Seriously?!?!

Published

Time for another vent thread. Today's topic is: "You're here for what? Seriously!?!?!"

32y/o m, hx htn, vs wnl, cc is "chest pain for about 1 second 4 hours ago", no current complaints.

Crossed my mind to give him a forearm shiver. Then he'd have something to complain about...

Specializes in Emergency Department/Trauma.

Ciale, I have heard that pretty much verbatim so many times. Thankfully that is the standard and most of the people (staff and management) are believers in 'sick patients don't *****'. And yeah patient satisfaction is pretty bad but thankfully it is not the focus, much stronger focus on assess, treat and dispo to the door or the floor.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
patient satisfaction is pretty bad but thankfully it is not the focus, much stronger focus on assess, treat and dispo to the door or the floor.

Must be nice. We've always been in hot water over patient satisfaction scores, management concocting some hair-brain scheme every month to improve scores which really just irritates staff, lowers morale, and in my opinion, negatively impacts patient care. Not to mention, it caused a mass exodus of our best nurses. We have a new president of the hospital who is an ex trauma nurse with tons of experience so hopefully he'll get with the program and realize most of these scores are completely beyond our control.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, progressive care.

The whole patient satisfaction thing is futile, because no matter WHAT you do someone will always be unhappy. It's worse in the ER.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

^ the truth

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Pt came in by ambulance in the middle of the night because her ankle had been sore for six months and she wanted an x-ray. Doc spent two seconds handing her an outpatient requisition. Her next statement to me... "How am I going to get home?"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Pt came in.. CC.. Skinned knee.

We cleaned it, put some ointment on it and then a bandaid. Told her to do the same at home. What a waste of a clinic bed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in RN.
The whole patient satisfaction thing is futile, because no matter WHAT you do someone will always be unhappy. It's worse in the ER.

Agreed...it's a dog and pony show! Something to keep us busy/distracted while the higher ups take the money and run.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in RN.
What brings you in today sir?, "I was feeling unmotivated" I wanted to die with that one. People are truly crazy.

Lol!!!!!!....unreal,hahahaha!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Why do patients come in with these complaints and when they find out nothing is wrong with them, they get all upset?

Most (if not all!) of my patients from the other night came in c/o abdominal pain. They are flabbergasted when they learn they truly don't need anything for pain ("but oh my gosh, I'm in SO much pain I need Dilaudid NOW!") and the doc only prescribes some simethicone, colace and a nice bottle of mag citrate (ours has a pleasant lemony flavor!). It's like they WANT something to be wrong with them. You should be happy that the abdominal CT showed nothing serious, you just need to pass some gas and poop a little!

And I love how patients show their "true colors" when they don't get what they want. Another one of my abdominal pain patients was all nice and sweet until they learned that the provider wouldn't give them the Dilaudid or morphine that they wanted; instead, all they were getting was a Lortab. Ugh.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Why do patients come in with these complaints and when they find out nothing is wrong with them, they get all upset?

Most (if not all!) of my patients from the other night came in c/o abdominal pain. They are flabbergasted when they learn they truly don't need anything for pain ("but oh my gosh, I'm in SO much pain I need Dilaudid NOW!") and the doc only prescribes some simethicone, colace and a nice bottle of mag citrate (ours has a pleasant lemony flavor!). It's like they WANT something to be wrong with them. You should be happy that the abdominal CT showed nothing serious, you just need to pass some gas and poop a little!

And I love how patients show their "true colors" when they don't get what they want. Another one of my abdominal pain patients was all nice and sweet until they learned that the provider wouldn't give them the Dilaudid or morphine that they wanted; instead, all they were getting was a Lortab. Ugh.

It's amazing how sweet they are until you tell them they 'don't' actually have an 'emergency'. I have a sweet, scripted line for many of my patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's amazing how sweet they are until you tell them they 'don't' actually have an 'emergency'. I have a sweet, scripted line for many of my patients.

Oh do tell!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Haematology/Oncology.

Fortunately I wasn't the triage nurse on this particular day.... My mother had presented to her local ER because she was experiencing severe vertigo, something she hadn't experienced before and in a panic her friend had driven her there. In front of Mum in the line at triage, she overheard the gentleman explain that he had done an excessive number of situps at the gym and now his belly was sore. Mum phoned me to tell me that, she couldn't believe that someone would go to an Emergency department with such a complaint......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion