Vent here.....I should repeat that this is a vent....
I get really tired of non-medical, non ER nursing, etc., questioning our (ER RNs) compassion because we vent and complain in a forum, where patient confidentiality is still upheld..... but where we can vent to our hearts content...... How we feel about the ER system, our not so enjoyable experiences in the ER...... How we hate some aspects of our jobs.
Don't we deserve to be able to complain without our compassion being questioned? It's not like I have ever seen any ER nurse complain about legitimate Emergency Care....I really have only seen the bogus stuff we complain about that makes our job of taking care of the true illnesses harder. I also think that if any of these people who complain about our compassion were a patient in the ER and required our instant care yet we said to them....listen, I have a guy here with a hang nail so you'll have to wait cause his hang nail is just as important as your heart failing.....we would get a whole new attitude.
These people who accuse noncompassion do not have a clue....and it adds to the frustration. I just want to have them shadow me someday.....Where I'm resuscitating a 5 year old, push all kinds of drugs, intubation, comfort the family, chart like I'm writing a novel, need a pee break only to get some attitude from your other nonEmergent patient and their family that they have waited 2 hours for an update. You're standing there with that full bladder and holding back tears from the previous patient's room and as a nurse you should keep your composure. So, if we want to come in this forum and vent about our bad day and the loser who jumped you and you still had to stand their with a smile on your face, use therapeutic communication to diffuse the situation...God forbid PressGaney gets a complaint.....I think those non-medical, non-ER nursing people who complain need to back the heck off. There is no other specialty like ER nursing....And I think ER nurses ROCK!
ok,..was gonna try to stay out of this,.but i just can't help myself! i agree that this is a great place to vent. this is supposed to be a safe place to vent. a place to let out all my frustrations away from patients and co workers. a place to verbalize all those thoughts that i would never, ever say to someones face while at work! a place to voice my opinions to other health professionals who understand where i'm coming from.
i don't expect solutions to my frustrations. i don't expect someone to tell me how to fix everything and make my job a day at the park. it just makes me feel better to write it all down and get it out! it makes me feel better for someone who understands to say "yeah, i'm with you there!". if occasionally i learn something in the process of venting then good for me! if commenting to someone else's vent makes them chuckle or breathe a little easier that's great.
i've been a nurse for a long time and i do understand that those who aren't in the medical field don't always understand what i'm venting about. i've often whined about something to my husband (a non medical person) that seemed like an obvious situation to whine about and he looks at me like i'm crazy! i then have to go into more detail about my complaint and sometimes he will understand.
that's why i come here! i shouldn't have to explain to any of my fellow nurses how it makes me feel when a 22yr old tells me he has abd pain 14/10, can't keep anything down, while eating cheeto's and coke, talking on his cell phone! there is no need to explain my initial thoughts when he then tells me he has no medical hx, takes no reg meds and is allergic to tylenol, toradol, haldol, vistaril, naprosyn, ultram, and phenergan!
i come to this site because we are all in the same boat. we are all caring, compassionate, well educated, professionals who are trying to do the best we can for our pts. we get frustrated when, because of situations beyond our control, we can't do our jobs!
i would never, ever, tell a new mom, who is worried about her 8mo olds 2hr temp of 102 that she is wasting my time and resources by coming to the er instead of running to walmart to buy some tylenol! i would never, ever tell the man with back pain for "about 2yrs now, no one can figure out what's causing it" that he needs to loose 100lbs and find a family doc to take care of these "flair ups".
but,.when that same mom comes up to the triage desk and complains that they have been waiting "almost an hour" and "people who came in after us have already gone back" and then gets nasty with me when i explain that the sickest pts go first, i'm gonna come to allnurses and vent! i would so love to take that mom by the hand, take her back to rm 3 the 6yr old who was found in the bottom of the pool, then to rm 5 the 18yr old unrestrained driver of a roll over mvi who was ejected, then to rm 8 the 60yr old who suddenly couldn't speak and has a l sided facial droop, rm 24 the 22yr old ruptured ectopic with a bp of 54/20 who is bleeding out faster than we can put it in and of course or is full! i would so love to put everything in perspective for that mom,..but alas,..i can't,..i won't.
