What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

Since people keep saying they wish policies etc were different or that these things are stupid I though I would add a few stories on the "watch what you wish for" side of things. Want to charge people through the nose for hospital visits? I've been that person who couldn't buy food that month because my partner was in ED almost every night just to keep her breathing. The starvation that resulted landed her in hospital within a month and me in chronic pain from taking over the counter pain relief without food and the damage it did to my stomach. And this is in a country where hospital visits are free! That was just the transport costs. Want to give ambulance officers the power to refuse to transport people? I will never call an ambulance for someone unless they're actually dead. Why? Because I saw them refuse to transport someone who was, at the time the call was made, in total respiratory arrest. She was still blue when they arrived. Their advice? Pay our bill, go see your doctor in the morning (another bill, and another when the doctor immediately called an ambulance... no food for us that week) and in the mean time, here's some more of that medicine you already overdosed on. A week after she was discharged from hospital is happened again. Even when the ambulance officers actually do their job, how do you convince a broke person to use a paid service? I've seen sports tournament organisers refuse to call an ambulance for injuries which occurred at said tournament (two concussions, a broken ankle, and a dislocated knee if I remember rightly) because it wasn't in their budget. They literally left someone with a broken bone sitting on the side of the track. Want to refuse care to anyone who presents with an issue that has been going on for years? Some day I will be that patient who comes to ED threatening suicide if I don't get some pain relief because after twelve years (and counting) I just can't take it anymore and doctors won't do anything to help me. I've been trying to seek help since I was 11... so far I have a diagnosis (sort of) but no treatment. I can't take any over the counter pain relief anymore because of the damage it's already done to my body. I honestly don't remember what it's like not to be in pain. If you haven't reached that point you have no right to judge someone for snapping. And the whole "I wish people couldn't sue for that" thing? I live in a country where you can't sue for that, no matter what it is. My treatment was delayed for 12 years. 9 months of that was due to a single incident. My mother was blinded by botched surgery that should never have been attempted. She is also in chronic pain that is now permanent when it could have been fixed were it not for the five year delay of treatment. My ex has permanent brain damage from all the times she stopped breathing and no one came to help. This is just my family. None of us can get any sort of compensation. None of us can afford the private treatment that might perhaps get us some help (for those of us who can still be helped). Doctors here are taught in class that they don't need to avoid malpractice because it doesn't matter anyway. For real. Someone actually said those words to a class full of med students. Litigation forces doctors to actually do their job.[/quote']

Your personal stories, although I have empathy for, is not the same universe as what is being described here.

We're not talking about respiratory arrest, suicide. It's the mentality that the emergency room is a first class resort, my nursing uniform is really concierge. The pt's pimple on their ear lobe that they've had for 40minutes demands more care and attention than someone's mother being intubated.

Someone who called and tried to make an appointment for the next day. We explained "This is the emergency room."

Person replied "I know. I don't want to wait, I want an appointment for tomorrow." We said, "Call the clinic."

They just implemented a system in our health system that allows patients to sign up at home and chose an allocated time spot to come in. To the trauma center. :no:

Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.

They just implemented a system in our health system that allows patients to sign up at home and chose an allocated time spot to come in. To the trauma center. :no:

:|

What the ever loving...... Seriously?!?! And do you have to have a time guarantee with that too??

Specializes in ED Clinical and Documentation.

This is beyond ridiculous now! Instead of educating the public on what constitutes an EMERGENCY, they think of this. Smh!

This is beyond ridiculous now! Instead of educating the public on what constitutes an EMERGENCY they think of this. Smh![/quote']

It's all about the scores

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Want to charge people through the nose for hospital visits?

Did you ever consider that a part (yes, I realize not all) of those costs are related to the young lady who comes in via EMS because she put a contact lens in her eye 3 hours ago and now cannot figure out how to remove it? The are partially due in part to the person who rides the ambulance to the ER because she has a corn and can't see her podiatrist for 2 days? Or the middle aged man who calls 911 for his toenail fungus?

