Monday, September 1, 2008

I have a question.

I just came from ER Stories, where I was a little late to the feeding frenzy that occured in the comments section.

It was the same old story, "You are evil and uncaring, you should get another job, blah, blah, blah, blah."

Here's my question.

If all of us "evil, uncaring" nurses, physicians, etc, go get another job, who the hell, exactly, do you think is going to take care of your fat, lazy, fibromyalgic, drug-seeking ass?

Those "caring" nurses and docs that you speak of? They can only see three patients a night, because they're spending all their time "caring", and no time "treating". The rest of us take care of the other 150 patients.

Sorry we didn't "care" enough, but hey, glad your blood pressure isn't high enough to kill you anymore. Oh, and sorry about that 3 hour wait. We would have had a bed for you 2 1/2 hours ago, but Snow White was back in the B Pod singing lullabies to her patients or some shit.

BTW, be careful what you ask for. You might get it. And those of us that know better realize that somewhere, an emergency room just got a lot worse than it used to be.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

All I have to say is AMEN...perhaps if people actually realized they are not the only person on the planet that needs something, things would go faster.

Oh, and if they have time and energy to bitch and complain perhaps it isn't an emergency.

-Kim

girlvet said...

tell em sister

Unknown said...

YAAAY!

ERnursey said...

*applause*

Nocturnia said...

Thank.You.
It's like The Twilight Zone episode, "Time Enough At Last." They may wish all of us "insensitive" and "uncaring" healthcare practitioners to get another job, and yet, if all of a sudden, we all disappeared from the Earth, who the hell would fill their opioid prescriptions?

Purple Stinky Onion (PSO) said...

You Rule!!!

ArkieRN said...

AMEN!

MOJITOGIRL said...

Say it like it is!

Anonymous said...

I for one am a little amazed by people who choose to work in health care, I know I wouldn't be able to do it!

Joeymom said...

I think I would have more sympathy for real fibromyalgeurs if instead of lambasting the blogs that complain about people using the condition to feed drug addictions, they would instead post comments showing their outrage at people who make their lives harder: the drug-seekers. Because people are abusing the ER and this diagnosis, it is harder for people who may really have the condition to get appropriate and compassionate care.

But they don't. They scream at the doctors and nurses who are fed up with people abusing the ER and health care system. I'm not very sympathetic with people who support people who actively and selfishly abuse the system- and assume professional health care workers are too stupid to know the difference.

OMDG said...

Whatever. I am SO more important than everyone else EVER. Pay attention to MEEEEEE!!!!

CrankyProf said...

Shut the fuck up and get me some god damned dilaudid. And a pillow, and a sandwich.

And I need refills on my fentanyl patches, and I am allregic to toradol.

And help me wipe my ass, because my stubby little gnarled arms can't reach.

Anonymous said...

Ok, so let's keep things real a bit shall we.
There is always going to be drug addicts, drunk and disorderly, mentally handicapped and social-economically under-privileged people in our society. As long as you choose to work in an Emergency Room, you are going to stumble upon them more often then not. But just know that there are many people in social services that deal with pill seeking, drug addicted, economically challenged, and abused children every single DAY of their lives. They get paid way lower then you do, and they don't get the glory of saving someone's life either. Most often it's not a happy ending.
They see much worse things then you and are not nearly as jaded.
You have quite a high image of yourself. Let me remind you. What you have is a 2 year degree for Godsake that can be obtained at a county college. Hell, you can even get your RN exclusively online now without EVER going to an academic facility!
Your not rocket scientists and you haven't discovered a cure for AIDS or Cancer so get off you soap box.
If you don't want to be annoyed by migraine sufferers or prescription drug addicted patients (who's DR originally put them on those addictive meds to begin with) then I think your local elementary school is hiring!

MonkeyGirl said...

"You have quite a high image of yourself."

Yup. I'm that good.

And you're an asshat.

But that's ok. The world needs asshats, too. Even ones who don't know the proper "your" to use in a sentence.

And btw, I'm glad that I run into the "drug addicts, drunk and disorderly, mentally handicapped and social-economically under-privileged people in our society".

It gives me people to make fun of, which gives you something to be indignant about.

Douchebag.

Anonymous said...

Hey Cam,

Actually, I have a 4 year degree from a really good college. So do many of us. Compare this to many "social service" people with *maybe* a high school GED.

Where does one get a nursing degree online? And how do you do that without getting hands on, in hospital. patient care experience? Perhaps you are talking about an RN -> BSN program? Completely different. But what else can one expect from someone who shows such ignorance?

Next, when was the last time that you had to deal with a nasty smelling, 600lb, stanky, rotten crotch? You deal with it, and THEN tell me that I make too much money.

I kick myself everyday for not becoming the rocket scientist I could have been.....

Pink said...

The GP (general public) has no CLUE what nurses and doctors go through. None at all.

I can't do it...the smells, the fluids, the assholes -- nope, not anymore.

I'll do the paperwork (don't jump..CODING and TRANSCRIPTION). Nice 'cuz my office is at home and away from the bullshit.