i come to this site to vent to other nurses! to those that know exactly what i'm feeling. i don't vent to my neighbor or my hairdresser. i'm not directing my vent to any patient or family member. i'm here to talk to other like minded professionals!
if you have stumbled in to this site as a non medical person, just looking for an interesting read, or free medical advice you should be prepared for what you might see. nursing can be a very unpleasant job at times. we see people at their worst. we see things on a regular bases that most people will never witness in their lives. we are expected to leave the room of a dead 3yr old and smile and ask mrs jones if "there's anything we can do for her, i have the time".
we are expected to understand that when the doc orders 100 of morphine, he really meant fentanyl. we understand why our pt with sob really does need an 18g in the ac. we understand why a pt with abd pain must stay npo. we know how to do our jobs and we do understand that non medical people don't understand!!
i find it insulting for a non medical person to make judgments on how i do a job that they couldn't do. i don't argue with my mechanic about the best way to fix my car. i don't argue with the electrician about how to fix my furnace. why why do people think it's ok to not only argue with us, but accuse us of being cold, and uncaring when we are doing a job that many people say they could never do?
i must stop,..if you are a non medical person and are offended by what is said on this nursing site,...it's simple,...see that little red box with the white x in the top right corner of the screen? click it!
agree all the way.....you rock, and thanks for adding input!:redbeathe
I had to take my car to the mechanic. He was not very friendly, but since it is under warranty I had to take it to this place. He put all different kinds of tools on and in my car. I don't know why they can't just fix it when they hook it up to that big computer that runs the car.
Anyway, I couldn't get anywhere without the car and it was very inconvienent. He didn't offer me donuts or coffee or anything. I at least thought he'd give me a car to drive while mine was getting fixed. I don't understand why mechanics aren't more compassionate.
(This has been a damatization. If you don't like it, read on, the humor would be lost on you)
My husband and I went to Banana Republic yesterday. They were having a big sale. I am mad because I couldn't find anything I wanted. Clearly, this is the fault of the employees. Then my husband tried on some things and liked them. Now, I am jealous of him. Again, clearly the employee's fault. Then we had to STAND IN LINE TO CHECK OUT!!! I mean, have you ever? And due to the fact everything was on sale, the cashier had to look on a chart to figure the actual price of each item. It should automatically ring up in accurately in the computer, you'd think. Again, this is probably his fault, being in such a powerful position and all. So, this slowed down the line. Unfortunately the line was next to the perfume counter, which made me sneeze (we know who's fault this is.) And although I didn't call 911 from the Banana Republic and demand a ride via EMS to the ED to have my sneeze evaluated, the cashier never said "God bless you" nor did he offer me a kleenex. I could have died! Wait until Press Gainey hears of this. I'll own that store. The only satisfaction I had was screaming insults at the cashier as I spit at him and threw the cologne samples back at him he gave us. Security is lucky my husband drug me off before they got to me because I would have told them where to go. Seriously, "Cursing at hard working people is unacceptable?" Give me a break. I could do all their jobs blind folded, without training, 4 times better then they ever could because I know everything about everything and their jobs are easy!
Much like the poster before me, this has been a dramatization. If you believe any of this you must be a drug seeking frequent flyer in your location emergency department. Please stop.
ok,..was gonna try to stay out of this,.but i just can't help myself! i agree that this is a great place to vent. this is supposed to be a safe place to vent. a place to let out all my frustrations away from patients and co workers. a place to verbalize all those thoughts that i would never, ever say to someones face while at work! a place to voice my opinions to other health professionals who understand where i'm coming from.
i don't expect solutions to my frustrations. i don't expect someone to tell me how to fix everything and make my job a day at the park. it just makes me feel better to write it all down and get it out! it makes me feel better for someone who understands to say "yeah, i'm with you there!". if occasionally i learn something in the process of venting then good for me! if commenting to someone else's vent makes them chuckle or breathe a little easier that's great.
i've been a nurse for a long time and i do understand that those who aren't in the medical field don't always understand what i'm venting about. i've often whined about something to my husband (a non medical person) that seemed like an obvious situation to whine about and he looks at me like i'm crazy! i then have to go into more detail about my complaint and sometimes he will understand.