No one is arguing that someone shouldn't come in by ambulance for severe respiratory distress. A suicidal pt should always be brought right back to a room, made safe, and psychiatric treatment should be arranged. In this thread we are talking about the most ridiculous of the ridiculous presentations.

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
:|

What the ever loving...... Seriously?!?! And do you have to have a time guarantee with that too??

I've always wondered about that. If they have an "appointment" time, what happens if you get inundated with real emergencies 5 minutes before someone's scheduled time?

Yeah let's stick with the fun crazy ******* we ER nurses deal with every ****** day!!!! I remember back in school always thinking "I am gonna be the best nurse and and save lives". What did I get myself into 7 years later :)

Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.

I've always wondered about that. If they have an "appointment" time, what happens if you get inundated with real emergencies 5 minutes before someone's scheduled time?

"Sorry sir, I realise you are having a stroke and might die, but this woman with the splinter in her finger already booked this time slot. You'll just have to wait a few."

"Lizard in orifice"

Then someone got fired for posting a screenshot to Facebook.

Specializes in Float Pool-Med-Surg, Telemetry, IMCU.
"Lizard in orifice"

Then someone got fired for posting a screenshot to Facebook.

Are we talking a gecko or an iguana? Poor lizard...

:|

What the ever loving...... Seriously?!?! And do you have to have a time guarantee with that too??

I've always wondered about that. If they have an "appointment" time, what happens if you get inundated with real emergencies 5 minutes before someone's scheduled time?

This is what I hate the most and what renders this implementation absolutely ludicrous. We still triage based on level of acuity. So yes, that chest pain and that patient with SI will come first, but if there are no "priority complaints" that patient with the ED appointment (sigh) gets back first. But what I hate is that when they present to triage and don't get brought straight back they are outraged. "All these people are going in front of me and I have an appointment!" Ma'am we just got two traumas and some of these patients complaints are life threatening. "I am a trauma!" Ma'am you have toe pain. I'm not saying you're not in pain but your symptoms don't appear to be life threatening. We'll get you back as soon as possible. Then I wait for the usual "F this hospital", "I'm never coming back" (and see them tomorrow), and an infinite amount of other smug responses. Ahh... The joys of working in the area that I do.

On a somewhat related note, the patients know how to work the system. I look down and see "Chest pain" then look over at the DOB and read "1987". Then I look to the lobby and see the patient that had the time to stop by McDonald's on the way to the ED for their emergency. Problem is, we are told we must take action based on their complaint so off to the EKG room they go, skipping Mr. 79 year old GI bleed and everyone else that truly needs to be seen. It really is so frustrating. As I've stated in other posts, I'm trying so hard to just "play the game" and do what I'm supposed to do but it's hard not to be judgmental. Most of us chose this career (I'm not a nurse yet but I've worked ER for five years) because we have a passion for medicine and love saving lives. We love seeing that patient and family that is so grateful and happy upon discharge. We love feeling like we made a difference and put a smile on someone's face. What's so sad is that it's become so uncommon these days. The sense of entitlement and lack of responsibility acceptance (from a financial and abuse of the system perspective) is at an all-time high and is only getting higher.

On a truly unrelated note, I feel that working in the hospital I do (great hospital, not so great clientele), I've become somewhat cynical. It's like you go to work with the feeling that no one is sick (obviously there are some) and that everyone is drug seeking and playing the system. I'm using these terms loosely and I know it's not all like that but it sure feels that way at times. Any experienced nurses/long-term medical professionals want to share any advice? I do experience the "that one patient is worth it all" feeling from time to time. But I have people telling me that I shouldn't go into nursing if I have these thoughts. But as I mentioned earlier, this is my passion. And having said all of the above, I have and always will treat all patients the same. But I would like some advice to aide my somewhat cynical view of patients abuse of the healthcare system.

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