sadrn

Thank you so much. We all let these stupid scores bring us down. You are right- all you can do is smile and know that you have done the best job that you could have done for your patients. Thank you again.

Wow- these problems are so universal. The level I trauma center that I work at is really great about the ICU holds. It's not so much admin or mngt but more our peers and other ER staff members. I work nights and it is difficult b/c of the fewer RNs. What we do when we have a unit admit, that nurse will take that pt as a 1:1 until that pt is stablized. Once that pt is stablized- that RN will take other patients but the very easy patients- ankle pain, finger lac, ect... Being a level I, we are so used to team work b/c when a trauma comes in- you need to drop what your doing and go to the trauma. We rely on our coworkers to "cover" our patients while we are gone. (I make sure I document who I have given report to, when I left, and when I reassumed care of my patient- I am a huge advocate of the CYA).

The wierd, funny, rude, strange- lets face it, they keep our job interesting. So many stories to chose from... 30 something FF comes in. Had been obviously huffing some spray paint just prior to entering triage area as evidence by the gold paint around his mouth, nose, and bilat hands. Chief complaint is toothache. Its 0430 in the am- slow night so we bring him back to a room, barely able to keep from laughing directly at him because, lets face it, we all know what he wants. Pt is directed to his room and he immediatly asks to use the bathroom. While in the lue, he is trying franctically to wash the paint off- as though we haven't already seen it (should have thought about that a couple of minutes before). The doc enters the room upon the patients return, aware of the situation and is choice of color that night. The patient has the gall to ask for "30vicodin, 15 percocets, and 15 darvocets". When the doc and myself muffel our laughs and tell him "NO" he starts to yell "How am I to fill all my orders". I quess he was self employeed and needless to say escorted off the property. :rotfl: Maybe we are as stupid as they think we are? Why else do they keep coming back!?!?!

On the same line- my father in law is an ED doc up north. Years ago, when people still were using glass bottles for soda he took care of a man who was quite creative. He would position the bottle with the smaller gerth side up- place a straightened close hanger in the top. He used the clothes hanger to help pull the bottle out. Until one night it didn't quite work out that way- the hanger came out of the top of the bottle and perfed his bowels- oops.

I'd hate to have to be the one that had to remove it. We actually had the same thing happen- we tried the lubricant, didn't work. Had to use ring cutters. What a fright for that guy. And by the way- he came in by ambulance for this too.

BOHICA- bend over here it comes again Felepsy- patients and family members who continue to drop the "F" bomb Incarceritis- patients who suddenly developed acute chest pain while on the way to jail. Also commonly called "jailitis" or FOS or "waste of time"