Sunday, May 27, 2007

But it's been two hours!

"Excuse me, nurse? Can you ax them when my girlfriend is goin' to be seen? Because we been here for over 2 hours and her back is really hurtin' her sittin' in this chair."

"It'll probably be a little while, sir. We have several critical patients back there right now, and once things are a little bit calmer, they'll start calling people back again."

"Well, how come people who got here first don't get to go back first? We been waitin' a lot longer than that last guy."

"Sir, the patients with medical emergencies get to go back to the emergency room first. After that, it's first come, first served."

"But she's been waitin' and she's hurtin'!" **mumbling curse words under his breath as he storms away**

These are the patients that got to go in front of Ms. Back Pain:
--70 y.o. male w/ SOB, O2 sat 78%, Hx CHF
--5 y.o. male w/ SOB, O2 sat 90%, active asthma attack, no inhalers
--25 y.o. male w/ 6 inch laceration on his forearm, copious bleeding
--40 y.o. male w/ CP x 1 hour, diaphoretic and SOB
--30 y.o. female w/ flank pain, hx of kidney stones, actively vomiting, pulse 150
-- 80 y.o. female w/ ALOC, hx CVA, unable to walk today

Jeez. Where are our priorities?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would have smiled and suggested that she could always lay on the floor if it hurt too much to sit in the chair. :)

Ambulance Driver said...

Two things I've been known to say in such a situation:

"It ain't 'first come, first served', it's WORST come, first served."

OR

"If you're well enough to bitch about the waiting time, you ain't sick enough to be in an ER."

C. said...

I was shocked when I was taken into the ER right away during an active gallbladder attack. I figured I'd be waiting awhile. I think my perception of the ER is skewed in the opposite direction having most of my family as medical professionals.

The nurses and doctors were ridiculously nice and helpful, even while dealing with the most annoying woman in the bed next to me. Being pleasant, even while in pain or in an emergent situation makes everything so much better for everyone.

I am so sorry you guys have to deal with these people. I dont know anyone who goes to the ER unless a limb has been removed. We had to basically force my father to go to the ER during a heart attack. He REFUSED to go via ambulance saying it wasnt necessary.

Thanks for all your hard work.

Anonymous said...

In my experience at the front desk, I'd say that a majority of non-nursing home chest pain patients walk in. And these are legitimate chest pains. Not the stupid panic attacks or drunks or drug-seekers who often do come by ambulance.

I hate it when a chest pain walks in and then bitches that we don't have valet service because parking their car and walking to the elevator is too much when they "might be having a heart attack!" Dipshit, you're the one who drove here in the first place.

The Platypus said...

maybe you didn't understand: her back's hurting!!!

And WTF happened to Hannah's blog?

Anonymous said...

I KILLED IT