My ER Rant

Nurses General Nursing

Published

After being a stepdown nurse for over 3 years I decided to move to the ER. I have to say after being in the ER for less than 6 mos I am beginning to lose a lot of patience with people. Sad to say as a nurse, but it's true.

Some of my pet peeves:

- Please do not bring your healthy baby/toddler/child to the ER to be exposed to sick people. If you are there to visit a patient, please leave them at home or with someone else!

-So, you've had this chest discomfort for over a week and never saw a doctor? Then you complain that the staff in the ER are taking too long to see you?

-We serve meals only to patients, not to your entire family.

-No, you may not have a can of Coca-Cola since you are here with a sugar level of 500.

-The pain level is a 20 out of 10? Yet you want to eat?

-Yes, we do NOT write a 30 day prescription for pain meds. You'll be lucky if you get more than 650mg of tylenol.

-There are 4 urgent care centers within a 1 mile radius. Yet, you chose to come to the ER because you might have the flu (after not getting the flu shot) and then whine and complain about the 3 hour wait?

-I am pretty sure your parent had dementia before he/she came to us. The better question is, when was the last time you saw your parent?

-No, we are not here solve family quarrels.

-If you want to refuse all the tests and medications we are trying to give you why bother coming to the ER?

-And this might be controversial but I think after a certain age, a patient with tons of co-morbidities should really have a DNR signed.

Ok. I'm done. I'm sure I can write more ...

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Lol, you forgot the parents who didn't give ibuprofen or tylenol because they wanted us to see their child's fever. I have experienced the exact same thing in two EDs so I guess it is just how people roll. This is why I think all ED staff should have a free pass for snarkism. :D Hang in there the 1 or 2 truly sick people you see each shift really depend on you.

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Specializes in ER.

Don't forget parents who have their kid one dose of Tylenol at noon and are bringing their kid in at 10 pm because the fever is back. No way! Tylenol doesn't work forever.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Right on...pretty much represents all departments! Thanks...I needed a good chuckle!

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Don't forget parents who have their kid one dose of Tylenol at noon and are bringing their kid in at 10 pm because the fever is back. No way! Tylenol doesn't work forever.

This I think must be the most common offense for non medical professional parents that drag their poor kid into the ER that would have been running around the living room playing an hour after giving the dose of Tylenol that they can have every so often given the parameters on the box. Also, make sure the dose is therapeutic. 50 lb Johnny needs a higher dose than he did 20 lbs earlier. If the fever goes down to a non dangerous level, keep him hydrated and all the MD in the morning. I thought it was only my husband that wants to rush our daughter to the ER for every cough and fever (and gets mad when I say no, we can handle this here) but then a co worker of mine said that his daughter's mother does the same thing...drives us all crazy!

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I like taking care of healthy kids, so on a self serving level, I really don't mind when concerned but clueless parents bring their healthy kid in. It gives me a chance to hand out crayons and stickers!

When I first started in the ED, I could relate to most if not all of your rants! But now, about five years in, stuff just rolls off. I find it easier to just not take it on, but instead, shake my head and laugh out how strange and funny and weird and odd people are.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Regarding those patients that choose to go to the ER instead of a close by urgent care, I wonder how many of them don't have insurance and know that an urgent care will expect payment while the ER will see a pt regardless of payer source or lack thereof?

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Specializes in LTC.

4yo Johnny vomited once at about 3 hours ago, now running around the ER happy as a lark!

Police take handcuffs off young lady and instructs her to sit among the general population of the ER, informing that "you will sit in that chair and not threaten to harm yourself or anyone else, do you understand?"

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Specializes in General.

The statement " I wanted you to see how high his/ her fever is" baffles me. The kid is sick with a 104.2 fever and whimpering and you want me too see how high the fever is. Let me show you the door as soon as i medicate him and diagnose his raging AOM. My other pet peeve he vomited last week and I kept him home all week will you write a school note excuse for him for a entire week. Um no. My favorite he's vomiting every time I feed him ( kid is obese) he's going to starve on clear liquids . Um no but he will dehydrate to where I admit him . Quit feeding him .the reverse law of physics what goes down will come up 💆

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Specializes in CVICU.

How about floor nurses getting an attitude if you call and give report about the reason for the pts. visit, yet you don't know the name of their dog at home? :down:

(I've worked ICU, floor, and ED)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Regarding those patients that choose to go to the ER instead of a close by urgent care, I wonder how many of them don't have insurance and know that an urgent care will expect payment while the ER will see a pt regardless of payer source or lack thereof?

Ohhhh the elephant in the room. :D

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
How about floor nurses getting an attitude if you call and give report about the reason for the pts. visit, yet you don't know the name of their dog at home? :down:

(I've worked ICU, floor, and ED)

*gets popcorn*

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