Whats your biggest pet peeve working in the ED?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Id have to say my biggest pet peeve is when someone hands you a medicaid card as they pull it from their Louis Vuitton handbag with bling on their hands after having rolled up to the ER in their Mercedes Benz! After that I'd say when someone comes to the ER for a UPT. Dont they know they are available at the dollar store now adays?

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

My pet peeve is when I am clearly spread thin with two ICU patients and another patient who is there for a small lip lac and they are complaining about the wait. After explaining 2 times why they are waiting I basically told them that there are several sick patients in the ER right now and as soon as the doctor can come they will. (It was a high acuity night) Family of the patient proceeds to say well I understand there is sick people but we need to be seen too! Ugh. They had been waiting an hour....

I just don't think people understand sometimes.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I really appreciate when they stick around also, but don't you have translator phones available for when they leave?
Which are not nearly as effective and are horridly inefficient since it becomes a big production for every interaction.
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Specializes in ED, trauma.

I really appreciate when they stick around also, but don't you have translator phones available for when they leave?

It's very difficult if you can't identify what language they speak. Even worse when the patient refuses to speak to the translator because they don't know them and are in fear for whatever reason.

Had one individual who never had any ID or information for family (phone number, address, etc). We managed to figure out he would call his sister to pick him up when he was discharged. She refused to talk to anyone as well. They just wanted him treated for pain or for headache or whatever complaint.

We managed to get his name and DOB and history the one time for all future admissions because he was combative, police were called and he was fingerprinted. He had a record in a different state at a correctional facility.

Even when we told him we wouldn't send him to prison on other admissions and that we needed him to communicate to staff or interpreters, he refused. This went on for over 4 years.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Oh wow, well wouldn't that be ground to not treat? I mean, without past medical history or chief complaints or any of that, if nothing is apparent like active bleeding, how can you know you won't do something contraindicated? What if patient is on medications, won't tell you, he received something that has interactions with his meds or condition? I mean, sounds like this person was hoping on a medical mistake that was no fault of the medical staff so they could cash in on a lawsuit...

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.
Oh wow, well wouldn't that be ground to not treat? I mean, without past medical history or chief complaints or any of that, if nothing is apparent like active bleeding, how can you know you won't do something contraindicated? What if patient is on medications, won't tell you, he received something that has interactions with his meds or condition? I mean, sounds like this person was hoping on a medical mistake that was no fault of the medical staff so they could cash in on a lawsuit...

Took the words right outta my mouth...great minds!!!!!

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Specializes in ED, trauma.
Oh wow well wouldn't that be ground to not treat? I mean, without past medical history or chief complaints or any of that, if nothing is apparent like active bleeding, how can you know you won't do something contraindicated? What if patient is on medications, won't tell you, he received something that has interactions with his meds or condition? I mean, sounds like this person was hoping on a medical mistake that was no fault of the medical staff so they could cash in on a lawsuit...[/quote']

I wish. We just figured he was fine but EMS said he seemed confused. We would do work ups and he had lab work all over the place and the docs had to either treat him with electrolytes and/or admit him. Some times his labs would be normal and we would discharge him.

Other patients are unable to read their own language so when we hand them the paper and ask them to point to their language, they don't understand what we are asking.

Language. Something that can bring us together or drive us apart.

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Specializes in Peri-operative, M/S, ER, SCU.

Oh, Lord... Where do I start?

1. "Good luck. My veins roll/are deep/can never be found" --a.k.a. "I'm a hard stick."

Me: I'm persistent. :)

2. "Susie here is a diabetic and needs a snack box. She hasn't eaten since yesterday." (It's 3 am. Why not?) And while you're at it, my three kids need one too.

3. When you are speaking to the patient but all 17 family members are answering the questions.

Me: I really need to hear what JOE has to say about this right now.

4. Moms who don't check or medicate temps or rotate Motrin and Tylenol. Or rush to the ER for a "FEVER" of 99.1 and get mad because "at home" it was 105!!!

5. "Y'all should have my med list here."

Me: nope. Our computer doesn't keep that information between visits.

