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Discussion

Phrase of the Night

So, last night was the last night of a 9 day stretch. (I'm picking up hours for frivolous spending on Vacation!!)

My phrase for my triage shift last night (12 hours in the penalty box) was "Hi I'm The triage nurse, what's your emergency tonight?"

Well, the usual "I need a preg test, I have this bump, my knee hurts for 5 weeks" I guess maybe I was moody I don't know. But I thank asked "This is an emergency Now why?"

This made people angry. I was told I was uncompassionate and rude? I don't understand why this is rude. If you tell me your pinky hurts for 1 year and some months, I'm going to ask why you came to the ER. Really. I am.

My topper was with a patient as I was going through her triage, Allergies, meds, hx, why she's here, we have a series on social, (smoke, drugs, drinking) I asked "do you use any recreational drugs like marijuana/cocaine" She went all spastic on me and starts screaming. "WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THIS YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!!" (well granted I have in the past 24 hours had a drunk who urinated on himself during triage. I than informed her that I needed to know as this could interfere with medications. She goes "oh okay". Same patient later on I asked her LMP. She than starts screaming at me again. Than she ends with "I'm a LESBIAN you b...." I looked her in the face and I said "So, um, being a lesbian excludes you from your menses Why?"

I took her to her room, she informed me on the way In multiple 4 letter words that i was uncaring, rude, unprofessional, I was (fill in your blank with multiple words)

She told the charge nurse I was rude and I was hateful. She went on to say I insulted her sexuality? Huh? What?

Am I the ONLY one who had odd patient weekend where I had to step out and say What is the actual reason your here ... or my favorite new phrase

"What's your EMERGENCY?":nurse:

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    • Featured Replies

    Working 9 days in a row...I'd need a vacation after that!

    I don't support anyone being a pain when you're doing your assessment. There's no excuse for anyone to scream at you or call you names.

    Here are some devil's advocate thoughts I'm having: Something else was going on that gave the patient(s) the idea not to be appropriate in talking with you. No sharing was happening about that. I think saying "Hi I'm the triage nurse. What's your emergency tonight" isn't bad. In fact, depending on tone of voice, I think it's kinda cute. Do patients know what triage means though? Your response of "this is an emergency now why?" bothers me some. Maybe you didn't actually say it in those words, but if you did, would the answer have made a difference in what you would have done? If not, is that a usual question to ask? The wording you said you used in response to the patient's outburst about her lesbianism seems sarcastic too. Maybe you didn't use those words and are venting here with them?

    I'm not meaning to bash you. Truly. We all have shifts when we've had enough. Sometimes word-choice or tone of voice aren't what we intended them to be. For me, when I feel irritated by something a patient says, that's a trigger to me to put on my nurse face and not let the emotions I'm feeling fly out in my words. It's not easy!

    I hope your days off are restful and have some fun in them!

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    When I was the trigae nurse, I would ask what was different about the sympton...pain...year-old rash that prompted them to come in tonight. They usually had an answer and no one got offended.It helped me understand them and their motivation for an ER visit a little better.:smokin:

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    • Expert
    So, last night was the last night of a 9 day stretch. (I'm picking up hours for frivolous spending on Vacation!!)

    My phrase for my triage shift last night (12 hours in the penalty box) was "Hi I'm The triage nurse, what's your emergency tonight?"

    Well, the usual "I need a preg test, I have this bump, my knee hurts for 5 weeks" I guess maybe I was moody I don't know. But I thank asked "This is an emergency Now why?"

    This made people angry. I was told I was uncompassionate and rude? I don't understand why this is rude. If you tell me your pinky hurts for 1 year and some months, I'm going to ask why you came to the ER. Really. I am.

    My topper was with a patient as I was going through her triage, Allergies, meds, hx, why she's here, we have a series on social, (smoke, drugs, drinking) I asked "do you use any recreational drugs like marijuana/cocaine" She went all spastic on me and starts screaming. "WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THIS YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!!" (well granted I have in the past 24 hours had a drunk who urinated on himself during triage. I than informed her that I needed to know as this could interfere with medications. She goes "oh okay". Same patient later on I asked her LMP. She than starts screaming at me again. Than she ends with "I'm a LESBIAN you b...." I looked her in the face and I said "So, um, being a lesbian excludes you from your menses Why?"

