The ER has become a restaurant.....

athomas91 · Jan 24, 2004

a pillow - you need a pillow - why sure let me fluff it for you...

a 5th blanket because it is cold, why sure - i will be right back after i take it off the 89 y/o comatose pt next to ya...she'll never know...

long distance phone calls...yep - they are free too.....oh, you want a phone book to call pizza hut for your dinner....oh, your family came in to eat with you in the 6X6 ER room....why sure...

oh, you don't have anywhere to go...sure we will provide the room for the nite...free of charge of course...just tell me something like....you want to kill yourself and you have pretty much just guaranteed yourself a suite on the penthouse level psych unit where they will wait on you hand and foot like the gem you are...

dessert, you want dessert....here let me give you mine...after all I won't have time to eat it between taking your phone messages, making your dinner, getting you extra blankets and trying to get the psych floor to take you.....

and if you should have a need for alcohol....well - it is hidden behind the wastebasket in the bathroom between room G and room S - Alan leaves it there so he doesn't have withdraw seizures while sleeping in the warm ed for the nite....so - you just help yourself....

ERNUTBALL · Jan 24, 2004

AT- of course we can't forget the self-serve bar, our guests must understand it is BYOB. We will, however, provide mixers...OJ & cranberry juice are always available!

RNin92 · Jan 25, 2004

and have you all ever noticed that the surveys that come back to haunt you around raise time are always about how long it took to get that coffee from the nurse?!

or...how many times they had to ask for a dinner tray...

or...the nurse just wouldn't bring anymore dilaudid...4 shots wasn't enough! and they were treated like a drug-seeker!!

doesn't matter that you were saving the life a real pt!!

and man...all the training you gotta take...sure does help in fillling out a cab-voucher and a free meal ticket!!

mstay · Jan 25, 2004

I have often used the waiter/restaraunt analogy myself. I often like to reflect on the patient who visits regularly and requests her narcotic, antihistamine, and antiemetic by name and order in which they should be given. This patiet now has grown to request the people who she wishes to help her to the restroom. This patients gets it all. AHHHHHHHHH now thats customer service. At least at the restaraunt the customer would pay the bill.

Audreyfay · Jan 25, 2004

About 10 years ago I was a crispy critter. I decided that nursing was a waiter who served services, food, and health care. It seems funny that others think of it that way sometimes also. It reminds me of the flight attendants. They have a lot of knowledge, but rarely use it. Have to give wait staff credit for the hard work they do. Nothing like trying to please a hungry person!

athomas91 · Jan 25, 2004

ERNUTBALL.....

whatever you do - DON'T DRINK THE GRAPEJUICE.....

lmao..... :eek: :roll :kiss

jaimealmostRN · Jan 26, 2004

Veetach, I completely agree....a few days ago we had a "trauma" pt with only superficial stab wounds. While we were cutting off clothing, putting in IV's, assessing, etc he asked us for a meal tray! I believe his actual line was, "Can I have some food after you all are done with this nonsense?" I had to remind him that he had been stabbed five times.

tymomrn · Jan 26, 2004

We had a guy in 3rd degree HB, found on his kitchen floor flat on his face, unable to get up, no palpable pulses, but AAOx3. Was REFUSING to come to the ER. Medics finally talked him into coming, then applied the external pacer and proceeded to pace him sans sedation. The only thing he wanted when he came in was breakfast.

We like to call our ER a drivethrough. That's how fast most of our "customers" want their "service".

MAGIK GIRL · Jan 26, 2004

Originally posted by ERNUTBALL
AT- of course we can't forget the self-serve bar, our guests must understand it is BYOB. We will, however, provide mixers...OJ & cranberry juice are always available!

and if you are unhappy with your 4 star room, you may chose another. this includes our penthouse suites! sure, why not move your daughter with a rash from a hallway suite to a fully monitored penthouse! i will have the bellman bring your bags immediatly!:chuckle

athomas91 · Jan 26, 2004

oh, they locked you in this room and tied you up...oh you poor man...i am sure that the crack and lsd had nothing to do with that...but i will surely move that MI out of a monitored room so you can be more comfortable with your surroundings...after all i am here to please you.....

NOT that way you perv....

dawnrsanrn · Jan 27, 2004

Oh how I know how you all feel. :wink2: . After being in the ER for 8 out of my 10 years of nursing, how I wish I could be that triage nurse that was in the movie "Bringing out the Dead" with Nicholas Cage. She was able to say what she felt to the patients. Like to that crack addict who was wishing detox.....She said "We didn't give you the crack, we didn't tell you take the crack, so why sould we help you?"

However, after many, many chuckles with these posts, we must remember this.................when things get to you, and you all know how they do and we want to shout, just take a deep breath and close your eyes and remember that one little girl/boy who was hurt who came to the emergency room so vary scared she/he wouldn't, couldn't stop crying. How you took extra time to comfort her/him and reassure her/him they were going to be ok. How you took the time to carefully explain each and every step you were going to take.......and finally, remember receiving that big hug from those little arms with those soft spoken'Thank you" , then it all comes together.

Kinda like that old saying "you have to kiss a lot of toads to get to your prince!". The only difference in our profession, is our TOADs are the jerky/prissy patients we have to deal with until our little "princes/princesses" show thier faces. Does make it all worth whiles doesn't it???:kiss

athomas91 · Jan 27, 2004

that surely makes it worth it....

but hey, we are having fun venting here.....:)