What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

Specialties Emergency Nursing Q/A

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

Specializes in MICU.
The police had raided a crack house. In the refrigerator they found what they thought was a human fetus. They brought it to the ER. It was an oyster.

LOL LOL:rotfl: Wouldn't have love to have heard that officer's report to his cheif "We thought it was a fetus found in refrigerator at crack house, but it was really an oyster" LOL

I was reading a book of ER stories, and one in particular struck me funny...

It started off as a sad story, police had been called to an apartment because of screaming, found a psychotic lady bleeding from the lady parts, a bloody unbent coathanger beside her and a mass of bloody mess on the floor between her legs. They called EMS and stated she had aborted herself with a hanger. The "fetal tissue" arrived wrapped in towels and blue pads. A priest gave last rites to it at the request of the woman's family. Then a nurse gloved up and took the bundle into the utility room to unwrap and bag the fetal tissue. After a few minutes she called another nurse in. A couple minutes later, the truth was out- the woman had removed an old tampon with the coat hanger. The priest gave last rites to a tampon.

That sorta made me chuckle... black humor I guess...

Ha! I read that book, too Lori! :rotfl:

In fact, I thought of that very same story after reading about the oyster! It is funny though, the thought of a priest giving last rites to a tampon. No offense to anyone who might be Catholic here.

Why not educate people who visit the ER for nonemergent things? How would you feel if your mechanic made fun of you for bringing your SUV in for something silly? It is just as mean to laugh at patients who don't have your knowledege and education!

Specializes in Emergency.

We do educate them -over, and over, and over. Probably less than 10% actually listen to us and stop using the ER as their primary care.

Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

onlyanrn. Eons of time is spent TRYING to educate people that EMERGENCY rooms are for emergencys not bent fingernails, chigger bites, "I vomited once....3 days ago", I want a pregnancy test....etc

These people DO NOT CARE. These are the same ones standing at the desk screaming "I thought this was supposed to be an emergency room!!!" " I have been here for 5 hours (actually 25 min)"

This is a forum for nurse to share and vent. Often you will see posts by nurses sharing those few and far between special encounters we have. You will also see posts that allow us to blow some steam that accumulates caring for rude, verbally abusive and out and out obnoxious patients. We do not do it in front of our patients. We come here where there are those who have encountered the same thing who can laugh with us, cry with us, and commiserate with us.

Every so often some person with a soap box or a high horse will pop in to chastise those who share. My advice would be that if a thread upsets you hit the back key and look for something that YOU would find uplifting or inspirational. For some THIS is it.

Have a good day.

onlyanrn. Eons of time is spent TRYING to educate people that EMERGENCY rooms are for emergencys not bent fingernails, chigger bites, "I vomited once....3 days ago", I want a pregnancy test....etc

These people DO NOT CARE. These are the same ones standing at the desk screaming "I thought this was supposed to be an emergency room!!!" " I have been here for 5 hours (actually 25 min)"

This is a forum for nurse to share and vent. Often you will see posts by nurses sharing those few and far between special encounters we have. You will also see posts that allow us to blow some steam that accumulates caring for rude, verbally abusive and out and out obnoxious patients. We do not do it in front of our patients. We come here where there are those who have encountered the same thing who can laugh with us, cry with us, and commiserate with us.

Every so often some person with a soap box or a high horse will pop in to chastise those who share. My advice would be that if a thread upsets you hit the back key and look for something that YOU would find uplifting or inspirational. For some THIS is it.

Have a good day.

:yeahthat:

Last rites for a tampon got me giggling. Boy, either you have that sense of humor or you don't, I guess.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
onlyanrn. Eons of time is spent TRYING to educate people that EMERGENCY rooms are for emergencys not bent fingernails, chigger bites, "I vomited once....3 days ago", I want a pregnancy test....etc

These people DO NOT CARE. These are the same ones standing at the desk screaming "I thought this was supposed to be an emergency room!!!" " I have been here for 5 hours (actually 25 min)"

This is a forum for nurse to share and vent. Often you will see posts by nurses sharing those few and far between special encounters we have. You will also see posts that allow us to blow some steam that accumulates caring for rude, verbally abusive and out and out obnoxious patients. We do not do it in front of our patients. We come here where there are those who have encountered the same thing who can laugh with us, cry with us, and commiserate with us.

Every so often some person with a soap box or a high horse will pop in to chastise those who share. My advice would be that if a thread upsets you hit the back key and look for something that YOU would find uplifting or inspirational. For some THIS is it.

Have a good day.

Well said! Kudos and all that babynurselsa:monkeydance:

Specializes in Women's health & post-partum.
Why not educate people who visit the ER for nonemergent things? How would you feel if your mechanic made fun of you for bringing your SUV in for something silly? It is just as mean to laugh at patients who don't have your knowledege and education!

You don't know what the mechanic says after he goes in the office and closes the door. That's what the nurses are doing--as it was said, this is a place to vent.

amen!!!! if this is offensive to some then they just do not need to read it. if we didn't vent we would wind up in the psych ward.....:smackingf

these people we need to educate are the same ones that come in for the 4th pregnancy test after they have been told to go to the health department. they dont want to be educated.

Specializes in Peds.

I think some of them do it because they ARE educated. I lived near a woman one time with something like 6 kids in 8 years.....all on welfare and the works. One of them had very minor sniffles one time and she said something to me about taking it to the ER. I asked her why should wouldn't just to go the pediatrician to which she replied that she would have to make an appointment and she didn't want to wait. I asked that that since it was only a little cold and doctors really couldn't do much anyway, why didn't she just go to the store and buy some otc cold medicine. The reply.... "Well, if I get a prescription, I can get it for free." I guess it was better to wait for hours on end in an ER to get that $1.25 bottle of generic robitussin.

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
I think some of them do it because they ARE educated. I lived near a woman one time with something like 6 kids in 8 years.....all on welfare and the works. One of them had very minor sniffles one time and she said something to me about taking it to the ER. I asked her why should wouldn't just to go the pediatrician to which she replied that she would have to make an appointment and she didn't want to wait. I asked that that since it was only a little cold and doctors really couldn't do much anyway, why didn't she just go to the store and buy some otc cold medicine. The reply.... "Well, if I get a prescription, I can get it for free." I guess it was better to wait for hours on end in an ER to get that $1.25 bottle of generic robitussin.

Our tax dollars at work...:nono: :rolleyes:

+ Add a Comment