There has been quite a few times where pts complain over the waiting period due to a code. There was a pt just the other day who had been out in the WR for 3 hrs due to a code-and when I went out to call the pt back, the pt gave me such an attitude, stating "what in the h#ll took you so long! Dont you know I AM IN PAIN!" Pt c/o of ear pain times 2 weeks. As I explained to the pt, sorry it took so long, but we were in code situation, the pt interrupted me stating, "I dont care, What about my pain! My ear hurts!" The pt then had the nerve to demand a nursing supervisor to then tell her how rude I was to her, and how long she had to wait! And how she was "going to do something about this!" And how we didnt care about her pain!
Pts complain all the time about the waiting period, but seriously? We all know they can hear the code blue emergency room call. What is that about! How absolutely mind blowing someone would even THINK ear pain TRUMPS a CODE!
Then our VP came in just the other day, stating how our customer service scores were low, blah blah blah. Insane. There are so many clinics around, urgent cares, yet for some reason the ED is a clinic, and is getting customer service scores! Press Ganey, who thought of that anyway?
There is NO excuse for a pt. being kept waiting that long for a pain med---CODE or NO CODE!!
Are you saying that 100% of your staff was involved in the code situation????????????
When we have a code, there is ALWAYS one RN who will kind of look after the other pt's.
After all, who knows, you could even have a second code---who would take care of that pt??
No, I really think that someone should have helped that patient.
The patient could have been more understanding, but so could the staff.
Of course you are right. Let's also ignore the personal responsibility the patient chose to eschew by apparently not taking Tylenol and/or Motrin to manage her pain. Let's also ignore that she had 2 weeks of ear pain. I wonder if she went to a clinic or to her doctors office?
But your right. Blame the nurses, blame the staff. The heck with managing a patient load in a code situation. Let's fluff the pillows, give everyone the old "I have the time" speech that we all so heart fully mean through gritted teeth and pasted on smile.
In our ER there would be an extra staff or two to look after the other patients, but we certainly would not be bringing in the ear ache while the code was going on, they would be in the wait room, and the triage nurse would be dealing with them.
You made the point yourself,what if another code came in I am certainly not going to have time for an ear ache ... and they would still be in our waiting room.
I've been sick for the past week. Belly pain and intermittent nausea. I was running a temp. last week; but that's gotten under better control. Food/fluids taste like crap. I feel like ****. I'm exhausted and tired. I ache all over.
But STILL, I have to endure Mr. "My foot really hurts man! It's been hurting all day! We were playing a squash game but it suddenly got worse! It's the worst pain in my life!!!" No tenderness to palpation. Good pulses and reflexes. No swelling or edema. Intact CMS. I ordered the x-ray (per protocol) and it came back negative. Doc assessed pt. and released him home (Dx: SPRAINED ANKLE)
I'll spare y'all the ORDEAL of the actual discharge process (which took 6+ HOURS.... and ultimately ended up involving the local police department. Seriously..... don't ask!!!)
A cussing/abusive patient moving extremities in threatening gestures? You're describing a "stable patient" there M'am - one with a patent airway (aeb their cussing), with obvious circulation (aeb the beet-red face) and no apparent neuro deficits (aeb the extremity movement); who is also AOx3 with their constant complaint about how long they have had to wait in the ER!!
"NEXT!"
cheers,
A member of the "heartless/uncompassionate/whathaveyou ER/ED nurse" brigade. :icon_roll
There are still some "mystery" conditions, and I have been the unfortunate victim of two of them...to this day, have been unexplained..and are very real.
When I was about 22 (don't ask me how long ago that was :) ), I got up one morning, swung my legs over the side of my bed...and my left knee felt like it was going to separate from my upper and lower leg. It felt like something was under my kneecap that was about to explode and to move it, at all, caused excrutiating pain. When I got up, and forced it to move, despite the pain, the more I moved it, the better it felt..toward the end of the day it was gone..yet would flare up whenever I slept.
