Hearing Things
Things I don't want to hear with a psychotic or demented patient:
1) He's climbed up on the roof of the parking garage.
2) He's thrown something at one of the nurses.
3) He's banging his head on the siderail.
4) "We can't find him."
5) Yelling.
6) Cursing.
7) Spitting.
8) The call light.
Things I like hearing with these patients:
1) Snoring (that means they are still breathing).
2) "The transfer has been approved and the bed is ready."
3) An ambulance crew arriving to take a patient from the ER. That's truly one of life's little pleasures.
1) He's climbed up on the roof of the parking garage.
2) He's thrown something at one of the nurses.
3) He's banging his head on the siderail.
4) "We can't find him."
5) Yelling.
6) Cursing.
7) Spitting.
8) The call light.
Things I like hearing with these patients:
1) Snoring (that means they are still breathing).
2) "The transfer has been approved and the bed is ready."
3) An ambulance crew arriving to take a patient from the ER. That's truly one of life's little pleasures.
Labels: ER, getting old, psychos
posted by scalpel at 11:42 AM
22 Comments:
Reason number 3 on the things you like is the reason I'm VERY thankful for transfer companies!
:)
Loved the post, showed it to my fave. ED doc, he spit coffee on the desk he was laughing so hard.
I've been on the poor ambulance crew who gets the privilege of picking up these patients.
YAY :)
I often hated those runs, but it typically turns out okay as long as I remember to leave my O2 tank at the door when I drop them off.
I hear ya Scalpel. good post! :)
Here! Here! and Cheers to that! The same can also be said about drunks and involuntary commit psych patients waiting eons for transfer....
I'm the one who gets to tell the ER staff that my doctor has accepted their patient. I know that I make a great number of overworked ER staff members very happy.
MJ
Nothing like being the crew who picks up patients such as these.... Believe me when I say it's just as good to get them off of the truck at the place their going to.
Happy New Year!
Well it's easier to understand why people with psychiatric disabilities are dying 25 years younger than the rest of the population (not including suicides) after reading your blog and your commenters. But you might want to make sure no one knows who you are because your open bigotry could get you sued by someone whose call light you ignored because they were a psych. patient who also happened to be having a heart attack. Ever think of going into another line of work, say pathology?
I think I just had a trollgasm.
Other things I don't like to hear:
9. He's got a gun/knife/IED.
10. He's got a Blackberry and he's an anonymous commenter on your blog.
Maybe we should have separate water fountains for "Normal" and "Mentally Ill?"
Maybe folks who think like you guys are why Koreans and many other Americans are afraid to seek help for mental illness problems?
Like Mr. Cho's family at Virginia Tech.
Ahh yes, "First do no harm" what a joke!
And how, might I ask, was anyone harmed?
Scalpel,
I have never been psychotic thankfully but have a psych diagnosis of depression. Even though I have always been very respectful toward doctors, having that label has caused me to get inferior care.
Initially, I thought that maybe I was simply too sensitive. But there actually was a survey (sorry I can't remember where) that showed that less physicians take you seriously with that label. And your blogs are doing nothing to dispel that stereotype.
I know someone with schizophrenia who has always been very med compliant. But when this person complained about a med literally making her sick, the doctor refused to change it and attributed her complaints to her mental illness.
That is what that poster is talking about meaning "no harm. Because it seems like according to your blogs, that you feel like we have less value than people without psychiatric illnesses, that you will miss a vital symptom that could lead to more harm.
Perhaps that really isn't the way you do business and you're just using this blog to blow off steam. But because of my experiences with inferior care and that person't experience of not being taken serously, I find your blogs chilling to be honest. However, I read them because I think it is important to know that these attitudes are out there.
Anyway, I am hopeful that because you asked the question regarding "do no harm", that you are interested in finding out why these posts may be upsetting to people like that poster and me.
Finally, let me leave you all with this thought. The demented doesn't just include people who are psychotic. That might be your mother, grandmother, father, or grandfather.
Thank you for hearing me out and giving me the opportunity to post.
