oh ye uninformed... this is why er nurses "don't care"

Published

Specializes in Emergency Room.

and the Prez says americans have heath care, they can just go to the ER !!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work in a Ohio ER and this stuff goes on daily. And yes they expect you to make arrangements for their travel home as well. We are not "allowed" to educate our patients about the abuse to the EMS system or even the ER. It's bad business. Just as we are not allowed to educate a mother who brings her child in for a fever has not given them any tylenol, and wants a script for it because their "card" will pay for it. (While she has a cell phone, a pack of smokes and a beeper hanging off of her new purse) I on the otherhand educate regardless. When I see abuse in the system, as an advocate, I educate...and always will.:nono:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

We see this kinda stuff at least 10 times a shift! People amaze me at this point. just earlier this week i had a lady call 911 b/c... she had "green stuff coming out of her lady parts"...... i work in a level 1 trauma center and people call 911 for just about everything they don't need to .. this kinda stuff drives people nuts.

btw.. this pt comes to charge desk 20 mins..after she arrived by ambulance to ask for some food. b/c she was hungry... meanwhile the ER staff are all "wasting time" per this pt....b/c no one gave her any food.. in a GSW to left chest pt in asystole!!! Like i said people amaze me!!!:trout:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
yesterday had a pt come in by ambo for abd pain for "eight minutes". Not ten, mind you, e-i-g-h-t. Dr. said, "what, did she fart or something?" D/C after pt. decided she didn't want to spend $250 up front for "non emergency" er visit.

OMG! ROFLMAO !! :rotfl:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

And people wonder why nurses get annoyed with patients who do not have legitimate medical problems...

I hate the words "drug seeking" but you'd be surprised what people will do to get their fix.

Amy

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

Fifty percent of our ER patients are triaged as nonurgent.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
yesterday had a pt come in by ambo for abd pain for "eight minutes". Not ten, mind you, e-i-g-h-t. Dr. said, "what, did she fart or something?" D/C after pt. decided she didn't want to spend $250 up front for "non emergency" er visit.

Ah, you're in one of those hospitals that has instituted that system. Bless you folks ... :beer:

Would never fly here, but it's nice to dream about ...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I so totally agree that EMS is over used. I really don't think women in early labor, or those that have broken their waters should call, unless there is NO other way in. I mean the 40 family members come in right behind them how did they get there? Butttt, ok, here is my EMS story.

Like most everywhere our EMS have to bring them in, if the pt want to come in. They can, however "suggest" that the person is stable enough to come a different way. My son (9y/o) was at school, about a month ago, and nurse calls me with a report of "stomach bug". I was sleeping (work nocs) so sent my dear mother to pick him up.

She drags in the most pathetic sight I have ever seen. He was absolutely covered, from scalp to toes, in hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blue lips, stridor, barely conscious, the whole nine yards. He was having a idiopathic anaphylatic reaction. I'm a L and D nurse and I knew that, don't know why the RN at school didn't, but I digress. I pour 50mg of benadryl down his throat, and call 911.

EMS gets there about 12 min. later. Stridor is a little better, blue lips are better, but still severe s/s. They "check him out", and suggest that I take him, not to the hospital, but to his ped. Which I did, since the resp s/s were better, and I was disgusted with these EMS jokers.

Take him to his ped, where I promptly get reamed for not calling 911. So I have to go thought the whole story. Many shots of phenergan, doses of epi, and benadryl later, we got to go home, with an epi-pen, etc, etc.

So, in these places that EMS are allowed to triage on scene, what is to prevent something like this from happening? I know my EMS guys did NOT contact the ER doc, or anyone else, cause they didn't leave the room until they left for good. I agree, it does need to be controlled, but what kind of system are we talking? I know in this situation, if I had not known what was going on, and waited the usual 1-2 days to get an appointment with the ped, my son would have died.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ohhhh!! This is a common thing EVERYWHERE! I work at a hospital in the ER in Ms and I can assure you we get "crazy" calls everyday of the week. And like the others have stated here, 99% of the "crazy calls" don't have insurance or they are on Medicaid. Then what ticks me off is, they want to come in and talk really ugly to the staff when they get there. I agree with the poster, I can't remember which one it was, if there was a $100.00 copay, regardless of whether you have insurance, assistance or whatever, I think it would stop alot of this crap!! We could say, "How would you like to pay your copay for today, cash, debit, credit card or have it financed for you?"

See, the problem is, we don't turn down anyone, because that's the law, so they know that it'll just get written off, especially if they don't have a job. And that one on the video that said, "My privacy won't go down!" Well, that is just hilarious!!! We have those too!!! LOL......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

EMS is working under that same CYA philosphy that we in the ER are working under. They no haul one dude who dies of something totally unrelated 2 weeks later and all that you will hear on the news is some tearful family member saying is, "We called the amulance and they refused to take him to the hospital, and now he is dead."

My dh works EMS and their company has a "you call, we haul" policy per their contract with the city. No matter how *** you know this individual is you have to haul them unless you can talk them into signing a no haul form.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCRN, ATCN, ABLS.

No big news. Ppl. abuse this b/c don't have insurance, drg. seeking or on madicaid and no doc will take them as a pt.

Way to fix it? Ambulance triage. Ambulance takes a call for a finger cut: refuse to pick pt. up, and bill pt. for ambulance call. Even if they don't pay the fine, they won't be calling again unless there is a real emergency.

We all pay for it, you know....

wayunderpaid

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

AHHH yes, I reserve a special place in my waiting room for these patients known as the penalty box - which consists of an extremely long wait until all other legitimate patients have been waited on hand and foot and everything in the ER is caught up - then we deal with these ones after they endure thier punishment which is usually a piece of paper saying to go to thier regular doctor. - Ha Ha the joke is on them. (except the monetary part).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion