I had a patient the other day who called 911 for arm pain and because he wanted his medications refilled. Patient was alert and oriented, ABCs and Vitals WNL. He was sent BLS to a hospital with a long wall time. As we are holding the wall the patient quickly becomes bored with sitting on the gurney, first he wants to use the restroom, then starts hitting on every female in sight, then he wants a cigarette. The hospital is a smoke free campus and I deny him a cigarette. He then gets off the gurney and walks outside, refuses to stay on the gurney or in the ER. He then starts to roll a cigarette, lights it up and tells me to buzz off, but not in that nice of language. He won't go back inside when I ask him to and won't put out the cigarette.
The thing is the patient wants care but refuses to cooperate with me. However, I cannot transfer care until there is a bed available for him and I cannot have patient's sign AMA. Feel like I am kind of in a bind. Do I let security deal with it? The charge nurse? How would you deal with him?
The thing is the patient wants care but refuses to cooperate with me. However, I cannot transfer care until there is a bed available for him and I cannot have patient's sign AMA. Feel like I am kind of in a bind. Do I let security deal with it? The charge nurse? How would you deal with him?
Last edited by a moderator: