Perhaps I'm not meant to work in the ER?

[Anonymous]

This ER provider is not wishing more people were seriously hurt. Come in, it’s just those are the things that make his/her job worthwhile. My husband is a firefighter. No he doesn’t wish someone’s house would catch fire— but those are the calls he likes to respond too, not the BS calls they get called for all day.
I hear you, I’m a former ER nurse and dealing with the minor complaints that are not appropriate for the ER day in and day out gets old. And it’s hard to try and keep the care and compassion going. I try to keep thinking of everyone as an individual and has something to share with me. That being said you can also educate about urgent care options after you help them! That being said maybe it’s time you tried a new hospital or something new. I had to leave the ER after awhile.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

Are you referring to the overbearing and difficult families who perhaps are reeling from the crisis of having a loved one on life support in the ICU? Nice, pp.

How sad is it that the people we are forced to rely on for medical assistance are such jerky people with zero compassion? I realize that you've likely become detached as a coping mechanism since you are surrounded by human suffering and death, but perhaps you people would be better off taking a sabbatical or rotating through other parts of the hospital so that patients and their families don't have to deal with your attitude?

When my sister was literally dying in a local hospital, the majority of the people I encountered on staff were truly jerks. And I'm not difficult. I went above and beyond to suck up and heap appreciation on them for essentially doing their jobs...you know, the jobs they are paid to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

I agree that the OP might be better suited for trauma ED or ICU. BTW, ED and meg-surg providers and nurses have an impact on their patients as well and also deal with families. I've worked with critical patients as well. I now work in procedural/PACU setting. I miss the acuity but not some of the stress related to worrying about my license due to staffing and dealing with overinflated egos from some CVICU nurses...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

Are you referring to the overbearing and difficult families who perhaps are reeling from the crisis of having a loved one on life support in the ICU? Nice, pp.

How sad is it that the people we are forced to rely on for medical assistance are such jerky people with zero compassion? I realize that you've likely become detached as a coping mechanism since you are surrounded by human suffering and death, but perhaps you people would be better off taking a sabbatical or rotating through other parts of the hospital so that patients and their families don't have to deal with your attitude?

When my sister was literally dying in a local hospital, the majority of the people I encountered on staff were truly jerks. And I'm not difficult. I went above and beyond to suck up and heap appreciation on them for essentially doing their jobs...you know, the jobs they are paid to do.

Gotta love the armchair quarterbacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to the ER during a thyroid storm last year. My husband worked in the ER decades ago.

I'm SO glad your days are filled with non-life-threatening issues.

Your point?

[Anonymous]

Doc! Someone on another thread really needs yoir help! She has altitude sickness...in DC...at basically sea level!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you should work at a hospital in a rougher neighborhood or country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

Are you referring to the overbearing and difficult families who perhaps are reeling from the crisis of having a loved one on life support in the ICU? Nice, pp.

How sad is it that the people we are forced to rely on for medical assistance are such jerky people with zero compassion? I realize that you've likely become detached as a coping mechanism since you are surrounded by human suffering and death, but perhaps you people would be better off taking a sabbatical or rotating through other parts of the hospital so that patients and their families don't have to deal with your attitude?

When my sister was literally dying in a local hospital, the majority of the people I encountered on staff were truly jerks. And I'm not difficult. I went above and beyond to suck up and heap appreciation on them for essentially doing their jobs...you know, the jobs they are paid to do.

No, you sound peachy.

[Anonymous]

This thread makes no sense. Unless the OP is an intern, after you complete residency in Emergency Medicine, unless you match with a different residency program, you are what you have specialized in. The OP may be an intern, but as an intern I really hope you don't think your future in Emergency Medicine is solely based from your rotation in the ED. Upon the OP's first post I thought they were a PA or NP, but they stated they were an MD so yeah....no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need a different ER. I'm with my father right now at GWU ER in a bay with two other patients. Between the three there are chest pains, possible blood clot, and possible intestinal obstruction.

+1. I was in the GWU ER last month and my bay was post-surgical DVT, appendicitis, and injuries from a brawl outside a bar.

I feel for you, OP. The frivolous use of ERs bothers me, and I don't even work in one.

[Anonymous]

Former health care professional here - agree with PPs that you need a different ER. Also, most ERs have a good triage system to divert non-emergency cases to a separate track. Either a designated urgent care, a primary care equivalent housed within the hospital but in a separate area, or similar. Then the emergency cases are continuing on to the ER. Does your ER do this?

[Anonymous]

My spouse was taken by ambulance to the ER with a very serious, potentially life threatening, and extremely painful broken bone. After he arrived with sirens blaring he was IGNORED for five hours in so much pain he was barely conscious.

OP I hope you do a better job of treating patients than the staff that night at this busy ER. Not only did they fail to show any compassion they actively questioned him as if he were a drug addict rather than give him pain relief. He spent 6 weeks in hospital recovering. A different hospital, where they treated him with respect.

Please don't let those time wasting patients prevent you from being compassionate to patients like my spouse who need your care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

Are you referring to the overbearing and difficult families who perhaps are reeling from the crisis of having a loved one on life support in the ICU? Nice, pp.

How sad is it that the people we are forced to rely on for medical assistance are such jerky people with zero compassion? I realize that you've likely become detached as a coping mechanism since you are surrounded by human suffering and death, but perhaps you people would be better off taking a sabbatical or rotating through other parts of the hospital so that patients and their families don't have to deal with your attitude?

When my sister was literally dying in a local hospital, the majority of the people I encountered on staff were truly jerks. And I'm not difficult. I went above and beyond to suck up and heap appreciation on them for essentially doing their jobs...you know, the jobs they are paid to do.

HAHAHAHAHA. Unless you have ever worked in healthcare, you have no idea. I am a Social Worker in an ICU and have seen it all. I've been spit at, I've been called every name in the book multiple times, I have been threatened, I had a family member punch a hole in the wall over my head (guess I should have been thankful it wasn't my head, huh?), I had a family member wait for me in the garage trying to intimidate me (thankfully, I had security walk me to my car that evening), and I have been cornered in a room with a hostile family member who was most likely high on something. But I have also picked family members off the floor when they collpased with grief over the death of their loved one, I have stayed in touch with families after a traumatic event even after discharge, I have held the hand of your dying relative when you couldn't be there in time. I have helped you figure out how to talk to your loved one's medical team so you feel heard and empowered. I have advocated for you when you aren't there so you have a voice.

So, I am glad you think I (and people like me) have zero compassion. We have a ton of compassion - otherwise we would have left long ago. But we care. We care so much. Yes, we get tired. Yes, we can get short. Yes, we can be looking forward to going home and going to bed. But the compassion, empathy, and dedication keeps us coming back day after day year after year.

Thank you for being kind (even though the description of your kindness rings hollow) and not being the person who hits/threatens/stalks staff. But next time heap appreciation because you realize that what we do day in and day out to take care of your family member and your family is hard work. Yes, we are paid to do it. But it's not a glamorous life - but a life we chose because we love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Cardiac ICU nurse. Definitely give ICU a try. I love love critical care and would be SO bored in primary care. During school on my clinicals in med surg I just hated it so much but ICU is so different. There are other challenges for sure, (hello, overbearing & difficult families I'm looking at you!) but it is way more interesting and you can really have an IMPACT. Otherwise are you at a level 1 trauma center? Are you in an urban area? Perhaps switch hospitals if you want to stay in ER.

Are you referring to the overbearing and difficult families who perhaps are reeling from the crisis of having a loved one on life support in the ICU? Nice, pp.

How sad is it that the people we are forced to rely on for medical assistance are such jerky people with zero compassion? I realize that you've likely become detached as a coping mechanism since you are surrounded by human suffering and death, but perhaps you people would be better off taking a sabbatical or rotating through other parts of the hospital so that patients and their families don't have to deal with your attitude?

When my sister was literally dying in a local hospital, the majority of the people I encountered on staff were truly jerks. And I'm not difficult. I went above and beyond to suck up and heap appreciation on them for essentially doing their jobs...you know, the jobs they are paid to do.

Me thinks you are projecting too much....