I have taken care of so many people the last few days that were just plain sick! Vomiting for 12 hours or less, fever for less than a day, coughs, abdominal pain without N/V/D. I want to scream at them "you've got the the flu! go home, drink plenty of fluids and rest!"
In this day and age of instant gratification it seems like NO ONE wants to feel bad one minute longer than they feel they have to and ER doctors across the country carry magic wands that can cure all ails.
Sorry if I am ranting. I really love my job, but I just had too many people today that didn't need to be there. With insurance, without insurance, on medicaid.
I had one girl show up in my quad that had been in twice previously in less than a week! The triage nurse kindly chatised her about getting a family doctor like she had already been told twice and about how much more it was going to cost her than going to a doctor would have.
I am just so tired of people using the ER as their family doctor. I get so tired of people abusing the ER and EMS. I get so tired of people coming in with fevers that can't afford tylenol, but reek of cigarettes, or the patient that comes in hacking and coughing from COPD and still smokes. I get so tired of people moaning and groaning like they are going to die. (those are usually the ones that are the least sick) I wanted to tell one girl that even though she felt terrible, she wasn't going to die so get dressed and get out of my ER....I didn't though.
Again, sorry for the rant, but this has been a really long day and one of my patients kindly shared their flu with me so I feel horrible otherwise I probably wouldn't be as testy.
I'm going to bed now, please forgive my attitude. Just had to let off some steam.
or the person on the phone wanting to talk to a doctor because the condom broke or the guy who rang up wanting to know what would happen if you tied a rubber band around your testicles............................
I think that those who have posted "the other side of the coin" are not the abusers of the system that the ER nurses are talking about but I think you are the ones who would go in with a broken leg and appologise for taking up time.:kiss You are the good guys - rest easy - this is not about you. Nor about any genuine case that comes in - and the mother worried to death about her child and who does not have the background to realise that it is not serious is not one of the time wasters. Niether is the person in real distress or the recent immigrant ( two weeks ago) from Africa who had an unknown community aquired pneumonia coughed right into my face without covering her mouth (TB anyone?) but who ended up being admitted NONE of these are time wasters but the one seeking panadol/tylenol for a hangover or the person on the phone wanting to talk to a doctor because the condom broke or the guy who rang up wanting to know what would happen if you tied a rubber band around your testicles............................
True, Gwenyth.
Very true. Guess it did hit a nerve, as others have said... because many of us have been there, and felt badly because of it, even wondered wht these nurses thought of us at the time. But you are so right... we DID feel bad/guilty, and we WERE appreciative of the help we received, nor were we ever "demanding".
I DO understand the frustrations these ER nurses must feel and how overwhelmed they are... would not, COULD not be in their shoes... no way. More power to them, and yes, I'm glad they have a place to come to to let off some steam ! :)
It's not the people who don't have a doctor coming in for healthcare that bother. Those people have nowhere else to access healthcare, and if we have and alternative, say free clinic or something you can't just send them there due to EMTALA
Finally, someone said the magic word, EMTALA!! The root of all our problems. The ER that I work in, we can't even ask for insurance at triage or registration because of EMTALA. This means that we have to go the pts room AFTER they've seen the MD (and not one minute before) and get their insurance card then. If we're busy (which we always are!) and don't make it to their room, we have to catch them leaving, sometimes yelling from the glassed-in cubicle that we have trying to get their attention (they're just wanting to leave!). Frustrating to say the least!
Or the ultimate time waster - the person who pretends to take panadol just to make another person feel bad or to use suicide threats as blackmail.
OMG I DO SENSE TWO RULES
I bet this person abuses the A&E system too huh???
I'd have to wonder if this person is constantly calling the nurses for trivial things like water or when is breakfast, lunch, dinner etc coming, can you turn my TV on etc...
As for abusing the A&E dept. well I know that this person has been told, questioned or lectured or what ever you like to call it - Why'd you wait so long to come in or why didn't you come in sooner???
But I don't believe it don't believe it, I'd be willing to bet this person maybe has used a call bell 4/5 times out of what 15/16 occasions will never press it more than once while in hospital, on a number occasions I'd bet this person has waited for say 10-20 minutes coughing and splattering, sob worsening and the only reason the nurse finds out is b/c a) all this can heard from the patients room to the nurses station or b) another patient in the same room has pressed their call bell instead .
