Will nurses in the ER soon hear the following?

Published

" I'm vaccinated you ***** you have to take care of me,  NOW!"

Remember you can't deny treatment to the belligerent.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
10 hours ago, jive turkey said:

 

If so, how do they determine for sure who was vaccinated? How possible is it People catch on and lie?

It's pretty well established that people will lie about all manner of things in health care settings. Quite a number of states maintain vaccination databases. 

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Specializes in Primary Care, Military.
12 hours ago, jive turkey said:

This thread has been comedy! LOL it's like a game of charades where everyone tries to figure out what the original post is about???

I think they're speculating people are going to demand concierge, blue ribbon, priority bed service based on their vaccination status.... 

If I understood you correctly there are situations this may be applicable (I've only floated to ED so you'd know better than I).

If so, how do they determine for sure who was vaccinated? How possible is it People catch on and lie?

The original post looked like it was about those who are vaccinated demanding a front-of-the-line ticket just because of their vaccination status, regardless of their actual ESI level. Which, for anyone who has actually worked in an ED, knows is just not going to cut it. I've even watched as patients try "backdoor" ways to try and cut in line by leaving the waiting room after triage and calling 911, coming back through ambulance, only to be re-triaged straight back to the waiting room with the same ESI level. Sickest first, always, but always re-assess your triaged waiting room for progression of conditions and need for ESI upgrades. 

As for disaster triage, I've only participated in it while serving in the military in Iraq. We obviously had reason to be engaged in it, but it wasn't exactly a fun practice. Even then, when we had finished working on the red tags or getting them flown out, we still circled back around to black tags to see if there was anything that could be done. Sadly, it was just a case of not having the resources to make a difference and providing palliative care. Blast injuries can just be so extensive. 

For Utah? I'd have to read up to see how they're handling it. Vaccination status is just one piece of the puzzle, but I'd imagine they pick up that piece of information from patient history. COVID vaccination is documented, so they can verify it, as happened in the case of a woman who lied about her vaccination status to enter Hawaii on a trip and was arrested prior to boarding her return flight. They're also going to look at age, overall condition, and co-morbidities. Vaccination alone won't be the deciding factor, but likely will play a part in how severe their condition is. It's a terrible position to be in, having to decide who receives treatment and who doesn't. I really feel for our colleagues working through that. For my family, I would want to do anything I could to reduce our risk of being in a position where it was between us or someone else getting the one open ICU bed or ventilator. 

Edited to change mention to the correct state. Sorry, haven't had any caffeine yet.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

What a stupid question.

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Specializes in Stepdown/IMU, full-time Night shift charge.

Not all Covid patients on death beds are in ICU. We're the Covid Cohort in my hospital Step-down and telemetry unit. Our IMU is full of patients who in NORMAL times would be in ICU. Many, most actually,  of my Tele patients are on HFNC or Bipap and would be step-down/IMU. In this Houston hospital about 25% vaccinated to unvaccinated.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
On 9/24/2021 at 2:56 PM, MSADN said:

Many, most actually,  of my Tele patients are on HFNC or Bipap and would be step-down/IMU.

Our med-surg unit in the first wave had sicker patients than our step-down unit as well. Maxed on HFNC or dependent on BiPAP, we couldn't transfer them down to ICU until they actually required a ventilator. Those nurses stepped up BIG TIME in their care! Proud to call them colleagues. 

As for this initial question, I think we've all deciphered that belligerent vaccinated people would not supercede sick unvaccinated people in any hospital. However, belligerent patients have been around since the beginning of time regardless of vaccine status. As I've mentioned in other posts, though, I didn't have as many angry COVID patients in the first round as this time around. We've been accused to exaggerating their illness right up until the time they can't breathe and we put them on a ventilator. I don't know who in their right mind would think that nurses WANT to put people on a ventilator. Especially when the treatment will involve proning their 350+ lb body every 24 hours. My back has had enough thank you.

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14 hours ago, JBMmom said:

I  don't know who in their right mind would think that nurses WANT to put people on a ventilator. Especially when the treatment will involve proning their 350+ lb body every 24 hours. My back has had enough thank you.

Haven't you heard? Nurses want to put people on vents even if they don't qualify for it because they get extra $$$$ when people go on the vent.

That is a serious assertion I've read multiple times on FB and other social media.

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It’s so easy to fake a vaccination card, when I got the vaccine mine is hand written but they uploaded it to my electronic record, how will anyone know especially in the ER.

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