that's why i come here! i shouldn't have to explain to any of my fellow nurses how it makes me feel when a 22yr old tells me he has abd pain 14/10, can't keep anything down, while eating cheeto's and coke, talking on his cell phone! there is no need to explain my initial thoughts when he then tells me he has no medical hx, takes no reg meds and is allergic to tylenol, toradol, haldol, vistaril, naprosyn, ultram, and phenergan!
i come to this site because we are all in the same boat. we are all caring, compassionate, well educated, professionals who are trying to do the best we can for our pts. we get frustrated when, because of situations beyond our control, we can't do our jobs!
i would never, ever, tell a new mom, who is worried about her 8mo olds 2hr temp of 102 that she is wasting my time and resources by coming to the er instead of running to walmart to buy some tylenol! i would never, ever tell the man with back pain for "about 2yrs now, no one can figure out what's causing it" that he needs to loose 100lbs and find a family doc to take care of these "flair ups".
but,.when that same mom comes up to the triage desk and complains that they have been waiting "almost an hour" and "people who came in after us have already gone back" and then gets nasty with me when i explain that the sickest pts go first, i'm gonna come to allnurses and vent! i would so love to take that mom by the hand, take her back to rm 3 the 6yr old who was found in the bottom of the pool, then to rm 5 the 18yr old unrestrained driver of a roll over mvi who was ejected, then to rm 8 the 60yr old who suddenly couldn't speak and has a l sided facial droop, rm 24 the 22yr old ruptured ectopic with a bp of 54/20 who is bleeding out faster than we can put it in and of course or is full! i would so love to put everything in perspective for that mom,..but alas,..i can't,..i won't.
i come to this site to vent to other nurses! to those that know exactly what i'm feeling. i don't vent to my neighbor or my hairdresser. i'm not directing my vent to any patient or family member. i'm here to talk to other like minded professionals!
if you have stumbled in to this site as a non medical person, just looking for an interesting read, or free medical advice you should be prepared for what you might see. nursing can be a very unpleasant job at times. we see people at their worst. we see things on a regular bases that most people will never witness in their lives. we are expected to leave the room of a dead 3yr old and smile and ask mrs jones if "there's anything we can do for her, i have the time".
we are expected to understand that when the doc orders 100 of morphine, he really meant fentanyl. we understand why our pt with sob really does need an 18g in the ac. we understand why a pt with abd pain must stay npo. we know how to do our jobs and we do understand that non medical people don't understand!!
i find it insulting for a non medical person to make judgments on how i do a job that they couldn't do. i don't argue with my mechanic about the best way to fix my car. i don't argue with the electrician about how to fix my furnace. why why do people think it's ok to not only argue with us, but accuse us of being cold, and uncaring when we are doing a job that many people say they could never do?
i must stop,..if you are a non medical person and are offended by what is said on this nursing site,...it's simple,...see that little red box with the white x in the top right corner of the screen? click it!
I have compassion. Tonight an 18 yoa F dropped dead of no apparent reason. She looked at her mother, said, "I don't feel good. I'm going to die." and then she did. She was coded for 1 hour. No history, no meds, looked completely healthy, but dead. No explanation. I left that code exhausted, sad, and depressed. As I walked down the hall to check on my pts, I could hear her mother scream after she was told the bad news. So, I enter my chronic alcoholic's room who is here for another CT scan after falling, again and sustaining another black eye, again. He was brought in by his wife, again, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and was treated with surgery last week. At my urging she had gone home to get rest (see, compassion.) Due to his gross edema and lack of any oral intake that didn't contain ETOH in the last week, we had been unsuccessful after multiple IV attempts. A new resident had started a central line that turned out to be arterial, so of course there was blood everywhere. It was past time for my shift to end, but I stayed because I had gotten behind during the code and felt bad about leaving my relief nurse with things pending and behind (more compassion.) As we rolled this other wise healthy 40 yoa man over to wipe his behind for him from the BM he had yesterday he made a comment along the lines of "Oh, look at all the blood on my shirt." Which prompted me to say, "Oh look at all the sh#t on your foot." Honestly, is that that bad? I say on the big balance scale of life, this should count as a therapeutic day. Chances are good when he sobers up he won't even remember. For all of you who understand, thanks, this has been therapeutic for ME. For those of you who don't, do you see that red X at the top right of your screen?......