I'd bet this patient will not press the call bell despite being told numerous times even if you feel a little bit worse any change in breathing call your nurse but will not do so because she is far too consciences of how busy these nurses are, knows there are other patients on the ward and always assumes the nurse is with another patient, even if the nurse is sitting at the nurses station she/he is busy so this person wont let anyone know what is going on.
I'd be willing to bet this person has let their symptoms go on for up to a 1/2 hour because after five or ten minutes umming and erring about press the call bell, ending up in a lather of sweat just to decide whether or not to press one little round button. 1/2 hour goes by $15 on it that another patient calls the nurse instead, this person gets the third degree about why didn't you call me sooner and ends up being transferred to icu. Yup I'd lay my whole life savings on it.
CONCLUSION: The nurses are always busy therefore this person is far too scared to press that call bell and would only ever, under dire circumstances even consider pressing it at a critical stage. Pressing the button for any other reason is out of the question.
What else??? How about TV??? Nope! I know for a fact that this person is embarrassed about even having the TV turned on EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT because TV = a luxury = the belief here is that hospital should not be a luxury = no TV. This patient is under the impression you should be as uncomfortable (whether it be because your too cold or hot) or the bed is too low and ya can't lie down that low because ya too sob you'd rather be sitting upright so when this pt is admitted will use the back of the bed as a pillow in order to sit upright. Again it is uncomfortable but that is how it should be.
Umm what else has been left out??? Thirst and hunger??? Well for one thing after discharged I bet this patient ends up taking home four or five mount franklin water bottles because even though you can have a jug of water filled up if that jug of water is not the it is better have ya mouth dry as toast and when someone comes during visiting hours send em' on down to the cafeteria to buy a bottle of water and while their at it a box of tissues (even though you can get that on the ward) and no this pt doesn't want the womens weekly or new idea because that too equates to a luxury.
Umm food or hunger??? Well I bet food is the LAST thing from this persons mind and upon discharge comes home weighing 43/44 kilos because until one or two days before being discharged has been too sick or wheezing to even have an appetite and ends up coming home and gets/has to eat take-away to gain the weight back on again.
Yes one may be able to turn the tables here say well all this is ridiculous, err not pressing ya call bell is time wasting but if it was read one will see this is not done because the pt chooses to wait until it is absolutely necessary = mild symptoms can wait!!! What has been said here was designed to elicit a response and it was accomplished.
I'm gone!!!!!
Have fun being the only Aussie who frequents the board .
These are the little things in life so rant away if it makes you feel better, and I hope it does. Yes the system is abused, but nothing new. GET USED TO IT. thats life in the ER. Remeber the good you do, the lives you save, and the laughter you get from some of the stranger scenarios.
Like the guy sunady night who came in with chest pain, went to a cardiac room got hooked up and his pain went away. The cure was there is a TV in all our rooms. His chest pain started when his TV died in the middle of a football game. Went away when he saw our TV, Yes he came in by EMS.. Easier to laugh at it.
Of course you can use a 14 g cath to start his saline Lock, and smile smile smile.
Specializes in Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.
I am experiencing this from the EMS end of the spectrum. We have been getting a lot of people with the flu who think the ER will cure all. Actually had one lady tell us that this time she was convinced they would put her in hospice care. Now everyone at work is sick too. I just want to hand these people a bottle of Tylenol and tell them to drink fluids and get some rest, unfortunately it does not work that way. Thanks to all of you nurses who are patient with us as we bring in patients that you can do nothing for.
We know it isn't your fault. Believe me, I would like to do the same thing and hand them tylenol and tell them to go home! I am also a medicrn and I have been where you are. That's why I became an RN. Still love the excitement, but didn't like the middle of the night drunk on the road in the middle of the winter runs.
I get irritated for you at the abuse of EMS for these stupid runs, as well as others. Everytime someone does that they are taking ambulance away from someone who has an actual emergency.
kate930
77 Posts
:roll
LOL
Oh my gosh! THAT would be too funny!!!!