I’m not sure if I’m alone in this feeling but when it is 4am and I am by myself after the PA has left, my tolerance level for bullshit, whininess, complaining, and unreasonable demands drops to zero.
During the day I can negotiate with drug seekers, crybabies, and people suffering from Entitlement Disorder ™ but at night it’s my way or the highway.
I pretty much say “talk to the hand” and stuff it to them. You know what, it usually works. Maybe it’s the irritation in my vocal tone or maybe they just don’t fancy a fight. Regardless, I usually get my way in short order. The ER gets cleared out and the nurses like me for it.
Maybe I should become less tolerant of crap at 11am too.
27
Aug
Maybe you are grouchy because it’s 4am and no one should be awake at that time.
Does your sleep get screwed up by working nights and days?
Hopefully you still give out pain medication when it’s helpful. After reading this blog I was pretty uncomfortable asking for better pain medication than tylenol 3 since I thought they would think I was a drug seeker. I broke 2 ribs, partially collapsed lung, etc. in a bike accident and was practically in tears in the shower and could barely move in bed, etc. and tylenol 3 just wasn’t cutting it. This is obviously something temporary so maybe docs are more willing to give it out in this case since it’s obvious that you will heal in a month or so and can’t come back asking for more.
If the doctor knows you and you clearly have a need for pain medication, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask. I had a situation where I needed an emergency root canal but they couldn’t do it for 2 weeks, they gave me 20 vicodin for constant pain and refused to refill it. I went to my NP at the clinic and since she knows me, she didn’t hesitate to prescribe enough to get me through, and for any pain after.
It’s not just about pain medication. It’s the entire picture.
I’m not as nice at 10PM (end of my “work” day) as I am during the middle of it. Do not come to me asking for stupid stuff at bed time kids-after my workout is the best time. ; )
Maybe it’s the stunning effect of directness and solid compassion on the entitlement personality. They’re used to scamming so they often respect someone who will break out of the constraints of “niceness” and tell it straight.
I’ve found even drug seekers in my doctor’s practice get medicated for real pain. Maybe I’ve just got a great doctor. When I asked him for pain medication for a chronic condition, he said “For a week, maybe, while you find other ways to deal with this, because the pills won’t be that effective to justify the side effects and the decrease in your quality of life while taking them.”
My knee still hurts but I have a lot more respect for my internist.
Comes with the territory. I’ll take all the time you need with legitimate stuff, but bullshit gets the proper treatment. I’m a laid-back polite southern boy so I had to learn to do that so as not to waste everyone’s time.
I admire our triage nurses in a way. I avoid triage like the Martian death plague but do grab suture supplies from the rack there occasionally. Usually someone is asking for water or a gurney and they just say “NO!” and walk away. I LOL internally.