What's up with some ER staff feeling that the nurses and staff in a nursing home are just a bunch of yahoos?!
Now don't get me wrong not all ER personnel treat LTC staff this way but I have experienced a major example of this.
I work 6p to 6a shift in a 120 bed facility that is attached to a small hospital. This particular evening I was taking care of a lady in her 60's, she was full of cancer, and activly dying. We knew it was a matter of hours for the poor lady, but to the families dismay she was a full code (the family had wanted to change this but she was her own person and just 3 days before was able to talk and state her wishes). Anyhow I had all my aides ready and aware of what to do when the time comes. The woman started to run a high temp and I decided to go ahead and give her a tylenol supp, as she was looking like she was uncomfortable. About 2 or 3 hours later, I went to check on her with this weird feeling she was gone, sure enough she had quit breathing as I walked into the room. My aide was out in the hall I yelled to him to get the crash cart and yell for help. I immediatly started CPR, and the rest of the staff came in and we transferred her to the gurney, one nurse got onto top to continue chest compressions, I manipulated the ambu bag, while 2 aides pushed the gurney to the hospital at top speed. When we arrive at ER, with the ER's full knowledge we are on our way, they look at me and say "why did you bring her here she looks like she has been gone for 10 years?" I told them this is my job, and I don't care how she looks I have to bring her here." So as their nurses hook up to EKG and do their procedures, the ER doctor is arguing with me. She says "well I'm not signing the death certificate!" I said " I don't care who signs it, I'm doing my job and following the residents wishes and following protocol". She then asks me "did you call the doctor?" I said, "um no I was a little busy doing CPR!" So finally the doctor chills out and gives me a break. I go to where they had been working on this lady, and there are 2 ER nurses there unhooking the machines as she was pronounced. By now I have relieved my staff and sent them back to the nursing home. One of the ER nurses looks at me and says, "so what happened?" I explain the events of the evening and how I gave her a tylenol supp, the ER nurse then says to me "well was she alive and breathing then?" I'm just standing there looking at her....and say "uh no I always give supp to dead people...Of course she was alive and breathing!" The nurses finally apologized for giving me a hard time, I never did hear from the doctor, but I understand my director of nursing gave them an earful.