But, ahem, yes...GP needs to spend ONE DAY or better yet, ONE WEEK, in their local ER. Then, bitches, come back and document how that went.

Anonymous said...

"Your not rocket scientists and you haven't discovered a cure for AIDS or Cancer so get off you soap box."

For real? Does knowing how to spell count for anything? I mean, I always say, if you're going to make ignorant and inflammatory statements, you should at least make an attempt to be literate, but maybe that's an outdated rule of thumb. I hope that this person never has occasion to need a highly trained and compassionate hospital nurse, since they seem to have oddly ceased to exist. While I'm on the subject, what have I been DOING all these years in my really competitive, hardly-at-all-online university program, slavishly learning about a million disease processes and medications? I wish I'd read this before before my career preparation took this terrible turn for the worse. Sheesh.

Joeymom said...

Cam- don't be silly. You just haven't found their blogs yet. Social service workers have some nice vent blogs out there. Go Google 'em!

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh, I've been arguing with this oh-so-intelligent Cam for some time now, over at ER Stories. I see his witty, accurate and appropriate comments continue.

Dear Cam,

In case you didn't get to read my lastest response:

Funny how those of us who actually work in the ED manage to come back day after day after day. We're not burned out. We like what we do, and we do it because we're good at it. You NEED people like us in the ER. We put people in their place when they're out of line, and work our asses off to save those who need it.

I have a 4 year degree with honors from a top 5 school in Canada. I've worked in Ivy League teaching hospitals all over the US. I'm smart. And I'm damn good at my job.

You couldn't do my job. Not for one second. Just look at how LITTLE compassion you show for HEALTH CARE WORKERS.

Kiss my ass. And if you're lucky, I'll stick around the ED long enough to save yours.

Anonymous said...

ONT...all those accolades...well you are wasting your time in RN work..you should have been a fine DR by now at the very least. Better yet..Become the Director of the hospital..then people would actually take you seriously. I umm am sorry for the misspellings and the ut um incorrect use of the 're. Sometimes in a rant we get ahead of oneself.

Anonymous said...

nevertheless..my 15 year old son still stands up at a formal dinner when a lady arises to leave the table. I must continue to maintain my posture even in mindless blogs. Shame on me!

EE said...

MG: I love you. This is why I consider you my bloggin' big sista.

Dr J said...

*applause* thanks for telling it like it is

Anonymous said...

*Standing in the Pews waving my hands* Sista c'mon now preach it how you feel it Amen....Hallelujah!

Nurse K said...

Pink said:

...the smells, the fluids, the assholes...

Wow, that would be a good tagline for my blog.

Sarah said...

I just came from the site myself. I can't believe that people can be SO judgemental.
Also, I have suffered from SEVERE migraines for years. All this time I've been managing my pain myself (with the help of my neuro dr) and never realized I could just go whine to my ER and demand narcs. That thought never would have occured to me.

Penelope said...

Strangly enough, I've never had a bad medical experience.

I also hadn't heard of fibromyalga (sp???) until visiting here.

Karen

MEDICALBOOBOOS said...

In regards to Social Services, in my country its a four year Degree at University. Nursing is a 3 year degree at a polytechnic. The nurses then have a year post registration preceptor type training upon finding paid work. I am not a fibro, nor a migrainer, nor a druggie or pisshead. But I have been judged myself. Why? Because medical records from 20 years ago said I had been abused as a child, blah blah the rest. But people do lose credibility and empathy over that issue too. (Oh I am over it!,*sigh* others who hold my records on that day aren't.)

Yet I judge people and treat them the way they treat me. But there are some people who are bitter and twisted, and nasty and bitchy, who haven't been through a quarter of what I have been through.
The difference? I'm none of those things above, I have been hurt in many ways imaginable but I don't hate just because other people are making huge screw ups in life. Unless it affects me personally I really don't care.
Let it go guys and move on. Society in general sucks arse at the best of times, build a bridge and get over it. I had to.
Cheers bladder girl.

Anonymous said...

You sure have a lot of traffic on your blog. Do you really feel like a monkey while working in the ER :)
Just make sure you don't run out of bananas!

Anonymous said...

My suggestion is to ignore CAM and her ad hom attacks. It is her only basis for argument. Then again CAM I would expect more out of you with your "communications" degree.

It is sad that you (CAM) insult nursing, but remember; a doctor is only as good as the nurse carrying his or her orders. Those nurses are the backbone of the ED.

Bianca Castafiore? said...

The "us" versus "them" mentality that ends up being displayed by every provocation of this corner of the service industries never makes any intellectual or common sensical headway.

In many ways, we (that would be "us"+"them") define ourselves by how we treat each other... and right now, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. And saddened that so many of us apparently have no inherent sense of self-worth -- else there wouldn't be this continual histrionic revisitation of middle school...

Grow up.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to you for telling it like it is. Everybody who's been in this biz long enough seems to agree, across the board: we're here to save your ass, not kiss it.

And props also to Not Nurse Ratched for taking the general blogosphere to task on spelling & grammar!