Night shift makes me grumpy
1. I hate ER night shifts
2. I have done night shifts before, but only in Ob/Gyn. Doing night shifts in specialties seem to be easier than in something like ER or general Internal Medicine because the latter two involve a more in-depth thought process because you have to have a broader differential. At least that what it seems to me.
3. 12 hour night shifts are worse than 12 hour day shifts
4. I don't understand why people are so bitchy. Yes I know you don't feel good, yes I know you're in pain, but guess what - you're not the only patient in the ER. There are actually people more sick than you. *GASP*
5. Patient's really shouldn't insult the nurses, it just slows things down more.
6. No, we can't write you a prescription for that medication you're taking that you don't remember the name or dosage of, and no it wasn't dispensed here so we don't have record, and by the way your labs and vitals are good so go see your doctor on Monday.
7. The ER is not your primary care doctor, we're not going to work you up for every single discomfort you've been feeling. We'll make sure you're not in a medical emergency.
8. Feeling cold when the window is open is not the same has having chills.
9. You can't be allergic to every pain med except Dilaudid.
10. Drunk patients are a pain in the ass to exam.
11. No, you can't have a glass of water because we're trying to rule out heart attack,brain hemorrhage, or some other life threatening condition
12. No, you really should take the meds we're telling you to take instead of refusing them until you get a glass of water.
13. I don't care that you're a pastor and have cured babies of cancer, just tell me what the chest pain feels like.
14. Don't tell me you have rectal bleeding and then act shocked when I tell you I have to perform a rectal exam.
15. No, a rectal exam is not a vaginal exam. You fail anatomy. ( I seriously had to explain the anatomy twice to a 19 year old)
16. A fever is 100.4 F. No, I don't care that your body temperature is "lower than normal at 97F", a fever is still 100.4F. Not 98.9 F. There is no hard and fast rule that states normal body temperature is 98.6 F, there is actually a range.
17. Yes, I actually have to push on your stomach even though it hurts, don't you want me to make sure you don't have any peritoneal signs?
18. Having loose stool one time is not the equivalent of diarrhea
19. How is it that you've "been vomiting after every meal for several weeks" but you have not experienced any weight loss and are not dehydrated?
20. No, you can't try to kill yourself, state you are suicidal right now with plan to harm yourself and expect to walk out of the ER tonight despite the 5150 hold.
2. I have done night shifts before, but only in Ob/Gyn. Doing night shifts in specialties seem to be easier than in something like ER or general Internal Medicine because the latter two involve a more in-depth thought process because you have to have a broader differential. At least that what it seems to me.
3. 12 hour night shifts are worse than 12 hour day shifts
4. I don't understand why people are so bitchy. Yes I know you don't feel good, yes I know you're in pain, but guess what - you're not the only patient in the ER. There are actually people more sick than you. *GASP*
5. Patient's really shouldn't insult the nurses, it just slows things down more.
6. No, we can't write you a prescription for that medication you're taking that you don't remember the name or dosage of, and no it wasn't dispensed here so we don't have record, and by the way your labs and vitals are good so go see your doctor on Monday.
7. The ER is not your primary care doctor, we're not going to work you up for every single discomfort you've been feeling. We'll make sure you're not in a medical emergency.
8. Feeling cold when the window is open is not the same has having chills.
9. You can't be allergic to every pain med except Dilaudid.
10. Drunk patients are a pain in the ass to exam.
11. No, you can't have a glass of water because we're trying to rule out heart attack,brain hemorrhage, or some other life threatening condition
12. No, you really should take the meds we're telling you to take instead of refusing them until you get a glass of water.
13. I don't care that you're a pastor and have cured babies of cancer, just tell me what the chest pain feels like.
14. Don't tell me you have rectal bleeding and then act shocked when I tell you I have to perform a rectal exam.
15. No, a rectal exam is not a vaginal exam. You fail anatomy. ( I seriously had to explain the anatomy twice to a 19 year old)
16. A fever is 100.4 F. No, I don't care that your body temperature is "lower than normal at 97F", a fever is still 100.4F. Not 98.9 F. There is no hard and fast rule that states normal body temperature is 98.6 F, there is actually a range.
17. Yes, I actually have to push on your stomach even though it hurts, don't you want me to make sure you don't have any peritoneal signs?
18. Having loose stool one time is not the equivalent of diarrhea
19. How is it that you've "been vomiting after every meal for several weeks" but you have not experienced any weight loss and are not dehydrated?
20. No, you can't try to kill yourself, state you are suicidal right now with plan to harm yourself and expect to walk out of the ER tonight despite the 5150 hold.