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 CEN.
and do 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 :)

How about a case of "stuffed up nose" that arrives by ambulance?:yeah::yeah:

I'd say the people at the store were being overly cautious, but there's no reason for the nurse to make you feel like that.

Some of these stories are definitely hysterical (hang nails, gum in hair, things that don't belong in orifices, etc.) but I have to say one time I was treated like I had come to the ER for a ridiculous reason. I fell on an uneven spot on the sidewalk and put my hand out to catch myself (anyone's normal reaction.) I thought I was okay and was going to go on to work but then I tried to make a fist with my hand and I literally COULD NOT do it. Some of my fingers also wouldn't spread apart. So, the people at the store I had fallen in front of called an ambulance. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was 140/97 and mine usually runs 90/60. I was in extreme pain and the triage nurse gave me a hard time about using an ambulance when someone who was having a heart attack could have used it. It turned out to be just a contusion on the back of my hand but it was in the place where a bunch of nerves gather. My hand ended up swelling up to twice its normal size and it hurt to even pick up a glass of water with that hand for about a month and a half. I'm just a nursing student but I will do my best to never make a patient feel like that nurse made me feel.
Specializes in Emergency - ICU.

I did not have time to read all the post but most were impressive. I do have one that should at least break the top 10.

A lady comes in and tells the traige nurse she cannot get her baby to eats peas. She keeps spitting them out.

The triage nurse tells the lady, "Maybe she does not like peas."

The woman replies, "Thats is not it!" and says she will wait to see the doctor.

After 6 hrs in the er waiting room (being a true medical emergency and all) she spends 2 minutes with the ER doc and he tells her, "You daughter does not like peas.."

The woman thamks the doc for helping her and leaves....

I guess it is all in the delivery of the news, not the news itself.

Some of these stories are definitely hysterical (hang nails, gum in hair, things that don't belong in orifices, etc.) but I have to say one time I was treated like I had come to the ER for a ridiculous reason. I fell on an uneven spot on the sidewalk and put my hand out to catch myself (anyone's normal reaction.) I thought I was okay and was going to go on to work but then I tried to make a fist with my hand and I literally COULD NOT do it. Some of my fingers also wouldn't spread apart. So, the people at the store I had fallen in front of called an ambulance. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was 140/97 and mine usually runs 90/60. I was in extreme pain and the triage nurse gave me a hard time about using an ambulance when someone who was having a heart attack could have used it. It turned out to be just a contusion on the back of my hand but it was in the place where a bunch of nerves gather. My hand ended up swelling up to twice its normal size and it hurt to even pick up a glass of water with that hand for about a month and a half. I'm just a nursing student but I will do my best to never make a patient feel like that nurse made me feel.

Don't feel bad. What if you had fallen because you had a stroke? Those can happen in people of any age.

I did not have time to read all the post but most were impressive. I do have one that should at least break the top 10.

A lady comes in and tells the traige nurse she cannot get her baby to eats peas. She keeps spitting them out.

The triage nurse tells the lady, "Maybe she does not like peas."

The woman replies, "Thats is not it!" and says she will wait to see the doctor.

After 6 hrs in the er waiting room (being a true medical emergency and all) she spends 2 minutes with the ER doc and he tells her, "You daughter does not like peas.."

The woman thamks the doc for helping her and leaves....

I guess it is all in the delivery of the news, not the news itself.

Wouldn't you love to have that much free time?

:yawn:

Specializes in Rescue+Medic+ER ER ER ER.

60 y/o gentleman comes in with CC of L arm blue and numb. I took the tourniquet off that the phlebotomist at the health fair left on. He LWBS.

60 y/o gentleman comes in with CC of L arm blue and numb. I took the tourniquet off that the phlebotomist at the health fair left on. He LWBS.

What is LWBS?

Left Without Being Seen

Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.
Some of these stories are definitely hysterical (hang nails, gum in hair, things that don't belong in orifices, etc.) but I have to say one time I was treated like I had come to the ER for a ridiculous reason. I fell on an uneven spot on the sidewalk and put my hand out to catch myself (anyone's normal reaction.) I thought I was okay and was going to go on to work but then I tried to make a fist with my hand and I literally COULD NOT do it. Some of my fingers also wouldn't spread apart. So, the people at the store I had fallen in front of called an ambulance. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was 140/97 and mine usually runs 90/60. I was in extreme pain and the triage nurse gave me a hard time about using an ambulance when someone who was having a heart attack could have used it. It turned out to be just a contusion on the back of my hand but it was in the place where a bunch of nerves gather. My hand ended up swelling up to twice its normal size and it hurt to even pick up a glass of water with that hand for about a month and a half. I'm just a nursing student but I will do my best to never make a patient feel like that nurse made me feel.

Why did you take an ambulance?

Why not take yourself? Or call a friend?

Obviously it was not life or death right?

I don't know, I wasn't there - but I am most interested in the ambulance thing...

-MB

Why did you take an ambulance?

Why not take yourself? Or call a friend?

Obviously it was not life or death right?

it would appear, on close reading, that it was called for by someone else....and not at her direction

I don't know, I wasn't there - but I am most interested in the ambulance thing...

-MB

it would appear, on close reading, that it was called for by someone else......not the op

Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.
it would appear, on close reading, that it was called for by someone else......not the op

I know that.

I didn't ask how/why the ambulance came...

I asked why she took it.

(Just b/c an ambulance is called and arrives, does not mandate that you have to ride with them)

I know that.

I didn't ask how/why the ambulance came...

I asked why she took it.

since it was already there, what would have been the point? we are talking about someone in more than a little pain...with an unknown degree of injury.......not everyone in this world has someone they can call at the drop of a hat to come and take them to the doc/ed.....

this comes from someone who has been on that side walk with an ankle injury.....unknown degree, a WHOLE lot of pain (and i do well with pain)....when the store persons asked if they should call, i said yes.....i couldnt have driven, and there are no taxis, and i wasnt walking the mile either.....

on the other hand i have driven myself to the ED, in this case 25 miles....with a lac. on my dominate hand driving a stick shift.....again, no one else was going to be doing it for me......

(Just b/c an ambulance is called and arrives, does not mandate that you have to ride with them)

since it was already there, what would have been the point? we are talking about someone in more than a little pain...with an unknown degree of injury.......not everyone in this world has someone they can call at the drop of a hat to come and take them to the doc/ed.....

this comes from someone who has been on that side walk with an ankle injury.....unknown degree, a WHOLE lot of pain (and i do well with pain)....when the store persons asked if they should call, i said yes.....i couldnt have driven, and there are no taxis, and i wasnt walking the mile either.....

on the other hand i have driven myself to the ED, in this case 25 miles....with a lac. on my dominate hand driving a stick shift.....again, no one else was going to be doing it for me......

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