Tweet
After much suffering and gnashing of teeth, I was finally able to snag a job in the ER and away from my monster boss who was my overlord on the cardiac floor I was on for 2 years. Ive been in the ER now for 4 weeks and I freaking love it. Ive had many people ask why I didn't take this route in the first place due to knowing my personality, but anywho, on with the show.
1. My first day there I spent a few hours on the "FASTCARE" side which functions more like a clinic or urgent care than a true ER. Had a girl call an ambulance from 4 blocks away for a boil on her thigh....
She walked home.
2.Ive had several overdose patients. One such came in on the shoulder of his very tall friend who ran up the ambulance ramp and began SCREAMING once he got through the door. The patient is fighting his friend, as hes hallucinating and from what I can tell thinks his friend is a demon. I run for a litter, his friend throws his down and security appears to all but lay on him to prevent him from getting up or hitting people, then they run down a hall to a room. I love the E.R.
3.Woman comes in for a pregnancy test, when told by another nurse it would be cheaper to go to a drug store (or even the dollar store) she yells: "YOU THINK I HAVE MONEY TO BE TAKING MY HEALTH SERIOUSLY?!"
If she doesn't have money to be taking her health seriously, she sure as hell doesn't have $$ for a baby.
4.Phone call to the receptionist:
Receptionist: Hello, this is *hospital* ER, can I help you?
Caller: Hi, I'm going to be calling the ambulance soon to come in there, I need to know how you're getting me home.
R: Excuse me?
C: Im going in, but you're going to need me a ride back.
R: We don't do that, if you come in, even by ambulance, you'll need to get your own ride back.
C: That's bullshit! I need to see a doctor.
R: Well, you're welcome to see a doctor, but we do not provide rides home for anyone, period.
C: THATS BULLSHIT!!! WELL, IM CALLING AN AMBULANCE AND HAVING THEM TAKE ME TO AN URGENT CARE CENTER.
R: Youre free to call the ambulance, but just so you know, they'll bring you right to the ER. They do not take patients to Urgent Care via ambulance.
C: **BLARGHHHH**
Call goes on for a few more minutes, receptionist finally hangs up and starts giggling. I was sitting across from her, so I asked her to fill me in on what the caller had said. We were cracking up.*
5. Woman comes in via ambulance. A little intoxicated (EMS found her laying in the street). We get her settled and prepare for her to sleep it off. Patient is pretty rowdy for a while (security was restraining her for a while), she calms down, pees herself, strips herself naked and falls asleep on the litter. Every time I try to get a gown on her, she rips it off. I settle for making sure shes decently covered with a blanket and go about my day to see other people. I check in on her every so often, so evaluate whether shes alert and oriented and able to follow commands and also to cover her up if shes hanging out again. About 2 hours after she was brought in, Im standing next to a cart gathering some supplies and I hear a big bump. I look up and see my butt naked patient walking into the wall in a very busy hallway. I drop what I have, run towards her and so do several other people. We get her back into her room and she won herself some restraints until she was sober enough to calm down and go home.
This stuff happened in the span if less than a week. I have so many more stories, but I wont bogart the board.
I know Panacea can relate to the specialness that is the ER.
*(Ambulance takes people home from the ER if they are from an area nursing home who has a contract with the companies. However, my hospital does not provide taxi or bus vouchers like some hospitals regardless of circumstance...which can be a good or a bad thing.)
1. My first day there I spent a few hours on the "FASTCARE" side which functions more like a clinic or urgent care than a true ER. Had a girl call an ambulance from 4 blocks away for a boil on her thigh....
She walked home.2.Ive had several overdose patients. One such came in on the shoulder of his very tall friend who ran up the ambulance ramp and began SCREAMING once he got through the door. The patient is fighting his friend, as hes hallucinating and from what I can tell thinks his friend is a demon. I run for a litter, his friend throws his down and security appears to all but lay on him to prevent him from getting up or hitting people, then they run down a hall to a room. I love the E.R.
3.Woman comes in for a pregnancy test, when told by another nurse it would be cheaper to go to a drug store (or even the dollar store) she yells: "YOU THINK I HAVE MONEY TO BE TAKING MY HEALTH SERIOUSLY?!"
If she doesn't have money to be taking her health seriously, she sure as hell doesn't have $$ for a baby.4.Phone call to the receptionist:
Receptionist: Hello, this is *hospital* ER, can I help you?
Caller: Hi, I'm going to be calling the ambulance soon to come in there, I need to know how you're getting me home.
R: Excuse me?
C: Im going in, but you're going to need me a ride back.
R: We don't do that, if you come in, even by ambulance, you'll need to get your own ride back.
C: That's bullshit! I need to see a doctor.
R: Well, you're welcome to see a doctor, but we do not provide rides home for anyone, period.
C: THATS BULLSHIT!!! WELL, IM CALLING AN AMBULANCE AND HAVING THEM TAKE ME TO AN URGENT CARE CENTER.
R: Youre free to call the ambulance, but just so you know, they'll bring you right to the ER. They do not take patients to Urgent Care via ambulance.
C: **BLARGHHHH**
Call goes on for a few more minutes, receptionist finally hangs up and starts giggling. I was sitting across from her, so I asked her to fill me in on what the caller had said. We were cracking up.*
5. Woman comes in via ambulance. A little intoxicated (EMS found her laying in the street). We get her settled and prepare for her to sleep it off. Patient is pretty rowdy for a while (security was restraining her for a while), she calms down, pees herself, strips herself naked and falls asleep on the litter. Every time I try to get a gown on her, she rips it off. I settle for making sure shes decently covered with a blanket and go about my day to see other people. I check in on her every so often, so evaluate whether shes alert and oriented and able to follow commands and also to cover her up if shes hanging out again. About 2 hours after she was brought in, Im standing next to a cart gathering some supplies and I hear a big bump. I look up and see my butt naked patient walking into the wall in a very busy hallway. I drop what I have, run towards her and so do several other people. We get her back into her room and she won herself some restraints until she was sober enough to calm down and go home.
This stuff happened in the span if less than a week. I have so many more stories, but I wont bogart the board.
I know Panacea can relate to the specialness that is the ER. *(Ambulance takes people home from the ER if they are from an area nursing home who has a contract with the companies. However, my hospital does not provide taxi or bus vouchers like some hospitals regardless of circumstance...which can be a good or a bad thing.)
Comment