What are your pet peeves?

[forgop]

What do you hate to see/hear the most?

Mine:

1. Ambulances for clearly non-emergent conditions (my personal most notables are of dental pain and a "possible UTI" but I know they're used for far more silly complaints than that. Just the two I've seen myself).

2. Chief complaint of fever, yet they have not so much as taken a temp at home, and if so, even taken tylenol or ibuprofen

3. Mom who brings in all 3 kids because they all have colds at the same time.

4. I'm allergic to tylenol, ibuprofen, codeine, aspirin, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and zofran. All of them have caused anaphylaxis.

5. The patient that claims their police report PROVES their medications were stolen.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Cell phones. In triage, during assessments, standing in the middle of the hallway. Get out of my freaking way!!

I'm also annoyed that with the flowers and treats from the hospital, the town and some community organizations that the local university didn't send the ER nurses a little something for taking care of all their drunk students every weekend. We fix their liability problem on a nightly basis, and they can't even send a thank you card?

[AirborneMedic]

Complains of being short of breath, but won't stop talking on the phone while I'm trying to do an assessment.

[AirborneMedic]

Patients with 10/10 migraine, chest or abdominal pain who move like pond water when I call them into triage or try to get them into a gown, but suddenly find the strength to jump out of their skin in order to respond to a text or answer their phone while I'm starting an IV or doing an EKG.

[AirborneMedic]

Me: Sir on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most pain you've ever experienced, how bad is your abdominal pain?

Pt: It's a 10. (As he's texting away.)

Me: So if I took that cell phone and smashed it into your skull it wouldn't hurt as much as your belly ache?

Pt: ????

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Me: Sir on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most pain you've ever experienced, how bad is your abdominal pain?

Pt: It's a 10. (As he's texting away.)

Me: So if I took that cell phone and smashed it into your skull it wouldn't hurt as much as your belly ache?

Pt: ????

Love it, please tell me you've actually said this!!

Such a heartless and rude ER nurse thing to say!! (Where's that sarcasm font again?)

[AirborneMedic]

Patients who feel they need to call everybody on their contacts list to let them know they are going to the ER. As soon as I get them into triage and begin their assessment everybody on their contact list decides to return that call.

[AirborneMedic]

I did. And I threw him back out to the dreaded waiting room.

[Guest838984]

3 and 4 by FAR the most annoying in my book

Me: oh so he has a fever? What was his temperature?

Pt's Mom: Idk he just felt hot

Me:

Me: Did you give him anything for the fever?

Pt's Mom: No

Me:

Me: ok then

[Guest838984]

I HATE there being no splenda!! that's my fav!!

#4

and when patiens call in ambulance and use it as a taxi, or so they can get seen sooner, so they think.

and patients who claim to have chest pain in order to get seen quicker!!!

Last one... busy day and no coffee, creamer, or splenda in the break room.

[AirborneMedic]

No coffee in the ER? That's just downright Communist and that hospital should be shut down. Nothing gets done until I've had my coffee. Hell I won't do CPR until there is caffeine running through my veins. Hooah!

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

No coffee in the ER? That's just downright Communist and that hospital should be shut down. Nothing gets done until I've had my coffee. Hell I won't do CPR until there is caffeine running through my veins. Hooah!

You're new around here. . . .

I like you.

[AirborneMedic]

Yeah I've been overseas for a while. Thanks for the welcome.