I'm team leader and have 3 monitored beds assigned to me. (#1. CP, #2. stroke sx, #3. Old lady workup)...I passing this room with a bedpan in my hands to empty...grab a EDUA,Preg U, Culture and dip (on one of my team members patients)....when this guy yells from his room for me...HEY!! I momentarily stop to say I will be back in about 3-5 min...We do our own preg tests...set timer for 3 min while I prepare the other 3 vials of pee to be sent off. He says, yeah right bi#tch you'll be back, yeah right.
Oh I went back all right after briefly glancing at his chief complaint. (+ETOH, c/o abd. pain)....The room stunk of booze, urine soaked clothing and old cigarettes. He's like hi cutie...I ignore...he says Hi cutie again and I tell him my name and ask what I can get for him. He says..Jack and coke and starts laughing. I asked again, Sir, you needed something, what can I get you..."Other than a cop and feel he says....how about something to drink." I told him I would have to check with the doc (c/o abd pain) He slurs, "Listen b#tch, I want something to drink and I want it now!" and starts laughing again.
As I walk out and attempt to talk with the doc yet another person is calling me from their room. (USE YOU FLIPPIN CALL BUTTONS PEOPLE....I AM NOT EVERYONE'S NURSE!!!!!) She wants her 4th warm blanket from the blanket warmer.....
So as I'm rounding the corner to get that 4th blanket....I see the code cart sitting outside MY patient's room. Code in progress.....Heck with the drink or the warm blanket......
An hour later I walk past both of those rooms only to hear complaining from the I need a cop and a feel drunk, and the I'm soooo cold whiner with ankle pain.....grrrrrrr.....
:yeah:I have compassion yes I do, I have compassion how bought you....:yeah: But I gotta say....patient's have this entitlement mentality that really frustrates the hell out of me.
TraumaNurse your night sucked!! So sorry to hear it! I must admit,.bragging a bit here,..my night was fairly good as far as Monday nights go. I was expecting to be at triage,.got to be trauma B!$c& instead! Not two minutes out of report I get a classII OB trauma! I hadn't even been to the bathroom yet after my 45 min drive to work! (pt's really should be more considerate with their timing of such events). I should preface this by saying our OB traumas can be a bit "frustrating" at times,.the OB RN's and docs are VERY protective of their babies and I of course don't know crap "about birthin no babies" especially not 24 weekers!
Anyway, OB RN showed up with all her fancy equipment,..very nice girl,.smart, kind and I appreciated her being there. Pt was a doll,.very scared though because she had had several >20wk miscarriages and no live births,.sad story there. She was however a NON RESTRAINED passenger in a head on collision, had an arterial bleed in the forehead and and obvious tib/fib fx. Why oh why don't people wear their seat belts?! SO,.I take care of Mom,..will need OR to fix the fx but everything else is okay,.OB RN takes care of baby,..all is good! BUT,..the very best part,...the other two rooms I took report on,...diagnosed, treated and sent to the floor by my fellow coworkers!! I never stepped foot in these rooms!! I love my coworkers! I love having the staff to be the nurse I was taught to be! I love my family in the ER!
Okay,..enough rubbing it into your face about my really great night. I do have one pt to VENT about. After all that is what this thread is for,.right? Guess what shows up via EMS at 0430? 20 something yr old, just here 3 weeks ago for OD,..spent 2 wks inpatient psych,..called EMS because of "reaction to new med". She tells me she took her new (2wks new) "sleeping pill" and "now I can't think straight",.." I tried to read a book and I couldn't focus on the words". No s#!t sherlock! That's why they are called "sleeping" pills! Checked in at 0430,.out at 0452,..before EMS even left the building!
To top it all off,.she has an appointment at 0900 with her doc who prescribed the meds! I just don't understand people. Does it really take a college degree in medicine to figure out that a sleeping pill might make it a bit difficult to focus on a book?? Whatever,..job security I guess. I'll go back and do it again tomorrow!! Have a great day all!!
I'm a new member to the board, and not a nurse (CNA II doing caregiving for 8 yrs; prereqs and non-nursing courses through my BSN done, working on getting into a program and currently working as a psych tech in the ED), but just have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread...anytime I start to wonder if I or my coworkers are losing it I realize that we all have the same moments where you just want to scream. :)
:up:
TraumaNurseRN
497 Posts
agree all the way.....you rock, and thanks for adding input!
:redbeathe