Sunday 15 November 2009

Requests

Didn't realise I had been away for so long, no real excuse just could not think of anything to write. I have been popping up on other blogs to add my twopence worth to the comments and as always managing to upset a few people.


In A&E (ED or ER whichever is your preference) I get asked for a fair number of emergency equipment at times; an airway, an ET tube, various drugs - all no problem I can cope with this but sometimes the requests are for things I am unable to provide.


I have been asked for a condom by a person who was passing our hospital at 2:00 in the morning and thought that we should provide these - became quite irate when told that we did not provide these things and he should have thought of this sooner, possibly while he was in the pub/club which has machines. Actually asked me what he should do without one - er, abstain?

I have had drug addicts asking for needles and syringes (at least they asked and did not just steal them) and also asking for drugs as they have had their prescription stolen. In both cases the answer was no, sorry, we do not do that.

But recently I had a patient come to me stating "it is an emergency, do you have a phone battery charger!" No, of course we don't, but he seemed to think that this was a reasonable request, perhaps I should think about this when restocking our emergency trolleys, but at least he didn't ask for one stat!



I get pissed off when some young doctor goes all ER or Casualty on me and uses the word 'stat', it is meaningless and just annoys everyone. We will get the job done as fast as we can, you shouting out orders like an actor in a drama will get you nowhere. I have even been known to ensure that this word does not get uttered by saying to young and eager doctors "The first one to say 'stat' or 'right people lets move' gets slapped". It usually lightens tension and gives people a laugh.

7 comments:

the a&e charge nurse said...

Hey, Grumpy, off-topic I know but thanks for the kind words of support (as well as additional explanation) over at Ferret's place.

I know I shouldn't let it get to me but rather like one of Pavlov's dogs I find myself wanting to challenge him every time he starts rubbishing very experienced nurses who provide a very good service to many NHS patients.

He accuses me of being repetitious (via a vis the nurse practitioner issue) yet completely fails to see the IRONY in such accusations when you look through the content of many of his posts!!

Needless to say deleting comments because a nurse has the temerity to challenge rampant medical arrogance makes further engagement with him, or his misinformed posts virtually impossible.

Perhaps YOU will have more luck, but given his limited debating style (telling posters to f**k off, instead of answering honest questions) I do not hold out much hope.

As I mentioned in one of my deleted posts although Dr Crippen can be equally exasperating he would NEVER stoop to such underhanded tactics even when threads become polarised or rather heated - for me this is a very important point and one that earns the old curmudgeon both kudos and respect in my book.

I did suggest to the Ferret that he might mind find a more sympathetic audience over at DNUK - no doubt he would receive far more plaudits from his peers given his self-confessed addiction to NP bashing?

GrumpyRN said...

Thanks A&E Charge Nurse, one of the good things about Googlemail is that I get a copy of everything into my inbox so I read what you wrote despite it being deleted on the main site. I sometimes think that people like Ferret and Dr. Crippen will always win in the end because they just trot out the same old nonsense "You don't know what you don't know, Nurses are too posh to wash and only want to doctor, Nurses would rather be Noctors or quacktitioners" ad infinitum and eventually win by attrition. We will never change the minds of these people and really should just get on with it and ignore them. Unfortunately, like you I rise to the bait and try to point out the 'wrongness' of what they say. Ah well if we at least can refute their major fallacies we can chip away at the minor ones. On a lighter note I had a small plastic duck which I put on top of a cupboard at work to watch over me and told everyone it was because I am a quacktitioner.

StorytellERdoc said...

Hey

Nice site. Liked how you covered a few good scenarios quickly. The condom stopby happened in our ER before, too.

I will be following. Just started my own site, so stop by if you can.

GAB said...

I've been in a hospital more times than I can count and have never heard one person utter Stat! When I watched ER on tv I used to laugh and say boy Im sure glad real hospitals arent like that. One of my girlfriends used to think thats the way "real" hospitals were suppose to work. she was surprised when she had to actually go to a hospital and they were nothing like TV. She actually asked where Dr. Carter was. LOL. wonder where her mind lives?

DegreeFinders said...

I like the word "stat," but perhaps not when someone is yelling it at me. In fact, I start to dislike many words when somebody is yelling them me.

Medicine is like every other field. You have those who think they're better and will gladly tell you. Some people just need to hear themselves talk...or in this case, shout.

smplcv said...

True facts have been shared.


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Peregrin said...

To my mind every person have to read it.
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