When we arrived on scene we were met by a 20 year old woman who was not in any distress at all. She just stood there and looked at us. We finally asked if someone had called 911. She said that she did, still looking at us as if we were supposed to do something amazing. After asking if we could go inside to talk to her she walked in and took a seat on the couch. He complaint? A small boil on the inside of her leg.
My captain's next question was right on the money. You want to go to the hospital, in an ambulance!? She said yes.
As the AMR crew walked in I looked up at the medic and rolled my eyes. That was all the report he needed. They insisted on the patient walking to the ambulance which she did without assistance.
Fast forward to oh dark thirty. The tones woke us up for another medical aid. This time someone was supposedly having a tough time breathing.
We arrived at a board and care home and find our 70 year old patient waiting patiently on the couch. She seemed to be breathing a little hard. I ask her what was going on and she said that she couldn't sleep. I asked about her shortness of breath and she said it had been going on for days. I clarified and found out that it had been going on for 3 days now. I asked her what had made her call for us that night as opposed to some other time in the previous 72 hours. She said that she had insomnia.
Don't get me wrong. I love running calls. That's why I go to work. But seriously?! Boils and insomnia? If nothing else it becomes blog fodder.
It makes me wonder how many fewer calls you'd get if everyone used dial-a-nurse or just looked online to get some more information about their condition. Ah, well, as you say, more blog fodder:)
ReplyDeleteWhoa there crazy lady. Don't go given the public any crazy ideas. Next you'll be suggesting that people use common sense. You know what that leads to? Unemployed cops, firefighters and paramedics.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I don't think I have to stress.
You KNOW I feel your pain. Been on the insomnia call. But the boil is a new one :)
ReplyDeleteThese are the people that burn out great medics and EMTs... ugh
ReplyDeleteMy hubby's an ER nurse. Don't even get him started...:>)!! Best one he's told me was the group that came in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon wanting STD testing.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm fretting over how Ms. Leg Boil got home? cab voucher?
Wow, the only thing that was missing that night was a "fussy" patient!
ReplyDeletemorons do make good blog fodder :)
Distracted- I'm sure she got home with a voucher. Call it stereotyping.
ReplyDeleteWife.Mom.Nurse- Come back tomorrow for the 'fussy' patient (and a fussy engineer....kind of reminds me of your husband- kidding Brian).
Lovely! My husband had one a couple weeks back for something just as dumb. A person who had fallen earlier in the day had a SORE THUMB and wanted to go to the ER.
ReplyDelete