AA
I don't want a psychotic person to jump off of the roof or bang their head against the siderail. I don't want them to escape from the ER and walk in front of a bus. But I don't want them to hit their freaking call buzzer every 5 minutes either. We've got other patients to take care of too, so nighty-night.
And I said demented OR psychotic. I'm fully aware of the distinction, thank you.
Scalpel,
Your attitude expressed in this blog and the fact you appear to think so little of folks with mental illness, adds to the fear and distrust people have about "coming out" and getting treatment for mental illness.
Anyone in the world could read what you as a "medical professional" are writing about folks with mental illness. What if they were suicidal read your blog and became more hopeless about life and the possibility that a "medical professional" would treat them with the disrespect you show in this blog. Would that not be harm?
It's a shame I would even half to explain something so basic as human decency.
"Love thy neighbor as thy self"
Ever heard that one?
I'm sure you do great work and have saved many lives thus your huge ego!
Maybe since you are so great and know so much you could tell me how the liver affects chemicals in the brain and what part NASH may play in mental illness?
Scalpel,
I have worked in the special ed field and have been attacked by a few of the students. I also have dealt with similar type safety issues. All for the lovely pay of around $11.00 per hour.
I am not making this point because I want your pity. I actually loved working with most of these students. But you seem to think you're the only professional who has ever dealt with safety issues
Hmm, I think I touched a nerve with my comments about dementia.
But interestingly, you didn't address my point about how patients with any psych diagnosis, not just psychosis, get inferior care. I will leave it at that.
AA
Scalpel and the others with negative comments about folks seeking help for mental illness.
Is it your fear or ignorance that bothers you more about mental illness?
About the call button issue. Could it be that your system is not designed for folks suffering a breakdown?
How would a person paralyzed from the neck down summon assistance? Or do they just get ignored and defamed also.
Why is one medical problem less credible than another?
Could it be the care givers and the systems fault for not recognizing different needs in different patients?
Do we do heart transplants on folks with broken legs?
Here is a good site to give you more perspective.
http://www.crazymeds.us/
Maybe you'll understand under the outward visible symptoms are people suffering and whose lives have been destroyed by these illnesses.
I haven't made any negative comments about people with mental illness. Perhaps you were hallucinating again.
Scalpel,
I wish you were an hallucination.
I see your great mind didn't have an answer for my questions!
At least you are consistent!
Have fun in your cesspool....
When will you get a TDO Scalpel?
http://hymes.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/house-passes-bill-that-would-put-people-charged-with-illness-in-jail/
I consider you a threat to others!
http://scalpelorsword.blogspot.com/2007/05/nursing-ethics.html
"He was willing to take a shot of Ativan though, so I asked the nurse to give him a shot of Ativan with some Haldol mixed in, but not to tell him.
The nurse refused to administer the medication without telling the patient what was in the syringe. Because we were able to verbally calm the guy down a bit and he didn't make any attempts to escape, I guess she didn't feel justified in medicating the patient against his will. And yet, if he had tried to escape, an ugly and dangerous situation might have occurred.
I don't think that a psychotic patient who is hallucinating and threatening harm against others has the right to know what medication I am going to administer to him. Heck, I'm going to be incarcerating him against his will as soon as I can get a court order, what's the big deal with medicating him against his will? But I've never seen a nurse not tell a patient what medication (and what quantity) they were giving when asked.
I ended up giving the shot myself. I skipped the B-52 and gave him a Big 10-4.
Nighty night."
I'm just not that interested in your philosophy. Maybe you can find the answers you desire elsewhere.
This is philosophy?
"Maybe since you are so great and know so much you could tell me how the liver affects chemicals in the brain and what part NASH may play in mental illness?"
And all this time I thought it was medical science.
Who knew?
Like I said your consistent!
Here's one for Scalpel and friends.
http://www.amazon.com/Psychiatry-Essentials-Primary-Robert-Schneider/dp/1930513712/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201839288&sr=1-14
Psychiatry Essentials for Primary Care (Paperback)
by Robert Schneider (Editor), James L. Levenson (Editor)
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