Just a vent about the start of my bad day.. REALLY long winded...

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So, I got there at 1445. Find out we have NO tech and NO secretary. Sigh..... Got report on my 2 patients. Ok. good, only 2 pts:

Pt. #1 lady with chest pain that is now resolved, uti, on 4L sating 87-90;

Pt. #2 lady who tripped and fell on her face, bruised up, but CT & xray negative, about to be d/c'd home as soon as the staff ED doc came to take a quick look at her (resident had been seeing her since she got there), 2 adult daughters in the room with her

Pt. #1: being admitted, floor orders just written, so I go to hang the gent. and iv fluids so I can get her upstairs. Flush the IV, and the IV is BLOWN. Sigh...so i gotta start another one. Go to get supplies to start new IV, and pt. #2 daughter stops me saying "Mom needs to go to the bathroom but she's hooked up to stuff." I'm thinking "ok, I'll go take the BP cuff or whatever she's hooked up to so she can go to the bathroom." I get in the room, unhook mom, ask if she's ok, not "feeling lightheaded, dizzy etc. are you?" Mom says she's fine, and I help her to the bathroom which just happens to be right outside her room. Tell her to push the little red button on the wall if she needs any assistance, and

I get ready to go back to pt. #1. Daughter asks "well aren't you going to go in there and help her!?" I'm looking at her like "um no, she can walk, and she says she's fine, how does she get to the bathroom when she's at home???" So daughter gets all pissy and says "I'll help u go to the bathroom Mom" all the while looking at me like I'm crazy.

Back to pt. #1: thank God she has decent veins. If not, I don't know what I woulda done. Got a line in her, hung the gent and fluids, start faxing report so I can send her upstairs, go back and help her on the bedpan, oh crap, why is she de-satting? Oh wait, sats going back up, good. Meanwhile I've gotten pt. #3: lady who came in c/o hot flashes x 2 years. Go to interview and assess her. Denies major stuff. No CP, SOB, etc. Just feels "hot all the time." No temp. She's in her 60s. Doc comes and talks to her then orders all these labs on her, EKG, chest xray. Sigh..... Remember, we have no tech or secretary. Orders take FOREVER to put in (stupid computer!). Get the EKG done, get ready to go draw blood, and notice Pt. #2 has been d/c'd. Go to pt. #2 room to go over d/c instructions and give her script. Daughter says "Mom needs a wheelchair (mind you, Mom can WALK) can you get her a wheelchair?" "No problem" I think to myself, there just happens to be a wheelchair right outside her room. "Here you go" I say as I bring the wheelchair into the room "please stop by the checkout window on the way out." Daughter says to me (remember, there are 2 of them) "well, can you get someone to come roll her out. We just can't do it!" Huh! What the h$%# do you mean you can't do it? You're 2 able bodied adults with no visible handicaps that I can see. You mean to tell me you can't wheel your MOTHER out of the ED after I've helped her into the chair? I'm frustrated at that point because I have to get blood on pt. #3, and I need to call for transport on pt. #1. I don't need this crap. All this before 1530. My day went pretty much downhill from there.

I know it doesn't seem all that overwhelming, but I'm new, and I'm so not used to working without ANY support staff. And I can't stand it when family member act like they're so helpless to do ANYTHING. I always appreciated how much out techs and secretaries did before, but boy do I appreciate the heck outta them after tonight. For pete's sake! I've only got 2 hands. I can't do everything!:banghead: Sigh...back to work tomorrow. Soooooo do not wanna go:o. Sorry this was so long and probably a little confusing....the Benadryl's starting to kick in. Thanks for letting me vent.

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Sorry about your bad day. I can handle patients, but family members - no. They're worse than the pt's sometimes. I swear I can tell the ones who only come to visit their loved one when they're sick from the ones who truly care for and love their parents.

Two years of hot flashes and she suddenly decides she needs immediate attention? Isn't that more up a PCP alley than ER? Emergency is for emergencies.

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Specializes in Hospice, ER.

I feel your frustration.

Thursday night - was doing my LPN thing, basically attending to the needs of about 10 pts. Had a new chest pain - did the EKG, monitor, O2, bp cuff, can't find doc to give him ekg - he didn't have his voicera (walkie-talkie type thing) or phone on him - a counter full of orders, blood to be sent to the lab, 2 RNs running around like demented chickens - in the middle of this chaos, friend of pt who OD'd and was stable walks up and asks for blankets. Told her I had an active chest pain and she had to wait, that I'd be with her as soon as possible. Other friend starts makeing stotty remarks. Me and my big mouth turn around and ask Miss Piggy, "If this was your grandmother having a heart attack, would you want me to stop what I am doing and get her a blanket?" Miss Piggy proceeded to look for the charge nurse to complain about me, but he was nowhere to be found. After finally locating the Doc and giving him the EKG, I returned to my area and the charge happened to walk in. I directed him to Miss Piggy, letting him know they wanted to complain about me. He blew her off and she left.

Honestly, give me a break. I would have left wheelchair mom sit there until the dtrs got tired and did it themselves or I eventually had the time. Discharges aren't priority. Ekgs and bloods are, esp when the Doc wants to go home on time and is up your butt to get them done!

Hugs to you:heartbeat and good thoughts. You are not alone.

