linda535

That sounds like a "dump". What if every available nurse is already busy with other patients? Does the receptionist or HUC take the patient? Those issues aside, there is nothing to substitute for TALKING to a person. We have tried this and things get missed...

Not just in hospitals. High and increasing acuity, no "summer slump" and no staffing increases. (But thank God, no drops in staff!) "Flu season" all year round now. I think the higher acuity is partly related to insurance. Pay-for-insurance people wait longer to be seen because it's so expensive and "free" insurance people just keep coming in.

In our facility, we've been working hard toward not spreading anything that we can prevent spreading. We do a lot of hand sanitizer, hand washing, wiping down rooms between all patients, and have masks on us and all patients and family members with any URI complaints. I still see some providers NOT following the rules - for instance, a provider not wearing a face shield when swabbing for pertussis (we have an epidemic now), and not wearing masks with all patients who cough. Yes, I know many doctors who think they have some kind of antibacterial bubble. Everyone needs to be accountable. I've noticed since we have become tougher with this, we've all been less likely to catch whatever the patients bring in. Hello? It's nice not getting every other crud that comes through! I tell parents daily, "Please don't let your baby or young child play/crawl/lie on the floor, because some people pee or vomit on the floor." Parents are insulted that I'm saying this. Although our carpets are "cleaned" nightly, REALLY? Does this get them clean?? Infection Control departments need more teeth. If all patient care facilities had the "fire for not using PPE (personal protective equipment)" policy, maybe employees AND MEDICAL STAFF would take this more seriously and we could cut the infection rates.

I don't know about your facilities, but as much fun as this sounds like, my management would have a cow, little kittens, and/or a $%#&-fit if we indulged in any of these things. If anything like this was witnessed by management and patient and/or family was involved even as a witness to this, the staff involved would be lucky to have a job afterward. No sense of humor? You bet! We are all about professionalism now. Glad you can have fun at work, and hope it doesn't blow up in your face someday. People just don't have the common sense and senses of humor they used to. RN in the Beautiful, but overly politically correct PNW

As a nurse for 27 years, the last 14 working in Urgent Care, I'd strongly recommend working in this area if you want to get lots of experience. If you are looking for an "easy" job, forget it. Urgent Care gets everything from the "warts for 10 years", to the "Acute MI in denial". You WILL learn a lot. Please don't try to take it if you will be on your own right away. You will need lots of OJT (on the job training) with other nurses close by. You also may get ER overflow. The best thing about "urgent care" is the variety, but that's also the worst. I wish you luck and happiness in your work. Linda in Washington state

Truely, mispelt words and tyopos can change the curse of a pts visit. (sic) At our facility, a multi-specialty clinic, our EMR has a spell-check built in and we are REQUIRED to use it. My feelings - if a professional (RN, LPN, CMA) is documenting medical records, they should be proficient in the written language of the domentation. If they aren't, they shud be cent back to scool. (And then, if it doesn't "stick", the employer should consider either remedial training or hiring someone who is capable of intelligent and accurate written communication.) Linda in a WA State urgent care clinic.

My favorite urgent care story was a pt medicated with Demerol and Phenergan and supposedly waiting for a ride in the lobby. Reception called us to tell us we must have "cured him" because he was seen sprinting across the parking lot to his car and drove off. I agree that with litigation rampant now, our best bet is documentation. And with this type of pt, we can place electronic notes to prevent docs from giving narcs in the office or prescibing any for them in the future.

Hi Laurie, I hope you can get over this quickly and without any more complications. I totally agree that you need to write letters - to the hospital administrator, to your doc and if possible, HIS boss. Go to the top whenever possible. Also, I know you won't want to hear this, but I'm sure you've already learned you HAVE to say "NO, in this case, I'm NOT a nurse, I'm a patient!" I was nearly in your shoes a few years ago. Luckily, my doc asked me if I had questions and I said "Yes, lots!" The people taking care (?) of you were obviously unprofessional, lazy, insensitive, and inconsiderate to have put you in that position. It sounds like they thought they could get an easier job with your care and they got away with it. Good luck on both your recovery and on your follow-up with this. Hopefully, no other nurse will have this awful experience after you finish with these people. (nursing all over x 24 yrs) Linda