After a couple of days, went to the doctor...x-ray, ortho..no Dx. Never did get one...this went on for almost a month then I woke up one morning, and it just stopped.
It was hot to the touch, but for some reason, would hurt when I moved it, but not when you pressed on it. I never did find out what happened, and I have had a flare up of that about every 4 or 5 years...but never as bad as I had back then, and it only lasts a couple of days.
Fast forward about 10 years later. I was at a friend's house and we were having a snack and one of my legs felt like it was starting to ache...but it wasn't a cramp..it was an odd pain. No big deal, right? As I was driving home, it started in the other leg. I went home, did some stretches. Didnt help. Took a couple of Tylenol, figured, hey, I'll go to bed...sleep it off...in the middle of the night, the pain actually caused me to almost bolt out of bed...it could not have felt any worse if my legs, from the ankle to the hip were being crushed.
I got out of my bed...I couldn't hardly stand up, I had no muscle control. I knew I couldn't drive...I ran a hot bath...got in, figured that would help. It made it worse..I finally had to call a cab to come and get me...was "too proud" to call EMS. Tears were streaming down my face...next to childbirth, this is the worst pain I had ever felt.
I got to the hospital, had to be wheeled in...I was sent home with a muscle relaxer...got up the next morning...pain was gone. Just, GONE!
Went to my PCP, ortho, etc...never got a DX..again, unexplained pain.
Things like this do happen to people.
BTW..along the earache line...I had a close friend, about 5 years ago...had an earache that he "let go" for a few days before going to the PCP...he was dead two weeks later.
You guessed it...meningitis. Granted, rare case..atypical, but it does happen.
I wish you evil ER nurses would quit acting like people don't have pain. People hurt and if it's not deadly, it may as well be. So, if someone is dying, don't bother with chest compressions. Give loads of demerol. But only if they are in pain. If they have non life sustaining VS give demerol, but only if there is pain. If they are unconscious, but a nipple twist creates a grimace, give demerol. If you are unable to get any pain response, you may hold the demerol. You should also give all demerol in pill form. If you start an IV it may hurt. You may start a line on someone, but only after death to administer demerol in the event it resuscitates. But only if your other pts have all potential pain treated. Give pain meds to people who can talk and ambulate and who deny pain in the event they trip, get hurt, and need demerol. And don't forget, you are very bad, evil little nurses. No laughing either, this may inhibit your ability to adminster demerol.
Oh for goodness sakes .... I too have had excrutiating pain, broken ankle, took some tylenol, put some ice on it, sat in the waiting room .... no one is saying that if you have pain you cannot come to the ER, we are saying that if you have pain, come to the ER if you wish, but realize that there may be things that take precedence over your pain. And if something is deemed more urgent than YOUR pain, sit down, take a number and be quiet.
Yes, the RARE earache will turn into meningitis, I am not doing a full neuro exam on a 2 week old earache ... I just won't do it.
BTW..along the earache line...I had a close friend, about 5 years ago...had an earache that he "let go" for a few days before going to the PCP...he was dead two weeks later.
You guessed it...meningitis. Granted, rare case..atypical, but it does happen.
You made our point for us,...even as rare as this is,...he didn't die in 2 hours,..or even 4 hours,...or even in 10 hours! He would never wait in my ER for 2 weeks,... 3 hours wouldn't have mattered one way or the other,..the acute MI, CVA or arterial bleed however might have actually died while waiting 3 hours in the waiting room. I know that,.that's why things like that go first!
workingforskies
103 Posts
Of course you are right. Let's also ignore the personal responsibility the patient chose to eschew by apparently not taking Tylenol and/or Motrin to manage her pain. Let's also ignore that she had 2 weeks of ear pain. I wonder if she went to a clinic or to her doctors office?
But your right. Blame the nurses, blame the staff. The heck with managing a patient load in a code situation. Let's fluff the pillows, give everyone the old "I have the time" speech that we all so heart fully mean through gritted teeth and pasted on smile.
:icon_roll