I have a problem with the able bodied 25 year old, pregnant with her third child, on medical assistance, and calling me up DEMANDING that I fill her Vicodin.  Or the young man (minus the pregnancy), who ran out of his Oxycontin because he's taking more than is prescribed - I can't imagine that unless you suffer from cancer, post MVA with multiple fractures, or have a serious debilitating disease, that you REALLY NEED these drugs!!!  Please, gimme a break!  Get a job, get some insurance, start paying your way instead of EXPECTING and DEMANDING that I (and how many other hard-working Americans) do it!  I've seen people who really do need to take these meds refuse them...

Anonymous says ...

I once had a patient vomit almost directly in my face (all over the front of my shirt) - I know it comes with the terrirory but still...

OH my Gosh!  That is my worst fear-somebody vomiting on me :(  It has not happended yet but the thought is so gross.  Reminds me to keep extra scrubbs with me and showering stuff!

Oh my goodness!! I would vomit myself, I believe!

Yikes, I had a stroke pt, that was eating tomatoes and noodles, who got choked.  Unfortunately, he was sitting bolt upright in the bed, and he weighed 220lb plus.  As it worked out, in order to do the heimlich on him, I had to bend over, with my face not far from his face while doing compressions......all the while I am saying out loud  "PLEASE don't puke on me"....thank god he didn't.....

My fav pt, was the one that said, before You DC me, are you coming back to take out the IV lock?  I said yes, and went for his papers.  When, I came back, he had already slipped out.   He had plans for his IV Lock!

This isn't really a nightmare patient thing. I give advice to panicked parents who call in to an after-hours pediatric clinic. Most of it is pretty straightforward stuff. But until I started doing this, I would never have believe the variety of things kids swallow. Money, string, balls, toothpaste (I get that a lot), marbles, toys, cat food, dog food, styrofoam. The list  goes on and on. I'm assuming others have similar and maybe even stranger examples of what kids put in their mouths.

I would puke if someone puked on me!!!!

Anonymous says ...

Anonymous says ...

I have a problem with the able bodied 25 year old, pregnant with her third child, on medical assistance, and calling me up DEMANDING that I fill her Vicodin.  Or the young man (minus the pregnancy), who ran out of his Oxycontin because he's taking more than is prescribed - I can't imagine that unless you suffer from cancer, post MVA with multiple fractures, or have a serious debilitating disease, that you REALLY NEED these drugs!!!  Please, gimme a break!  Get a job, get some insurance, start paying your way instead of EXPECTING and DEMANDING that I (and how many other hard-working Americans) do it!  I've seen people who really do need to take these meds refuse them...

I was a 25 year old, pregnant with my third child, and on medical assistance.  I didn't demand vicodin though.  School was my work for four years.  Not everyone that has assistance is lazy.  That really infuriates me to think there could have been nurses that looked down on me for being in that situation when they themselves could be one accident away from being in my shoes.  Not everyone has a peachy perfect life.

 

 

I agree with you on that one.  I've been on medical assistance for the past four years, and trust me, I do not like it one bit.  I had to go on it when I was laid off from my job when I was four months pregnant with my second child.  My roommate when I delivered my son was your stereotypical (for lack of a better term) public assistance pt, basically telling me I could take any of the baby supplies (i.e. blankets, etc.) that I knew for sure I wasn't allowed to take.  I thought, "Good lord, lady, YOU are the reason why I get an attitude from so many people!"  Trust me, I am a great pt.  My RN had to ask me if I wanted pain meds.  I talked to everyone that came in, and they actually seemed surprised that I was being friendly.  Oh, and I actually thought (and told the staff) that the food was pretty good.

I am working towards my degree so I can get off of public assistance.  Seriously, being on public assistance can be such a pain in the you-know-what, I don't understand why anyone would rather be on it than work.

Unfortunately, though, you have to admit that there are enough people who act like the stereotype; that's why we all get slammed with that label.

think of the lables we place on our patients....

I had a patient who had personality disorder, obese, cardiac and kidney problems. Well he got therapy for maybe 30 mins a day if he could tolerate it.  He could do alot more than he let on.  One day the therapists had him do like 5 mins on the arm bike and do some arm exercises and he was c/o chest pain.  Went to the ER. Came back that he pulled a muscle.  Was on rest for a week. Therapy resumed and the therapist went to get him. He complain on how this therapist damaged his chest wall and how he was on rest for a week and how he couldnt possible do any exercises.

True ER story:  40 ish female patient presented to the ER with the 'pelvic shuffle'.   I got stuck with the OB/GYN room for shift assignment, the md checked her, I assisted and did the chapherone thing.  Young ER md said, 'can y ou help me?'.   I assisted him with removing a sweet potato from the vagina.............and it had spouted branches.  I guess in case of famine and there is massive soil contamination, we women can always grow our own crop internally!  I guess yams like the acidic environment.