Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Things That Are Not Emergent

People sure do get upset when I seem to mention that most of our patients are not having legitimate emergencies. I get these random comments like, "Bitch, how can you say that a UTI is not an emergent complaint? My sister's friend's cousin's baby mama got UTI one time that was so bad that she ended with pyelo and then got intubated and ended up in the ICU!"
Look, they're just not most of the time. And that's fine. I enjoy the non emergent stuff too, plus, if we saw exclusively life threatening emergencies at all time, one, my job would most certainly be in danger, and two, it would be reallllly stressful.
But, in the spirit of Christmas unity and peace on earth, let me just throw one out there that I think we can all agree on. Checking into the ER to get documentation from a doctor that you have the sickle cell trait so you can try to use it to get on disability? Really? Not an emergency. Any questions? Okay, great.

12 comments:

  1. That's right up there with "needs work excuse", "cough for 3 months", "pain for 2 years" (but I didn't think you would be busy at this time of day / night) .....

    And they get upset if they have to wait while you are busy taking care of the guy with the gunshot wound, or the kid that has an acute asthma attack.....

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  2. I am a registrar at an emergency room on nights. I cannot stand when a patient walks in the door and states...I have had back pain. I ask how long have you had this back pain? and they reply ohhh about 4 weeks. I want to say "really? and you decided to come in at 3 am...is there nothing on tv is that why you came in, so we can entertain you??"
    Then at this time in the season we get every other patient who has been vomiting for two hrs. When I was growing up (mind you that I am only 27) we never went to the emergency room for vomiting. I just dont get it!!

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  3. People would complain if you didn't give them a new rope to hang themselves with. It's the Internet, Jake.

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  4. I read your blog all the time, and love reading about the ER (I'm a hospice nurse, it's not the same thing at all.) My one question is, How can you stand it? And come back the next day?

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  5. Does this happen because of lack of insurance?

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  6. I think part of the reason it happens is because word got on the street that ERs can't turn people away. And perhaps because 7th grade health class doesn't teach people what an emergency is and pharma ads work to convince us that everything can be resolved with a pill. Or three.

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  7. regarding "I get these random comments like, Bitch..." that comes from an angry person.
    If you have someone who is happy, they are not so motivated to write a compliment. So you don't hear from the 99% or whatever, who think you are doing a damn fine job. Just like if you are making a speech to 1000 people, and one person , a heckler interrupts. If the speaker is seasoned , they know that one person does not represent the group listening, and puts the heckler down.

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  8. I had someone check in the other day because their car broke down and they wanted help finding a ride home. Have you tried calling some friends or family? "No, I haven't, should I do that first do you think?"

    Well you may as well since you'll be waiting three or four hours in the lobby at the least anyway...

    Oddly enough within five minutes of attempting to find a ride, he had a ride and signed out.

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  9. I can overlook the patient that comes into the ER by ambulance for some ridiculous chronic complaint that suddenly became an emergency at 3 am on a Monday night. However, don't stop me while I'm riding a stretcher down the hall doing CPR on a patient with a gun shot wound to the chest and ask me for a blanket and a pillow, and then proceed to get angry when I tell you I'm too busy and that it will have to wait. From a fellow nurse in the hood.

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  10. Indeed. Happy to see your non emergent complaint, as long as you understand that the EMERGENCIES are going to be seen first, and you may wait here a while.

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  11. When access to reliable primary care is limited, the ER gets used for all kinds of crap. When you don't have to pay for a service, there is no incentive not to use it.

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  12. It's not just not having to pay. I work in a Hood ER as well and there are several free clinics in my city that people without insurance can get primary care at. Only problem is, you need to make an appointment...and then be there at the agreed-upon time...how inconvenient! Honestly I think a lot of people, in addition to the "free" care, really just like the convenience of being able to roll up into the ED whenever they feel like it. Annoying!

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