Musings of a Nurse (my work life)

[Jersey Girl]

It is scary the folks who drive out on the roads who have no business driving.

Nurse to patient, "If you are experiencing chest pain/tightness, shortness of breath, fatigued, dizzy, can't walk more than 15 feet without getting dizzy, you should not drive yourself. Call 9-1-1 and go to the nearest ER." Patient to nurse, "I don't think I need to go to the ER. I will show up at the clinic tomorrow [likely driving himself]."

Document, document, document-- patient strongly encouraged not to drive himself, instead call 9-1-1 to go to nearest ER, or if insists upon coming into the clinic tomorrow, to have someone else drive him.

Looks like cardiology also advised emergent care. Arg!

So in your professional opinion...is it wrong that I once drove myself to the ER to get cardioverted during an afib/rvr episode?

My only defense:

But I HAD to...by the time EMS got to me and finally got me transported it would've been at least a 45 min to an hour and...the Boy was in town so by the time he got home and drove me in it would have been a solid hour. And I had that red hot poker in the chest feeling. And I never get dizzy. So I went for it.

I got there in less than 15 minutes.

Yes, I got a ride home. So I only drove one way. That's gotta count for something.

[Imwashingmypirate]

Got to be one of the worst jobs for abuse. Sounds awful.

[msnobody]

“So in your professional opinion...is it wrong that I once drove myself to the ER to get cardioverted during an afib/rvr episode? “

I’m way more okay with that than I am with a 97 year old with severe heart failure and the above symptoms driving.

[msnobody]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

[Jersey Girl]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

I could use a prophecy. Get me a referral, okay?

[Dr. Shades]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

Do it!! Dr. Shades responses are the best responses.

[Jersey Girl]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

Do it!! Dr. Shades responses are the best responses.

WWDS say?

[msnobody]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

I could use a prophecy. Get me a referral, okay?

I did a “I see heart valve surgery in your future” crystal ball once. J/K. We had an artificial heart valve inside a glass sphere/orb.

[msnobody]

Patient asks for a "referral to prophetic."

I so want to give a Dr. Shades response, but I must restrain myself.

Do it!! Dr. Shades responses are the best responses.

You are right. Very educational responses, maybe with a little sarcasm. Maybe a lot of sarcasm masked as little sarcasm.

I replied back asking for clarification. It could just be a case of auto-incorrect on the patient’s phone. I’m guessing it was meant to be a request for an item from prosthetics, or maybe a referral to podiatry. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll have a response with terms available to draw a contrast.

Why do I get the feeling I’m going to be corrected?

Sometimes you have to help patients figure out just what it is they are requesting.

[Jersey Girl]

I could use a prophecy. Get me a referral, okay?

I did a “I see heart valve surgery in your future” crystal ball once. J/K. We had an artificial heart valve inside a glass sphere/orb.

Sounds close enough to a crystal ball to me!