I have a question...

[luvmy3kids]

I'm asking this because I seriously have no clue... When you discharge a patient (in ER for abdominal pain, could not figure out what was wrong, gave Morphine for a few hours then released)... Is it okay to just say... "Ok, you can get dressed and go when you are ready."

Then have the patient get dressed and leave all alone. The patient had to wait alone in the waiting area which was totally seperate from the ER until their ride arrived. No one checked on her either. Thanks in advance.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

if the patient is discharged and all paperwork is complete, including discharge teaching, I see no problem with what you were asking about.

[luvmy3kids]

Yes, everything was completed. However, the patient was a little goofy from the morphine. So I was curious. Thanks again.

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

I'm asking this because I seriously have no clue... When you discharge a patient (in ER for abdominal pain, could not figure out what was wrong, gave Morphine for a few hours then released)... Is it okay to just say... "Ok, you can get dressed and go when you are ready."

Then have the patient get dressed and leave all alone. The patient had to wait alone in the waiting area which was totally seperate from the ER until their ride arrived. No one checked on her either. Thanks in advance.

This sounds exactly how most of our ER discharges went. Unless the patient was still puking or something, and unless they were a minor or in some way incapacitated, we would send them into the waiting room until their ride came. It's not like we're trying to be rude, we simply don't have the resources to babysit someone in the waiting room. In addition, I'd say at least 50% of abdominal pain patients who come to the ER don't get a diagnosis because generally speaking, unless it's something like an acute abdomen or a pregnancy, the underlying cause of abdominal pain is something that will require more than just a couple of lab tests or scans to figure out, and the patient will have to follow-up with their primary physician.

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

Yes, everything was completed. However, the patient was a little goofy from the morphine. So I was curious. Thanks again.

I guess with this, it would certainly depend on how "goofy" the person was acting. A lot of patients are a little "goofy" after receiving narcs, which is why we didn't let them drive home themselves.