Do you make a good patient?

I don't make a good pt at all. You have to tell me everything that you are doing. I ask to know specific dosages of what you are giving me and why. I insist on knowing alternatives and specific diagnosis. So if you are really good at your job, you tell me those things anyway, but if you slack in your job, I ride you for info and am probably very annoying.

On another note, it hasn't come up, but there is no friggin way you are getting me on a long spine board unless there are specific deficits or I am unconscious.
 
Since my airway shuts when I go supine and I have a bad back...I'd say I'd be having words with them.
Otherwise, I'm compliant once we hammer out the treatment (I ask for my pt ins ructions as if they were orders, those I understand and it makes the MD get objective and more precise).
 
I think it entirely depends on my respect for the provider.

For the most part when I or my family feel sick I pick out a provider I respect and trust.

Everyone has instructions that iff I am incapacitated, even at risk to my life, I am to bypass any nonacademic hospital on the way to one.

I am under no circumstance to be transported to die or be majorly messed up in a community hospital.
 
I've half jokingly considered getting a "Do Not Backboard" tattoo.
 
I'm a horrible pt, very dumb and stubborn as a mule. Two Xmas's ago I t-boned a guy who failed to yield and drove myself to the ER in my mangled car. My c/c was neck px AND I have a hx of a C6 burst fx in 2006. PD rolled first on the scene, I had already triaged the driver of the other vehicle so I had the officer cancel EMS.

Went to the ER where the charge nurse and doc (both coworkers) promptly snatched my keys away and yelled at me for driving in. Apparently I got my bell rung pretty good cause I don't remember much of the drive there.

I got yelled at again when I got out of bed to walk to radiology. And again for stating my pain was lower than it actually was (and apparently lower than it showed on my slightly gray face). And again for trying to sneak my keys out of the charge nurse desk when I was d/c pending a friend otw to pick me up.

All in all, yes I know I did some stupid S that night, but I couldn't bring myself to be brought in by the area EMS to my local hospital. Hope the RN's and techs forgive me for that night. :P
 
What makes us more demanding patients?

From the looks of your replies it seems as though most of you would refuse C-Spine 9/10 times, yet our patients typically do not refuse C-Spine. Are we more likely to be demanding and refuse treatments because we KNOW that they serve little to no benefit in 9 out of 10 times? Or is it an issue of trust in a stranger?

Do you treat each patient the same way you would like to be treated? Or are you bound by the concept of CYA and thus more liberal in your treatments?
 
I'm a horrible patient. I would refuse spinal immobilization and NRB. Refuse IVs if they want me to get one unless it is needed as well as oxygen.

At the hospital I would probably be taking the BP cuff off along with anything else attached to me.

More then likely I am going to refuse ambulance transport and not give the EMS crew any of my personal info (we bill for certain AMAs). No patient info = no bill.
 
Chris07 said:
What makes us more demanding patients?

From the looks of your replies it seems as though most of you would refuse C-Spine 9/10 times, yet our patients typically do not refuse C-Spine. Are we more likely to be demanding and refuse treatments because we KNOW that they serve little to no benefit in 9 out of 10 times? Or is it an issue of trust in a stranger?

Do you treat each patient the same way you would like to be treated? Or are you bound by the concept of CYA and thus more liberal in your treatments?
Click to expand...

I'm more demanding because I know how little education it takes to be a paramedic. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a provider to justify treatment, and if they can we'll have no problems. I realize that I sound like a pain, but honestly we would just have a conversation about my care, and if the treatment isn't justifiable then I don't think it's necessary. I try to take the same approach with my treatment as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was admitted to hospital after I injured my knee. I didn't call for an ambulance because if I did the responding members might think it was a training scenario ( I live in a small town that is one hospital only and i belong to the volly EMS dept). When I got wheeled it (I called another member to come pick me up). The RN on duty looked surprised when she saw me. The MD who treated me is our medical director who was also surprised. When I finally got a bed the RN who took charge of me after shift change is also a member of the volly EMS dept She was also surprised. It was different being on the other end. The problem with my knee the doc said was septic arthritis. I don't plan on being a pt again after I got discharged I told the RNs next time you see me I'll be bringing them in not the other way around.
 
"Pt refused spinal immobilization, including c-collar. Advised pt of risks and benefits (teehee) of immobilization, pt stated he understood, appeared competent, and signed refusal form, stating that he would rather ride in to the hospital on the soft mattress of the stretcher."
 
abckidsmom said:
"Pt refused spinal immobilization, including c-collar. Advised pt of risks and benefits (teehee) of immobilization, pt stated he understood, appeared competent, and signed refusal form, stating that he would rather ride in to the hospital on the soft mattress of the stretcher."
Click to expand...

I hope you write it exactly like this.
 
Including the teehee? lol
 
If I know the kind of people that do ems, I imagine most would be bad patients hahah
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top