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sorry about your day. seriously though, it will be like that quite often you'll find out. prioritizing and time management will become an easier thing to manage. families are the worst actually. next time, say....i have orders on another patient i have to take care of right now, i will be back shortly, say about 20 minutes....unless your daughters can walk with you out" if they give you crap....just say, i'm sorry but i have a priority order right now, if you are in a hurry feel free to wheel her out yourself, otherwise you'll hae to wait.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

:yeahthat::yeahthat:

Tell daughters "I can't do that for you right now, I'll be back when I can"

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Specializes in ER.
So, I got there at 1445. Find out we have NO tech and NO secretary. Sigh..... Got report on my 2 patients. Ok. good, only 2 pts:

Pt. #1 lady with chest pain that is now resolved, uti, on 4L sating 87-90;

Pt. #2 lady who tripped and fell on her face, bruised up, but CT & xray negative, about to be d/c'd home as soon as the staff ED doc came to take a quick look at her (resident had been seeing her since she got there), 2 adult daughters in the room with her

Pt. #1: being admitted, floor orders just written, so I go to hang the gent. and iv fluids so I can get her upstairs. Flush the IV, and the IV is BLOWN. Sigh...so i gotta start another one. Go to get supplies to start new IV, and pt. #2 daughter stops me saying "Mom needs to go to the bathroom but she's hooked up to stuff." I'm thinking "ok, I'll go take the BP cuff or whatever she's hooked up to so she can go to the bathroom." I get in the room, unhook mom, ask if she's ok, not "feeling lightheaded, dizzy etc. are you?" Mom says she's fine, and I help her to the bathroom which just happens to be right outside her room. Tell her to push the little red button on the wall if she needs any assistance, and

I get ready to go back to pt. #1. Daughter asks "well aren't you going to go in there and help her!?" I'm looking at her like "um no, she can walk, and she says she's fine, how does she get to the bathroom when she's at home???" So daughter gets all pissy and says "I'll help u go to the bathroom Mom" all the while looking at me like I'm crazy.

Back to pt. #1: thank God she has decent veins. If not, I don't know what I woulda done. Got a line in her, hung the gent and fluids, start faxing report so I can send her upstairs, go back and help her on the bedpan, oh crap, why is she de-satting? Oh wait, sats going back up, good. Meanwhile I've gotten pt. #3: lady who came in c/o hot flashes x 2 years. Go to interview and assess her. Denies major stuff. No CP, SOB, etc. Just feels "hot all the time." No temp. She's in her 60s. Doc comes and talks to her then orders all these labs on her, EKG, chest xray. Sigh..... Remember, we have no tech or secretary. Orders take FOREVER to put in (stupid computer!). Get the EKG done, get ready to go draw blood, and notice Pt. #2 has been d/c'd. Go to pt. #2 room to go over d/c instructions and give her script. Daughter says "Mom needs a wheelchair (mind you, Mom can WALK) can you get her a wheelchair?" "No problem" I think to myself, there just happens to be a wheelchair right outside her room. "Here you go" I say as I bring the wheelchair into the room "please stop by the checkout window on the way out." Daughter says to me (remember, there are 2 of them) "well, can you get someone to come roll her out. We just can't do it!" Huh! What the h$%# do you mean you can't do it? You're 2 able bodied adults with no visible handicaps that I can see. You mean to tell me you can't wheel your MOTHER out of the ED after I've helped her into the chair? I'm frustrated at that point because I have to get blood on pt. #3, and I need to call for transport on pt. #1. I don't need this crap. All this before 1530. My day went pretty much downhill from there.

I know it doesn't seem all that overwhelming, but I'm new, and I'm so not used to working without ANY support staff. And I can't stand it when family member act like they're so helpless to do ANYTHING. I always appreciated how much out techs and secretaries did before, but boy do I appreciate the heck outta them after tonight. For pete's sake! I've only got 2 hands. I can't do everything!:banghead: Sigh...back to work tomorrow. Soooooo do not wanna go:o. Sorry this was so long and probably a little confusing....the Benadryl's starting to kick in. Thanks for letting me vent.

It sounds frustrating to me and I wasn't there! I could feel my BP rising! Let it roll off your back. Funny thing is from the post, the point I got is that the family really struck a nerve. Isn't that always how it is??? To boot, not having a secretary and CNA really bites. I feel for ya. You were probably hungry and hadn't used the BR in forever by the end of your shift too. Poor thing - been there - and will be there this weekend.

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Thanks guys for all the replies. Yeah, it was the fact that the family members didn't want to wheel out their own mother that really had me annoyed. I did tell them that I didn't have time at the moment, but when I got a chance, I would find someone to wheel her out. Of course, I never got a chance to look for anyone, but when in the midst of completing all the tasks I had before me, I saw the daughters wheeling her out. They didn't look too happy, not that I care. I'm sure I'll be receiving a complaint. Whatever:rolleyes:. Never had a day that annoying before that day, and haven't had one since thank God! Thanks everybody for listening:icon_hug:.

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Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.

Completely valid points! Sometimes it's not the big things that send us over the edge, it's a bunch of little ones all at once. I wonder if the LOL is gonna levitate herself into the house??? My day started pretty poor too; so I sympathize. I walked into triage with 15 patients in the waiting room, 7 waiting to be triaged, and the poor soul that was lucky enough to be getting relieved telling me that the day charge nurse dragged her feet about bringing anyone back to be seen ALL DAY. They were "too busy." The docs sat around all day, no boarders, full staff... Half of our beds were empty when I arrived, and all these folks in the waiting room. *********

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