Fake crying and bad acting in the ER

Specialties Emergency

Published

I see a lot of untalented actors in the ER. They walk to their rooms telling their sad stories that sound like poorly written scripts. Then they plop down onto the gurney, starting what sounds like feigned tearless crying. Some of them continue to wail after you've left the room, amping it up every time they see you walk by through the glass door, peeking through their eyelids to see if you've noticed.

I've seen some really bad acting in the ER!

When someone starts a vent thread about some of the horrible patients they've encountered, it's bad form to judge them, tell them all about YOUR horrible experience in the ER and how the nurses were mean to you or to imply that they wouldn't have these issues if they would just show more humility and kindness. It's even worse to step on a vent thread when it's actually funny, as this one started out to be. If you want to complain about how every ER nurse you've ever met has been mean to you and misjudged your pain, start your own thread. If you want to tell funny stories about the patients you've encountered, jump on this one.

That happens all the time here.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
That happens all the time here.

Human nature, can't be avoided. Judging the judgers is quite common.

It is true that some ER nurses aren't very good actors themselves, and aren't able to feign sympathy or compassion when faced with a pt that they suspect might be faking. I'm not one of those, I always put on an Academy Award winning performance in the pt room. I'm a good bedside manner type nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Human nature, can't be avoided. Judging the judgers is quite common.

I try not to sweat the small things in life. If all someone has to worry about is someone raining on someone else's thread in a forum they must have a very sweet life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't know where you've been an ED nurse -- nor do I know where the OP has been an ED nurse. But I will say that some EDs -- and some neighborhoods -- get more of the behavior the OP has described than others. Some EDs get more of the fake issues than the real ones, it seems. I don't think it's arrogant to ventilate here -- on a nursing forum -- among other nurses who presumably understand and/or will cut the poster some slack, who won't judge and who will understand that even though the OP DOES offer her patients kindness and humility, sometimes that's just not enough. And sometimes a really bad day sends one over the top. Please extend a little kindess toward your fellow nurses.

I think this is very true. At the ED I work in now, we see very little of this. At my last workplace though, hoo boy did we see it all!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Called a head to ER 'bringing in a pt who will need assist out of car, will need a gurney, not a w/c'

Called when they arrived. Peeps ran out of car like it was life threatening. Young male, stood up out of car while family members started screaming.

I won't give deets, but let's just say, the pt chief complaint was level 4. They thought and were ok but soon to be wife and mum, lots of anxiety..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Called a head to ER 'bringing in a pt who will need assist out of car, will need a gurney, not a w/c'

Called when they arrived. Peeps ran out of car like it was life threatening. Young male, stood up out of car while family members started screaming.

I won't give deets, but let's just say, the pt chief complaint was level 4. They thought and were ok but soon to be wife and mum, lots of anxiety..

I don't understand anything about this post. Could you repost it a bit more clearly?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I don't understand anything about this post. Could you repost it a bit more clearly?

I read this as, the mother and fiance were extremely anxious and freaking out about their darling son and husband to be, who sounds like a coddled wienie. The ER nurse was notified that the poor boy needed to be helped out of the car. He was only a level 4 pt, which means he wasn't very sick and should have got to a clinic, not the ER.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't understand anything about this post. Could you repost it a bit more clearly?

Sorry, basically, family called while they were headed to hospital that they were coming to give us notice.. And that they would need help getting someone out of the car. Requesting a cart and not a wheel chair.

Lots of anxiety being displayed by everyone but the person needing to be seen. At first glance, one might think the pt in the car may be unresponsive. (Lots of running and panic and yelling)

As they were getting themselves out of the vehicle, the family began yelling as they didn't want them standing. Turns out, it was a minor chief complaint, won't give specific details but triage level 4.

I'm not sure if maybe the family thought we may be busy and all this was needed to get him seen right away but it was a sight to see.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yup, emergent nailed it as I was typing

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I read this as, the mother and fiance were extremely anxious and freaking out about their darling son and husband to be, who sounds like a coddled wienie. The ER nurse was notified that the poor boy needed to be helped out of the car. He was only a level 4 pt, which means he wasn't very sick and should have got to a clinic, not the ER.

OK, now I get it. Sorry, folks. I'm an ICU nurse. I hang out in the ER forums cause you'all are funnier than we are!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
OK, now I get it. Sorry, folks. I'm an ICU nurse. I hang out in the ER forums cause you'all are funnier than we are!

We do have the most entertaining and hilarious unit in the hospital!

:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
OK, now I get it. Sorry, folks. I'm an ICU nurse. I hang out in the ER forums cause you'all are funnier than we are!

You arent the first ICU nurse I have heard say that either!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment