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Difficulty With a Nurse


firedoc5

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How many who dispatch, report, while on a notification to the ED, saying "Cardiac arrest, CPR in progress (age sex ETA)" and the "charge nurse" on the telephone insists on an answer to "What's the BP, pulse rate, and respirations?"

Reply: "I'm sorry. Unable to obtain due to limited personnel. If we stop CPR to check, his BP, pulse rate, respirations would all be zero, and we'd be liable for withholding CPR just to check that. Do you disagree?"

:D

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LOL! Years ago, we picked up some loser who got jumped in a parking lot. We were taking him to a hospital that had no radio, so our "controller" (an exaggerated, self-important title they bestowed on their dispatchers) had to relay the patient report for us. We were only minutes away, so my partner tried to make it short and sweet:

  • The dispatcher didn't get counselled for being a dumbass. But, of course, my partner got counselled for being a smartass, and me for allowing it.

I hate dispatchers.

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I've got a better one Dust. 70 y/o female with shortness of breath (reps around 40, A/Ox4) utterly refusing transport to the nearest ER [she wanted as far away from that nursing home as possible]. It's one of those obvious ALS calls, so since she's refusing the nearest hospital I end up going to call 911 to get an ALS response. I swear, I wanted to smack the 911 dispatcher.

Hi, I'm with ___ Ambulance Company, and I have a patient that needs a paramedic escort [actual term used in the protocol is "paramedic escort"]. "Well, we don't do paramedic escorts, only responses."

Durr, ok, give me one of those.

"Is the patient breathing?"

[resisting the urge to tell her that if she wasn't then I'd have better things to do than sit here talking to you] "Yes"

"Is the patient turning blue?"

[Ok lady, I know that EMT-B courses are easier than baking easy mac, but give me a friggin break here]. "No."

"Ok, paramedics are on the way, will you be meeting them in your ambulance?" [standard question, no complaints]

"Yes, can I get an ETA for paramedics?"

"They're responding with their lights and sirens." [thanks for totally answering my question and have a nice day].

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Like Ridryder said, there's arses in every job. I'd say though that there are way more arses on ambulances and fire trucks than in the ER.

My best story about bad nurses would be the time we responded to a diabetic stopped along the roadway. While we were doing our thing, this car pulls up and a woman gets ought. She's wearing scrubs, and she identifies herself as a nursing student. She then proceeds to tell us what to do. My partner and I were looking at each other, like "What the @^@$#^!?"

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Her response, "I'm an ER nurse, I have ACLS..."

At that she got very upset and told me that I had "Better get it..." in reference to the IV.

Turns out the patient was her brother, and she felt that since he was her brother and she was a nurse, she could start an IV.

At no point did she identify herself as a nurse to me, until I caught her that is.

Surely you didn't allow her to start the IV?

When she said I'm a Nurse, you should have replied "I'll bet your mom is really proud of you too"

It's likely illegal for her to practice independently in pretty much any state. We have had State Troopers physically remove individuals claiming to be, or in truth, physicians, nurses, paramedics, EMT's and one veterinarian from our units in the past.

Sometimes it's nice to have extra trained hands on scene. We have had medics and nurses approach us and politely ask if we needed assistance. If we need help we graciously accept, if not we decline. We always try to be as nice and professional as they will permit us to be.

Oh and in the future, tell the nurse if she is attempting to establish credibility, she should consider not referring to her "ACLS acumen" Even a janitor can be "remediated to success" and get an ACLS card.

16 Hour ACLS Class: $55 unless you are fee exempt

Remediation of a janitor to success in an ACLS Class: Free

Shiny new ACLS Card: $2.50 - $5.00

Knowing what the hell you are doing: Priceless

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i am an RN and a medic and find the nurse to nurse power struggle to be much more vindictive and downright nasty than the medic to nurse battles- since i am also a woman it is not easy to admit that we tend to be incredibly petty and in a constant state of wanting to be in control- i think most nurses are intimidated by medics and show that in their attitude- and even though nurses are considered to be "the higher level of care" we all want a medic there when someone needs to be intubated- we can't do it!!! i feel much more respected by my co-workers when i am functioning as a medic than i ever do when i am on the floor as a nurse- that is sad to admit- but very true-

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i am an RN and a medic and find the nurse to nurse power struggle to be much more vindictive and downright nasty than the medic to nurse battles- since i am also a woman it is not easy to admit that we tend to be incredibly petty and in a constant state of wanting to be in control- i think most nurses are intimidated by medics and show that in their attitude- and even though nurses are considered to be "the higher level of care" we all want a medic there when someone needs to be intubated- we can't do it!!! i feel much more respected by my co-workers when i am functioning as a medic than i ever do when i am on the floor as a nurse- that is sad to admit- but very true-

I have to say that in my experiences, female nurses tend to be much more petty and territorial. As a travel nurse, I love being detached from the day to day political atmosphere of staff nursing.

As far as interaction with EMS crews, it is hard to say. Now, that I have had a chance to work with and be around crews from all parts of the country, I have to say EMS is quite disorganized and really does lack any type of continuity. So, I have to customize the way I interact based on the area. Even if a crew screws up, I do not have the time to make a big stink. It is easier to simply take the patient and carry on. I do not see how some nurses find the time to wage petty battles in the middle of a busy ER. Again, I find it easier to take the patient and do my job.

One thing I constantly ask EMS crews to do is to screw the radio report if they know I am on. I think radio report is generally useless and prefer a bed side report face to face with the crew and patient at the time of care delivery. All I care to know is if the patient is ok, bad, or dead. Other than that, no dissertation on the radio please. I know more than a few EMT's who have been taken back by this concept.

Take care,

chbare.

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LOL! Years ago, we picked up some loser who got jumped in a parking lot. We were taking him to a hospital that had no radio, so our "controller" (an exaggerated, self-important title they bestowed on their dispatchers) had to relay the patient report for us. We were only minutes away, so my partner tried to make it short and sweet:
  • The dispatcher didn't get counselled for being a dumbass. But, of course, my partner got counselled for being a smartass, and me for allowing it.

I hate dispatchers.

I called an ambulance for my mother because she was having chest pain. I told the local 911 dispatcher she was pale and diaphoretic, he then asked me if she was sweating. :shock:

Here's your sign.

Some dispatchers really suck, not including you in that Brent.

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Sure there are downright nasty nurses. But really think about all the knuckleheads that you've worked with over the years and imagine that the nurse sees you as one in the same until you prove yourself otherwise.

My favorite nurse story has to be the triage nurse who because my patients name is Jose, talked LOUD and asked him over and over "SIR DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH", even after he had answered her several times. He wound up looking at me and saying "Can you take me somewhere else......I don't trust this b**ch"

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