It seems like there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients coming to the ER for complaints that I would go to my doctor for. Complaints like N/V for a day, low grade fever, lady partsl irritation to name a few.
Has anyone else noticed this in their ER? I asked some of the nurses that I work with and they said they have noticed the same thing. I wonder why that is? It's not just people with private pay or medicaid, but people with insurance too.
I know we have a lot of people come in because the called "Ask A Nurse" and were told by them to come in. :angryfire
It just seems like for some reason that no one wants to feel bad for any length of time anymore. If they don't feel good then they come to the ER to get fixed immediately so they won't have to feel bad longer than they have to. Never mind the old trick of going to bed and drinking plenty of fluids when you have a cold, come to the ER! :angryfire
Sorry this turned into a rant, but I wondered if other ERs were seeing the same.
Hasn't anyone heard of urgent care. If my dr can't fit me in and I can't wait (well kids can't wait. I can always wait it out) I would rather take them to urgent care if it doesn't require an ER visit. Co-pay is $20 and generally you get seen in less than an hour. But I rarely have to use it as our ped is open on Saturday and Sunday til noon for sick kid visits. Plus, the nurse is awesome at the peds and can give home treatment advice or call in a prescription. And if it is questionable to the nurse the dr will get on the phone.
But I do wonder about people. When I took Austin in for his 3 year ck and shots a mom was in there with her sick baby. Baby was wrapped in a furry blanket (105 F that day -- the outside temp not the baby's) and didn't give anything for fever. Well Tyler had the same symptoms (fever, runny nose and cranky) and the mom was shocked that Tyler was not bundled up and that in addition to ibuprofen I also gave popsicles for extra fluid and because they always made me feel a little less warm and cranky when I was sick. I am still a student so it is not that I am any more educated but where is the common sense in not treating a fever of 103 or so.
It's called the MC Donald's mentality -- everything is going drive thru -- why wait to see your own doctor if you can see one now ?? They seem to correlate
"EMERGENCY" with "FAST"-- and they are the first to complain about the wait!! My favorite saying is "Sick people don't b***h!" (the ones that aren't complaining are the ones you have to worry about.) now I wish I could say that to a few of those complainers -- but -- I still need my job.. I have never seen so many rude self centered people in my life -- it is getting out of control --
It has been said repeatedly on this board that the really sick people do not complain. Is this because people become nicer when they are really sick, or is it because you do not see the really nice people like me unless we are seriously ill?
ayndim
462 Posts
Hasn't anyone heard of urgent care. If my dr can't fit me in and I can't wait (well kids can't wait. I can always wait it out) I would rather take them to urgent care if it doesn't require an ER visit. Co-pay is $20 and generally you get seen in less than an hour. But I rarely have to use it as our ped is open on Saturday and Sunday til noon for sick kid visits. Plus, the nurse is awesome at the peds and can give home treatment advice or call in a prescription. And if it is questionable to the nurse the dr will get on the phone.
But I do wonder about people. When I took Austin in for his 3 year ck and shots a mom was in there with her sick baby. Baby was wrapped in a furry blanket (105 F that day -- the outside temp not the baby's) and didn't give anything for fever. Well Tyler had the same symptoms (fever, runny nose and cranky) and the mom was shocked that Tyler was not bundled up and that in addition to ibuprofen I also gave popsicles for extra fluid and because they always made me feel a little less warm and cranky when I was sick. I am still a student so it is not that I am any more educated but where is the common sense in not treating a fever of 103 or so.