    I took her to her room, she informed me on the way In multiple 4 letter words that i was uncaring, rude, unprofessional, I was (fill in your blank with multiple words)

    She told the charge nurse I was rude and I was hateful. She went on to say I insulted her sexuality? Huh? What?

    Am I the ONLY one who had odd patient weekend where I had to step out and say What is the actual reason your here ... or my favorite new phrase

    "What's your EMERGENCY?":nurse:

    Triage is tough and sometimes it is very hard not to say what we are thinking but we should keep it to ourselves. I have always said when I win the lottery I am going in to work just one more day to say all the things I have wanted to say for 30 years. "It hurts when you do that?......then don't do that......:cool:" as the patient contorts themselves in to a position never seen before......:uhoh3: As much as we would like to judge every person who comes into the ED we need to keep our lips sealed and be happy we have a job. We have ALL had those patients that we just want to duct tape their mouths or B!^@% slap in triage and just have them arrested for being loud and stupid....:smokin:......but we can't....:crying2:(....too bad..:lol2:). Just remember....consider the source :cool: and thank GOD they aren't a relative.....:lol2:.

    I guess maybe I was moody I don't know. But I thank asked "This is an emergency Now why?".......

    Really comes off sarcastic and rude sounding and in reality although we are tired of all the crap......it is not our place to judge. WOW........9 days in a row? That's enought to p!$$ of the Pope.....let alone the usual ED nurse.....:lol2:. You do need that vacation ASAP!

    Have fun on your much needed vacation!

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    LOL

    ....

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    "Same patient later on I asked her LMP. She than starts screaming at me again. Than she ends with "I'm a LESBIAN you b...."

    :yeah: Thanks ErinBSN, you just made me get coke on my nice white fourth of July t-shirt. It's OK 'cause I just got some fancy new laundry stain remover, and it just went back into the wash :up:

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    Nope. I think last weekend was just a tad more "unusual" too...

    Have fun on vaccay!

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    I thought at first that was one whole patient that said "I need a preg test, I have a bump and my knee hurts" Like they thought a bump on their knee meant they were preg..ok then. rofl.

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    So true about theme nights in the ER. Last night was, "Never mind how I got here, I don't have a way home after my trip to the ER to score some meds and it is the responsibility of the ER staff to pay for my cab or personally drive me home (preferably making a few stops along the way ...) and if they will not do that I will cry RACISM or PATIENT ABUSE" night.

    We'll see what tonight brings.

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    It seems like you are experiencing text-book "burnout". I remember reading somewhere that ER stuff experiences burn-out much quicker than other areas of healthcare. You should definitely give yourself some "me time", and take a breather from work and do some recreational stuff you like! :)

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    My first thought was, "Jeez! What a lousy night!"

    My second thought was, "Was there a full moon last night??"

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    Once we all come to the realization that the "ER" (ED) doesn't just treat "emergencies" any more - we all can move on to another level of understanding.

    If anyone in this business assumes even for a minute that all we do is "emergency" they are sadly mistaken.

    We are an "Emergency Department AND a 24 hour-walk-in-no-pay-upfront" clinic.

    Trust me, once I came to realize that and understand that society has changed what we think the traditional "ER" does, it makes it a whole lot easier to do my job.

    Anyone feel free to comment.

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    • Expert
    Once we all come to the realization that the "ER" (ED) doesn't just treat "emergencies" any more - we all can move on to another level of understanding.

    If anyone in this business assumes even for a minute that all we do is "emergency" they are sadly mistaken.

    We are an "Emergency Department AND a 24 hour-walk-in-no-pay-upfront" clinic.

    Trust me, once I came to realize that and understand that society has changed what we think the traditional "ER" does, it makes it a whole lot easier to do my job.

    Anyone feel free to comment.

    Thank you for you insightful words.......that's exactly what I try to tell people amd they look at me like I have snakes comming out of my ears....:uhoh3:.

    Thanks....for the affirmation...:yeah::yeah::yeah:

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