point? I'm going to just note it and get the doc to confront them appropriately.

petiteflower · Apr 6, 2004

I gotta go with Rain on this one. Our hospital policy is they don't go out to smoke. Too many times the doc has gone in to see a patient and they are not in the room, they're out smoking. I agree that we shouldn't waste taxpayer's money, but we shouldn't waste already stretched ER staff either, having to chase a patient down so the doc can assess them or review labs/xrays etc.

TaraER-RN · Apr 22, 2004

z's playa you must not work in an ER yet (I think you wrote when you become a nurse)...in the ER you can not be responsible for a pt who goes out side to have a cigarette...if they were to be hit by a car or something or have some other complication (like cardiac arrest or resp distress) and they didn't sign out AMA then you are responsible for whatever happens to that pt...so you have to CYA and log them out of the ER either by having them sign an AMA form indicating that they are wanting to leave to have a cigarette or if they go out without telling you then you sign them out as leaving without notifcation of staff and they should by all means have to go through the whole process again...you said worry about the resources/money it takes to triage someone..what about the resources/money it has taken us to worry about this pt who's only concern is to treat their nicotine habit...if its that bad then I'm willing to get a patch but our policy is no leaving the building. When I have explained this to pts who are truly sick they tend to understand, and those who don't understand tend to be the ones who don't need to be in the ER in the first place. I love my job...I'm there to treat EMERGENCY conditions, so the when you see people abuse the system then this is the place to vent

veetach · Apr 23, 2004

Our hospital is a smoke free campus, SO we can tell them that they cant smoke outside anyway. :chuckle

I wish I had a nickel for every young mother who drags her child in to our ER on a monday morning (after they have been out running around all weekend) and says the baby has "been sick since last Friday". They have the perfect explanation, "I called the pediatricians office and they said to come to the ER" DUHHHHH!! Of course the dr isnt going to work them in to their office schedule today the kid has been sick for 3 days. ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. Meanwhile, the child looks good, is smiling and playing in triage. :rolleyes:

giggleangel · Apr 24, 2004

[color=#0080ff]~for every chest pain complaints that is not cardiac related

[color=#0080ff]~for women who missed their menstrual period and wants to be checked out in the er if they're pregnant (they have platinum medicaid card)...how much does it cost them to buy a home pregnancy test???

[color=#0080ff]~for those who complained to the management that the triage nurse is not doing anything and just sitting around ......(and drowning because there's a busload of patient still waiting to be triage)

[color=#0080ff]~ when triage rn becomes the information desk for all the visitors that comes in to the hospital

[color=#0080ff]~chief complaint of "i'm sick!" (i've yet to learn how to read your mind)

[color=#0080ff]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[color=#0080ff]i'm in control.......i'm a troll patrol!!!!

:chair:

oramar · Apr 24, 2004

This was the problem I had when I was med/surg nurse. The ER nurse would copy only the names of the meds from the medications the patient brought in with them. Then they would then send the meds home with the family. As much as I complained they would not change it and get doses and times.

oramar · Apr 24, 2004

This was the problem I had when I was med/surg nurse. The ER nurse would copy only the names of the meds from the medications the patient brought in with them. Then they would then send the meds home with the family. As much as I complained they would not change it and get doses and times.

kwilborn · Apr 24, 2004

Someone PAID for a study like that!!!
Didn't someone with the purse strings just want to say...duh?!!?

That's how I finance my nursing education! I get a grant to study the theory that the the less ill a pt in the ED is the more they are going to complain!

*Grins*

Kellie

kwilborn · Apr 24, 2004

Someone PAID for a study like that!!!
Didn't someone with the purse strings just want to say...duh?!!?

That's how I finance my nursing education! I get a grant to study the theory that the the less ill a pt in the ED is the more they are going to complain!

*Grins*

Kellie

Rapheal · Apr 25, 2004

For every patient who has intractable n/v that always flairs up after they come back from smoking.

For every relative and friend that leaves an alert and oriented patient's room and asks me "what's wrong with him/her" (Umm, I don't know- what did they tell you?)

For every drama momma, sister, husband, who sits in the room and demands you provide more pain meds, more ice water, more blankets. more everything while their beloved has suddenly become totally unable to speak for themselves.

For every nursing supervisor who breeezes into your own personal nursing war zone with the sounds of moaning, screaming, alarms, ect., and says as they quickly pass by "How's it going?"