What would you do to get ahead in the Line at the ER?

littleRNthatcould · Oct 29, 2007

then you get the business end of the biggest and best iv catheter we can find. especially if you remind me about your friendship more than once.

i actually had a patient's family member on the verge of a full blown melt down pulling the "do you know who i am," nonsense. the patient who was the father of a nurse manager on one of the floors, was waiting in the room to be seen for back pain-chronic. the husband of the nm was ranting and raving about how his father in law had "been waiting for 45 minutes to see the doctor and if we thought dealing with him was bad, then just wait until she gets down here."

my response:

"sir, i'm very happy that your wife has enough confidence in the care we can provide to encourage her own family to come here for treatment. however, i'm sure your wife, as a nurse professional herself, would tell you that we treat all of our patients the same regardless of who they are or who they know.":saint:

it should be noted that the patient (the nm father) never so much as peeped a complaint.

karlita · Nov 3, 2007

Perhaps I'm missing something, but why is the assumption that he deliberately crashed the truck? If he is symptomatic for a seizure immediately after the crash, why has that apparently been ruled out as the cause?
Obviously, I was not there, and don't know the full story. And, I have been around enough to know that there are people who do stupid, selfish things in order to get faster "service", but I didn't get that impression from the article. Perhaps my naivete, perhaps poor reading skills, but I don't see where the article indicated it was a deliberate choice in response to a long ER wait.
I think nine hours is a ridulous amount of time, unless they were in the midst of a large disaster in the area. However, as another poster pointed out, chronic pain hardly consitutes an emergency.

I was wondering the same exact thing, but no one else seems to.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2007

Could have been a new seizure problem. Guy and mom maybe just wanted to leave so he could rest? Maybe he was getting an aura? We shoulnd't be quick to judge, 9 hours is like one shift in some places. Maybe triage needs re-eval? Who knows. I feel sorry for the guy, he obviously was symptomatic when they went to pull him from the truck. Waiting 9 hours may have sent him a message that he didn't need to be there, it wasn't important..........

I still stand with my thoughts after reading the article.

TrudyRN · Nov 3, 2007

I'll go you one better....we had a patient in the ICU who had been at another hospital in their ER.
He called 911 from his ER room, was there for severe abd pain, was transferred to our ER, seen immediately, taken to OR for ruptured appendix, had massive peritonitis.

I hope he sues the first ER and gets a big settlement.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2007

Why would a person with known seizure disorder have a driver's license?

why wouldnt they, I have a seizure disorder

Called the Americans with Disabilities Act

we have rights.

Personally I would wonder why illegal aliens and non english speaking people can get licenses

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2007

Speak for yourself, I accept pizza or Tim Horton's coffeee and domuts.:balloons:

packs of new golf balls get my attention

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2007

then you get the business end of the biggest and best iv catheter we can find. especially if you remind me about your friendship more than once.

im the king of 14g and 16g iv caths

and particularly for aggies

psalm, RN · Nov 8, 2007

why wouldnt they, I have a seizure disorder
Called the Americans with Disabilities Act
we have rights.
Personally I would wonder why illegal aliens and non english speaking people can get licenses

...I asked because my pharm teacher who is also a great ER nurse doesn't drive because of her seizure disorder and also a grade school teacher who doesn't drive for the same reason. And I have a friend from church who has had her license taken away because her meds couldn't control her seizure activity.

morte, LPN, LVN · Nov 8, 2007

...I asked because my pharm teacher who is also a great ER nurse doesn't drive because of her seizure disorder and also a grade school teacher who doesn't drive for the same reason. And I have a friend from church who has had her license taken away because her meds couldn't control her seizure activity.

i believe that most states have provisions for well controlled sz patients may have a dr lic. dont think that the ADA would have any jurisdiction here....

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

i believe that most states have provisions for well controlled sz patients may have a dr lic. dont think that the ADA would have any jurisdiction here....

Typically its if you are seizure free for 6 months or more one can get ones drivers license back/ be allowed to drive.

Rj

psalm, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Thanks for the info.

Victoriakem · Nov 12, 2007

I read this article & saw the man who decided to crash his truck into the hospital was waiting to be treated for CHRONIC back pain. As has been stated many times before, the ED/ER is NOT the place for chronic problems. That's what your primary physician is for. He should have been arrested for assault & endangering the life of his mother.