6. "lady partsl bleeding and abdominal pain" preggers who just want an US. No bleeding. NAD. Happy, smiling, eating, texting, laughing.

7. "Nurses" in ANY department who have forgotten how to provide basic care.

8. Ancillary departments ignoring that STAT ER order to do routine floor orders so they don't have to backtrack or walk an extra step.

9. Unnecessary huge work ups on EVERYBODY!!

10. "No, I don't take any medicines." KASPER shows a million narcs and UDS lights up like a Christmas tree.

11. OBVIOUS drug seekers... Get angry when they don't get exactly what they want, will not attempt any other meds, get verbally abusive and their pain magically disappears as they storm out the door. I frequently use the generic name for Toradol when giving it because not many people know what ketorolac is and it !miraculously! Makes people dizzy, drowsy, and immediately relieves any type of pain. I love Toradol, myself. It is a really great pain med for those that can take it. But when a seeker finds out it is non-narcotic, they are instantly allergic to it.

12. Medicaid patients who "can't" afford their antibiotics or meds, but can pack around an iPhone, iPad and wear more expensive clothes than I can buy my own kids.

13. I brought my kid to the ER at 3:15 on Wednesday, but we need a school excuse for Monday and Tuesday, because Jr. Was sick then too, as well as well as Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Sorry. My ER can only excuse 2 days. Exception? Flu + and your kid's splinter doesn't qualify.

14. When you explain that children under 14 are not allowed to visit in the ER or no more than 2 visitors per patient, and no matter how nicely you state this you suddenly become SATAN.

15. Non-ER docs that come to ER to check-in on/see a patient before they leave the facility and forget that the ER is not the floor. Do they really expect us to drop everything and carry out their routine orders and accompany them on rounds and take verbals?

16. "YOU'RE JUST A NURSE."

Me: And without this nurse, YOU couldn't do YOUR job.

17. "Why haven't you gotten this urine?"

Me: um, because I'm busy with three psych patients and two critical patients here. It's called prioritization.

18. "How busy are you?"

STANDARD REPLY: we're always busy. If you have an emergency, you'll be assessed and treated as quickly as possible based upon your condition. We cannot guarantee how fast you will be seen.

19. "I need a bedpan."

You walked in here. And have been all over this ER. The bathroom is down the hall.

20. "I was here before that man."

Let me tell that man to just stop having his heart attack and ill give you his bed, okay? (No, I didn't say that, but I really, really wanted to!)

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5. "Y'all should have my med list here."

Me: nope. Our computer doesn't keep that information between visits.

Oooo I hate that one too. We do store med lists....but if it's been 3 years since you've been to the ER, or you've had recent changes to your meds, guess what? Our list doesn't magically update itself. Be responsible and know your meds by memory or have it written down.

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One night I had a pt complain about the wait, which followed with "do you understand! I have pseudo seizures! I need to get a room!" I almost fell out my chair laughing when she left.

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-Pregnant patient 39 weeks gestation who had preeclampsia leaves AMA cause we didn't give her dilaudid.

-Patients who refuse meds or vital signs and honestly think I give a damn. What do they expect me to say" Oh, please take your meds and let me do vitals, if you don't I'm going to loose my job." I explain the risks and benefits, notify the doc, chart and keep it movement.

-Patients who are allergic to anything PO and need only IV drugs

-Patients who expect to their child to be seen right away because the parent have to work in the AM and it is late at night. Why the heck did you wait this late? Better yet, why didn't you give any motrin or tylenol.

-Patients who have complaints that are over a month old. One lady said she had chest pain for a year.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
One night I had a pt complain about the wait, which followed with "do you understand! I have pseudo seizures! I need to get a room!" I almost fell out my chair laughing when she left.
Yes sir... this is the pseudo room... for our pseudo seizure patients.
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Yesterday's peeve was random family members coming up to me asking questions like 'how much longer is my mom going to be here' and 'can he get something to drink'. When I have no idea who 'mom' is or 'he' is.

Of course I have no problem helping them and getting them the info they need but I was just peeved that people think I just know who they are talking about. ;)

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