As I said, this is something of a regular occurrence for us and people seem to think that it's our responsibility to get them home again (and to provide them food while they wait for a ride home).
It drives me bananas, especially since it's very rare that they actually have an emergency situation and that they're often frequent fliers.
Now the question: How do your facilities handle it when patients are to be discharged but state that they have no means to get home?
Agreed, there are certain people that I just want to go the extra mile for, and I don't expect them to do backflips of gratitude in return. But when I put myself out to do extra, and the person is ungrateful about it, it really makes me hesitant to anything extra in the future.
That does put a bad taste in your mouth but than you have to think, In the ED, we mostly see people on their WORST day EVER! (or to them what feels that way)
Sometimes after the fact they go home and send a letter or make a call and we might not always see that. Or better they go home and think "Man, I was really @#$# to that nurse and I feel bbad about it"
That's what gets me through. I just mainly have the issue with the people with the sense of entitlement who are in the ED for pregnancy tests.
or scabies. There should be a special place for scabies that is NOT the ED (it just creeps me out)
That does put a bad taste in your mouth but than you have to think, In the ED, we mostly see people on their WORST day EVER! (or to them what feels that way)
Sometimes after the fact they go home and send a letter or make a call and we might not always see that. Or better they go home and think "Man, I was really @#$# to that nurse and I feel bbad about it"
That's what gets me through. I just mainly have the issue with the people with the sense of entitlement who are in the ED for pregnancy tests.
or scabies. There should be a special place for scabies that is NOT the ED (it just creeps me out)
We had a FF come into the ED a few nights ago asking for a pregnany test. Of course she was at the bottom of the triage list. She was on the cell phone (yes ) complaining how she had to wait for 5 hours to be seen by the doc because she "requested" a pregnancy test.
It was negative by the way.
She could of easily worked those few hours and made enough to walk down the street and buy herself a pregnancy test from one of the drug stores.
Oh just one of those things that cause ER nurses to be bitter ...
The widow that came to the ER in the middle of the night by ambulance for chest pain and gets discharged home but her children all live out of town and her friends are all over 65 like her would get a meal and a cab voucher home. The homeless man that came to the ER by ambulance for belly pain but asks for a "shot of morphine" and something to eat as soon as he is wheeled into the treatment room might get a bus pass to night shelter as long as he hasnt been to the ER 20 times this month with the same story. The 20 year old with her nails and hair done and a fancy purse that came by ambulance for a sore throat can go to the lobby and use their cell phone and call/text until they find someone that will pick them up. Not my problem.. And its amazing how they always seem to find someone to pick them up..
A lot of dollar stores are locking up their pregnancy tests..they get stolen a lot. Years ago I worked in a supermarket and the two things I would find in the bathroom were empty makeup packages and used pregnancy tests, not paid for of course. People who pay for them take them home.
Stop letting this bother you or you are gonna burn out of the er...if they refuse to leave treatment bay, call security. They were discharged, the are ambulatory and they are not awaiting a transport ( as mentioned above), call security.
Stop letting this bother you or you are gonna burn out of the er...
I learned early on to not get emotionally invested in patient shenanigans. This philosophy has served me well. Doesn't mean I don't care, or have compassion, but it does mean I put those emotions where they should be rather than into the bottomless wells of drama.
We have a $ limit on cab ride vouchers and rarely use them. We have a bus stop outside of our ER as well. We also have security that will help "Enforce discharges".
Well, not long ago my FF came in by ambulance of course, was of course discharged, and of course she did not have a ride home. It was after hours for the bus she normally takes home, so I said do you have a friend or family that can pick you up, I can call the other 24 hr taxi service. Then she proceeds to yell at me "I don't have anybody to pick me up and I don't have any money!" I should have let her walk after that but I did call the bus that takes donations to get her the heck out of there. I about literally had to kick her out of the bed besause she did not want to leave, she just layed there covering her head up on the bed. I said you need to head out front the bus is coming and you can sleep at home. Unbelievable!
A lot of dollar stores are locking up their pregnancy tests..they get stolen a lot. Years ago I worked in a supermarket and the two things I would find in the bathroom were empty makeup packages and used pregnancy tests, not paid for of course. People who pay for them take them home.
I actually did take the HPT in the target restroom with my #2. I had paid for the test but there is no way I was going to be able to wait until I got home. Once I had the idea it was happening I needed to know NOW!!!! Took it in the store and then read it in the car.
:uhoh3:
ErinBSN
66 Posts
That does put a bad taste in your mouth but than you have to think, In the ED, we mostly see people on their WORST day EVER! (or to them what feels that way)
Sometimes after the fact they go home and send a letter or make a call and we might not always see that. Or better they go home and think "Man, I was really @#$# to that nurse and I feel bbad about it"
That's what gets me through. I just mainly have the issue with the people with the sense of entitlement who are in the ED for pregnancy tests.
or scabies. There should be a special place for scabies that is NOT the ED (it just creeps me out)