School starting again

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Our emergency dept is full of drunk, combative or somnolent college students. Some of them have parents who expect us to magically sober them up instantly. Can't take the time to help sick patients because drunk ones are yelling for attention every time they see or hear a human body walk by. If you don't stop, they follow you into other patients' rooms.

So frustrated tonight. Had to take this 15 min break just to get away for a second. Thanks for letting me vent.

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we understand you!

Altho I have worked ER where there was a decent sized college, and have worked in them across the country, I have never encountered that phenomenon. I can easily see it happening with college starting tho...we of course got it with big holiday weekends, and before and after military deployments, but that was about it.

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And this is why, despite my love for the college town I lived in for years and whose university I graduated from, I refuse to move back to for work.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

If parents are present and vital signs are stable ... it's time for discharge. Intoxication is not necessarily a medical emergency.

signed, Altra, who is already mentally preparing for the first college football game of the season next weekend. :icon_roll

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I feel your frustration, I too work in a college town ED and its very trying to care for sick patients when the drunk ones are yelling and carrying on. Plus the drunk friends who insist on taking their friend home and arguing with staff. Counting the days to thanksgiving break, especially since I work weekend only! Hang In there!

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I feel your frustration, I too work in a college town ED and its very trying to care for sick patients when the drunk ones are yelling and carrying on. Plus the drunk friends who insist on taking their friend home and arguing with staff. Counting the days to thanksgiving break, especially since I work weekend only! Hang In there!

This reminds me of a semi-friend of mine (I guess you call that an acquaintance?) who texted me one morning when she was drunk and at the ER with her drunk friend. It read something roughly like: "nurses are (expletive) stupid! im at the er with my friend and she's drunk and those (expletive) kicked me out because i was TRYING to help her and they wouldn't listen to me! nurses are so stupid."

Good choice in texting that to an ER nurse.

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Sounds like my lines many of our ER visitors! The scary thing is when you anticipate their coming and nothing happens hen bang! Your knee deep in fumes of cheap liqueur and McDonald's! While still caring for the sick grandparent down the hall :(

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