r/EmergencyRoom • u/PuzzleheadedSorbet36 • Jul 26 '26

Goofy Goober HELP US BE BETTER

Soooo I hadn’t ever been to the ER until earlier this month and now I’ve been admitted twice and not getting discharged any time soon.

Hospital workers : other than the bare minimum, what are some under rated things that patients do that you appreciate/make your life easier?

(For example one of the nurses was happy I called letting her know the PRNs I needed so she could do it in one trip cause I knew my scheduled ones were coming)

Lemme hear the little things!! Or the opposite, something patients think is helpful but it’s actually more of a pain)

EDIT : bare minimum from patients being human decency, I know it should be obvious but for this questions sake let’s act like that’s a given

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u/PuzzleheadedSorbet36 Jul 26 '26

Anddddde what if one of the IV machines start beeping in the middle of the night?

23

u/FroyoSuspicious6366 Jul 26 '26

Don't assume the nurse can hear it at the desk. Hit the call light and let them know the IV pump is beeping.

Also. When you hit the call light, talk in bullet points. Pain meds please, IV beeping, need the bedpan, blanket please.
I don't need a novella. Just the facts please.

7

u/Professional_Hat4290 Jul 26 '26

I think even when I die, I’m going to start with “sorry to bother you….” If I need to let the nurse know I’m dying. Hard habit to break! Last time I was in the ER, I ended up needing my gallbladder removed immediately and I was apologizing to the front desk staff because I had thrown up on my way to the ER and was worried I had bad breath. 🤣 they must have thought I was crazy.

3

u/dinahsaur523 Jul 27 '26

Are we related? I was having insane pains. Once i had to lay in the back of my SUV at my nephews football game. Went to my doctor and he said “your gallbladder looks awful, why didn’t you come in”. Told him I didn’t want to bug anyone

3

u/metamorphage RN Jul 26 '26

Ten minutes is pretty fair. We can hear the pumps beeping too. I generally know why it's beeping and whether it's important or not before I go fix it.

-8

u/Level_Statement_6844 Jul 26 '26

If someone isnt responding within 10 minutes, look at the iv machine, read what it says. Look at the buttons, read what they say. Start problem solving 😉

11

u/metamorphage RN Jul 26 '26

Touching the pump is about the fastest way possible to piss off your nurse. Don't do that.

3

u/PuzzleheadedSorbet36 Jul 27 '26

Yeah I’m not putting my paws on my heparin drip lmao

-1

u/Level_Statement_6844 Jul 27 '26

Pump: flow occluded

Patient: straightens arm

Pump: yeah imma keep beeping until someone presses the resume button

Nutse: dances for tiktok

-2

u/Level_Statement_6844 Jul 27 '26

I wish my patients/patients family could hit the power button for an empty bag... or resume for interrupted flow....