That Good Housekeeping article

[ERERER]

just in case you didn't see the input in another forum, make sure you see this month's issue of Good Housekeeping (November--Dr Phil's on the cover).

Let's start on page 62: "The first person you'll meet at the ER is the triage nurse, who decides how quickly you need to be seen. No matter when your problem actually started, never say more than four hours ago; it will seem less pressing. (But tell the doctor exactly when symptoms began."..............I sent a nasty email to GH on this one, we already face enough problems as nurses in ER without a magazine telling people to LIE to us. and we know that sometimes docs just go by what's on the triage sheet without actually listening to the patient. Got a reply by GH that says this was written by an ER doc at a large trauma center, but they will pass my comment along......

Further down the page "To stop a nosebleed, blow out all the clots." WHAT??? what if your diastolic BP is > than your IQ????

Page 60: "In the hospital, designate a friend or relative to ask questions or complain. That way, you won't be viewed as a 'problem patient' which can often mean less attention from staff."

and there's more

OK, folks, let them have it....

[email protected]

[JBudd, MSN]

High blood pressure is rarely an acute cause for epistaxis (although chronic hypertension is a risk factor). I almost always see high BP in nosebleed patients (young and old). Mine would be up to if my nose would not stop bleeding, stress response and normal reaction. Get the epistaxis stopped and lo and behold, the BP comes down. IN 23 years I have never directly treated high BP in a nosebleed patient. It is not the cause, it is the effect.

I have treated HTN simultaneously with the nose bleed, when someone comes in with a diastolic of 120 they get packed and treated for BP. Sometimes people come in a second or third time for the same bleed, they have to have their BP gotten and kept down. If the DBP is borderline high and comes down on its own, fine, but don't rule out treating automatically. Usually po tx, sometimes IV, depends on the individual.

[whiskeygirl, LPN]

Did they happen to mention the cost of testing for unnecessary procedures in an ER due to declaring false symptoms? How about the abuse of emergency services? That unpaid medical bills just translate to higher heathcare costs?

Just wondering!

Lynn

[tam-traumaRN]

I had just heard of the GH article this morning in an education conference. I went out and bought a copy and read it. I am understating when I say that I was shocked and appalled. I immediately wrote a letter to the editor of GH. Further, I have posted the article on my ER staff bulletin board. I have drafted a letter that I will be sending to all of the major sponsors in the November issue. This is still not enough. I know that all have heard the adage, "to be treated like a professional, one must behave like a professional". Political activism, professional organization membership and communicating to the public and the media about the true value of nursing is the only way to promote nursing as a profession. :angryfire

[flashpoint]

I read the article and I am pretty dumbfounded at some of the things that GH suggests. It is a very good point that lying about how long you have had symptoms can cause problems...someone else who is actually more ill than you but was honest about when their symptoms started could have a delay in care...the person who is lying could have a delay in care if their problem doesn't sound that pressing (sore throat for three hours, vomiting for two hours, etc), it takes away some of the trust that the nurse has in the patient (he lied about how long he has been sick, maybe he is lying about how bad is or maybe is really isn't allergic to toradol), and it makes the triage nurse look bad people if she is getting people who really aren't that sick into treatment rooms first.

I don't disagree with having someone stay with you when you are hospitalized. But...so many times we see the person staying with such an attitude...almost like they have been taught that if they weren't there that the person would not get care and we would allow them to just lie there and die. It often seems that they don't realize that they don't have to be so assertive about things...more than once, I have had a family member or friend walk into a room while we were coding someone or something to ask for a cup of coffee or a glass of juice. Often, they just don't understand that their loved one is not the only patient in the hospital, they don't care that their patient is not the only one in the hospital, or they think that they have to do the get in the nurse's face and be rude and loud to get anything done.

[BabyRN2Be]

I first found out about the article here on allnurses. I read the article and I was pretty outraged. Especially about the part which stated to the effect of

"If you feel the need to go to the ED, call your physician affiliated with that hospital and have him or her call ahead for you." This is an emergency room! Not Red Lobster, Chili's... not "call ahead seating."

Once I went to the ED for severe abdominal pain. I drove myself and waited 7 hours in the waiting area while watching people come in by ambulance, casually chatting with family, giggling and laughing while waiting for the staff to ring them in. When I finally got back there, the nurse actually apologized for the wait and she said that she was pretty disgusted with the people coming in via ambulance who could have driven themselves in because they get treated first. Meanwhile, there are patients who are waiting, in significant pain because those who arrive via EMSA are usually treated first. :angryfire

I'm really wondering if GH is going to step out to the plate on this one. I'm really anxious to see if ANYTHING is mentioned about it in next month's issue, or if this is going to be swept under the rug.

We need to go the word out to be honest and not to expect call ahead seating in the ED!

[HisHands, ASN, RN]

I think it's funny that GH will put SO much faith in this one doctor with whom they received all of their "helpful hints", but they refuse to have faith in the thousands of triage nurses across the country who have nothing better to do with their time than try to delay your medical attention. Unreal.

[Nemhain]

OOOOOOOOOH... ERRRRRRRRR! They're gonna hear from me!

...and if you're angry let them hear from you too! at:

[email protected]

[Victoriakem]

Has anyone read any rebuttals to that Good Housekeeping article in the magazine? I would love to read what the readers of that mag had to say.

[EDValerieRN, ASN, RN]

I did see a rebuttal. I looked at it on the newstand (wouldn't buy it)... it was from a trauma nurse in management. The letter was pretty calm, and they only published the one. GH had an editors note after the letter that said they got the information from a Doctor at some Ivy League Hospital, and that they thought the article as a whole would be a help.

I don't recall the letter from the nurse that they printed saying anything about possible harm to the patient, only that nurses had a lot of education and shouldn't be lied to.

Someone who actually has the print version would probably be more helpful though... I wish I could recall exactly what was said. I'm not giving that magazine a cent of my money though....

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Apparently GH was overwhelmed by the amount of mail they received about the ER suggestion. But the editor's reply to the letter they printed was pretty flippy.

[flashpoint]

The "rebuttal" letter in GH reminded me of a younger brother pointing at an older brother and saying, "But, he told me to!" after he gets in trouble for writing on the wall or filling the bathtub with an entire bottle of bubble bath and turning the water on full blast...

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

The "rebuttal" letter in GH reminded me of a younger brother pointing at an older brother and saying, "But, he told me to!" after he gets in trouble for writing on the wall or filling the bathtub with an entire bottle of bubble bath and turning the water on full blast...

Which struck me as odd, considering GH prides itself on their seal of approval and such.