I never realized we are all in the same boat!

Specialties Emergency

Published

I was just browsing these boards and I read posts from all over the country and things are pretty much the same everywhere!

I see these things all the time and I think they are universal throught our ED's..these are my observations please tell me if you disagree or if you have had similar experiences.

1. Everyone wants a meal when they come to the ED usually after 9 pm.

2. Ever notice how many people have cell phones and use them in the department with signs posted everywhere in five different languages not to use them?

3. Have you gone through a shift without using the bathroom?

4. Isn't the onset and reaction from the blue looking herion OD to IVP Narcan the coolest thing in the world!

5. Do you get broken hearted when patients tell you "If that doctor doesnt get in here in five minutes. I AM LEAVING!"

6. How many patients have you seen with the chief complaint of Nausea and abd pain that were drinking soda and eating frito's.

7. How many times a day are you asked "How long is it until the doctor see's me?"

8. On busy days when the strechers are lining the hallways and the patients reach out to you and grab you as you walk by. Do you feel like Richard Dreyfus entering the space ship in Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

9. How many times a day do you hear a Doc say "Where is the chart for room 8?" and it is either in front of him or in his hand.

10. Isnt it amazing that people will go through a complete Abd workup and all they wanted was a HCG Quant?

11. Ever woke a patient up from a snoring deep sleep to have them tell you their pain is a 10/10 (pain is truly subjective!)

12. Ever treat a child with a fever of 103 and vomiting who's parents tried homopathy and gave the child baths in rosehips and tried every natural remedy under the sun, and you promptly shove tylenol up their butt?

13. Would you drop dead of an MI if someone covered their mouth while coughing instead of coughing directly into your face.

There are just some thoughts and observations. I am sure their are many more universal ED facts that will come out. These are the ones on the top of my head.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

more for the list:

patient comes in with c/o headache, you are able to look back at visit history, and see multiple prior visits for "backache, headache, neck pain..." and other diagnosis, and realize that they've gotten narcs each time...different docs. I love to print this, and put it on the chart before the doc goes in to see the pt. (meanie)

what about the heroin addicts who like to point out the usable veins?

families who won't say anything, but stand outside the patients room with their arms folded, and glare at you...

patients who take forever to be triaged because they don't know anything about themselves. Any medical history? "no" then list bp meds, ever had any surgery? "no" then say they haven't had a period for 10 years, because they had a hysterectomy (you dummy). or "yeah...he had a heart surgery" , but have no idea what..

Teeitup; I am still laughing!!!

Specializes in ED, MED-SERG, CCU, ICU, IPR.

I thought I was the only one who heard the

worse excuses for emergency room visits.

No way. It is the same all over.

My question is this, what has become of our society? Why are we so weak that we have to go

to the ER at 3 in the morning for a pain that has been there for two weeks?

I love the ones that tell me that they have an

appointment with their family doc that same day but couldn't wait.

G-d bless us..everyone.

Yes I too get disgusted with some folks. Americans used to be hardy pioneering type folks. Draging wagons through the snow exploring the west. Yukon gold rush, WWI, WWII, People carrying folks down 80 flights of smoke filled stairs because they were less injured on 9/11..etc..etc. But it seems there is a class of apathetic people that can not tolerate any kind of ailment for any period of time.

Isnt it disturbing when you get a very healthy young Man/Woman coming to the ED, where you have to think hard about their vague complaint and have to word it so the folks in the core wont laugh too hard!

Scenario 1: Friday 0300: Young 18 year old man walks into triage drinking a coke. States "He Doesn't Feel Well" Upon closer Triage the young man states "I havent felt good for 3 days and I have a fever." 0 HX/ 0 Meds Vitals T 98.8 P 72 R16 BP120/80 Nurse writes "General Malise X3 Days"

Scenario 1a: (ideal world) Friday 0300 Young 18 year old man walks into triage drinking a coke. States "He Doesn't Feel Well" Upon closer Triage the young man states "I havent felt good for 3 days and I have a fever."0 HX/ 0 Meds Vitals T 98.8 P 72 R16 BP120/80

Nurse states "oh thats too bad". "You need to step into the next office and see Corporal Punishment. He will give you 10 minute block of instruction on parachuting and the use of an automatic rifle. You will then be transported to a airfield and parachuted into Afghanstain. Dont forget about your co pay and life insurance forms. "Have a Nice Day!" Then the nurse will yell out into the waiting room "NEXT!"

Think that will cut down on the non-urgents?

:) :(

Specializes in ED, MED-SERG, CCU, ICU, IPR.

To shootemrn: I detected a note of sarcasm.

Was I out of line? Just say so.

I know that we have a job because of the people

who come in to the ER, sick or not. But, I was

brought up to consider the word, "emergency" to

mean just that. Something that could not wait or

is life threatening.

I could be wrong.

That's for your reply.

MDS

My favorite is the one that comes in for any reason but needs that note that he was in the ER because "I was supposed to be in court today".

How about this for a nursing diagnosis in the ER for those patients who are repeat visitors for that darn pain control that we keep chasing....

"Demerol Deficiency"

I doubt this is unique but how about the regular drunk who calls for an ambulance at the payphone across the street? And gets it! Say thankyou to the social system

I have a regular drunk who comes in who I see more than my wife. This guy gts drunk then he calls a ambulance stating he wants to kill himself or is seeking detox. We are currently on a first name basis.

I was wondering how many times this man has come into our ED and so I checked our admitting log and ambualnce log and this man has been to our ED 157 times in the last three years. I spoke to my manager about this and they actually tried getting a court order to have this man a personna non gratta. Well giving that we are located in Massachuttess and we have liberal judges we were denied the ability not to treat this man.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

From deep in the heart of texas

Had another cool customer last night. A young man aged 27 yrs old. Cane to Er with a kidney stone. Got him to the back collected a UA, finished my assessment, went and dipped the urine. Yes it was positive for blood. Went back to the patient getting to place an IV in him and he asks me for a bandaid because he pricked his finger. I didnt ask him how. I did let the Er MD know about it and he ordered a cath ua, which the patient allowed, Yes it was dip negative. No he didnt get any narcotics from us. Intersting peoples perceptions of what we do and think.

keep it in the short grass yall

teeituptom

teeituptom,

He must have been new at it, or three bricks shy of a load. Ours never ask for a bandaid and always refuse the staight cath. I guess he'll learn from experience.

who has ever had an AMA form in there hand when goin in to care for patient...........

roflmao

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