I was home Friday (I hurt myself and need surgery). After having five abdominal surgeries in six months last year I think I have a little PTSD...but enough about me. This post is about something else. As I said, I was home Friday...flipping through the channels, and what do I see, my little town on CNN...then MSNBC... Hey, maybe that is why I keep hearing helicopters overhead and sirens screaming. One of our local psych/etoh'ers decided it would be a great idea to take a few hostages at the Hillary Clinton campaign office. Well, most people know that ended with him releasing his hostages and surrendering peacefully.
Today the local paper had his 'story'. His family claims he came into the ER and wanted help for his psych problems and we sent him away since he had no insurance or money. This is absolutely NOT TRUE. But, they are making our little, non-profit hospital out to be this horrible institution that sends psych patients away without treatment. I cannot discuss this patient, of course. But, as anyone familiar with EMTALA knows, ALL patients are given a medical screening when they present to the ER. Typically psych patients are screened to make sure it's not a medical problem then we call in emergency services and they determine the appropriate dispensation of said patient. If it is a drug/etoh problem we refer them to the drug rehab and other services in the area.
This morning I worked in the ER and I can't count the number of calls we got from people letting us know how horrible we are for not treating this poor guy. Of course we transfer the calls to the nursing supervisor so she can handle it. It's terrible that the newspapers aren't more responsible in their reporting and checking facts. The hospital hasn't released a statement yet, but I hope they do. People like to point fingers when something like that happens, and right now the fingers are pointing at us...and I don't like it!
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I been Simpsonized!
A simple blog about some of my experiences as an ER nurse.
Doh!
I been Simpsonized!
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About Me
- Mudme
- I am a daughter, a sister, a mother and a friend. I also happen to work in the ER. I had wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl. My brothers played war and I had my own M.A.S.H unit. I would give them shots with a stick and send them back to the front line.
1 comment:
Today I met the reporter that continues to perpetuate the misinformation that Mr. Eisenberg was turned away from the ER because he had no insurance and no money.
The reporter is 23 years old, he did not go to school for journalism, and he should be reporting for the Enquirer or some other tabloid, because he has no sense of ethics or integrity. I guess it sells more papers to portray the hospital as being at fault rather than the man who is a convicted sex offender with a history of assault and abuse.
One of the local Dr's that has lost privileges at FMH is also commenting in the local papers that we 'don't care' about the community, and that we are doing unneeded renovations to the hospital rather than providing care for those in need.
So, I don't feel so bad personally knowing that our detractors are a child and a physician that is lucky to have his license still. I still feel bad that there are people in our community that believe the things that are being said about us.
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