Weapons in the E.R.

[Jay Levan]

I am posting this "Thread" because of "The Lofty and Feathery light discussion on Visitation in the E.R." I wondered how many of my fellow professionals, have faced Guns, Knives, Tasers,

sawed of shotguns, ice picks, not to mention having to catch a "Right Cross" meant for our M.D., disarm a patient who was chasing another female member of our staff, with a knife. Oh yes and let me not forget my inebriated "Regular"/"Frequent Flyer" who was sizing up a two for one (Two Employees with a combined weight of approximately 180#) for a "little head music"

with a two by four board with nails in the "business" end.

:eek: Now that I presumably have your rapt attention, I want to say upfront that I believe in "Professional Courtesy" and I, after much grinding and gnashing of my teeth do believe in "family support" Just not the whole family, am I Just the other night I was taking a very inebriated patient from the waiting room into the E.R. Trauma room so we could suture the wound he obtained by falling to the floor in our waiting room.(Actually he was helped to the floor by another visitor, who this individual was accosting) As we were heading for the treatment room I Noticed that one of the six Policemen had drawn his weapon, and was pointing it directly at me(through this patient) I imediately released the stretcher because I recognized that he had a taser gun not a .45cal pistol. Not sure how a Taser gun works I logically (or so I thought) assumed that if they hit this guy with the taser blast, it would surely send a charge through the patient and I felt holding Metal while this occurred, was surely not agood thing to do:cool:

As this is just the latest Chapter in my career, I would be more than happy to field your questions and concerns reguarding this subject.

I seemed to have strayed from the question on visitation,

(The above mentioned Incident is still very vivid in my minds eye)

The Incident that I am about to relate to you, is also very vivid in my mind, even though it happened aproximately 16yrs ago. I received a 20's female from an MVA (Seat Belts NOT Required) who had somehow managed to drive straight on into a ditch of course when the jeep she was driving encountered said ditch it stopped abruptly, and of course she didn't, until she went through the windshield and encounterd that same ditch. Well to say she looked as though she had had her face stuffed into a meat grinder, is as mild as I can put the truth. I knew professionaly that with some plastic surgery that the physical wounds would heal, but I also knew that the psychological wounds would probably not heal as well. A sad story yes, but it only gets worse, primarily because an M.D., he didn't want to deal with the family himself. Basicly he asked me if the patients family could visit her, to which I replied "Sir, this girls entire family has not been sufficiently prepared for what they are about to view." To which he replied "Oh I've already talked to them." To which I replied, "Fine, but if someone hits the floor, I can't help you pick them up." This Doctor and I are friends, and he has also performed Surgery on me, lest anyone think I have any hidden agenda here. I respect him and I believe he respects me now. Well the "Group" headed for the bedside, and I headed for the Nursing Station to work on the two admissions and three discharges I had in the "Rack" I had just sat in my chair(Approximately 15sec.) When all of a sudden there arose a great clatter, and what to my wondering eyes should appear This Doctor with a stangely Red colored Face, "Jay, help "They've Fallen" End Result, Two Concussions, Three lacerations, and more "Bad Luck" for this family to endure:( If anyone out there might be interested I have many more of these Incidents to relate.) Oh, to be sure let me not leave my participal hanging, I did help my friend get these extra two patients off the floor and onto stretchers where they could obtain treatment:cool:

[oramar]

I feel for you Jay even though I am not a ER nurse. About a year ago I got into a discussion on another board with a nurse who was an advocate for allowing family members to witness a code. The stipulation was that one nurse sat with the family members to explain what was going on. I thought this was pretty unrealistic. I had just left a hospital where there was not even enough staff in the building to do a proper code let alone have someone standing around explaining things. There is the real world that people like you deal with everyday and there is the perfect world where people sit around and talk about how things ought to be. God bless you for staying in the trenches and trying to help people.