ER Staff Attitudes

[yowzer]

The only thing I get from ER nurses that makes me roll my eyes is them asking "Why did he come in by ambulance?" of a perfectly ambulatory and stable patient who should have made an appointment with his doctor for something. Then there's the classic 'He waited 2 weeks before deciding to get his ingrown toenail checked out?'.

If I knew the answers to those questions...

(Patients seem offended when I ask them why they called 911 for a stubbed toe, when there's a half dozen cars parked in their driveway, at least 3 of which look like they should be running)

 

[Ridryder911]

Part of the problem of EMS abusers is ourselves. We do not have a formal education program to teach when and how to call for EMS. We assume everyone knows when EMS should be notified.

We like to :censored B*tch and gripe, but do very little to change things.

R/r 911

 

[FF/EMT Sam]

The only thing I get from ER nurses that makes me roll my eyes is them asking "Why did he come in by ambulance?" of a perfectly ambulatory and stable patient who should have made an appointment with his doctor for something. Then there's the classic 'He waited 2 weeks before deciding to get his ingrown toenail checked out?'.

If I knew the answers to those questions...

(Patients seem offended when I ask them why they called 911 for a stubbed toe, when there's a half dozen cars parked in their driveway, at least 3 of which look like they should be running)

Some day, I'll treat you to my patented "this is an emergency medical services vehicle behind me, and it's reserved for patients with emergencies, so why the :censored: did you call me at three in the :censored: morning?!?!?" speech.

 

[firecoins]

Part of the problem of EMS abusers is ourselves. We do not have a formal education program to teach when and how to call for EMS. We assume everyone knows when EMS should be notified.

We like to :censored B*tch and gripe, but do very little to change things.

R/r 911

I think the lask of formal education goes well beyond EMS.

 

[Guardian]

Part of the problem of EMS abusers is ourselves. We do not have a formal education program to teach when and how to call for EMS. We assume everyone knows when EMS should be notified.

I don't agree. We get called to nursing homes because a taxi cab won't take an incontinent octogenarian gimp and we provide our services free because it's an "emergency." And let me assure you, everyone knows this isn't an emergency. The guy who calls for a stubbed toe, guess what, he doesn't need an educational program to know it's not an emergency.

 

[jmac2601]

Education, in my mind, isn't the issue. (Here in south central Missouri educational programs abound. And at every Em. Dept. visit dismissed patients are given 4 - 5 pages of instructions [factor in doctors office visits and more trees are killed with "instructions," than are killed signing HIPAA forms. . . well, maybe not HIPAA forms. ].) Enabling is. What is mean is that since the mid-1960's more and more Americans have come to expect that someone or some entity will take care of them. Will make decisions for them. Will provide for them. Providing layer upon complicated layer of services has, in my opinion while helping some, robbed others of responsible decision making.
When I was a child, born in rural flat-land Missouri in 1961, most of my numerous cuts and scrapes were taken care of with "butterfly stitches," applied by the deft wisdomed hands of my grandmother, with the wound swabbed in either mercurichrome, (Sp?) or camphophenic.
Abuse of EMS and Em. Depts., is is a very complex social, geopolitical and humanitarian issue. All I can do is help people the best way I know how: with compassion, understanding and an occassional hug. . .