Would you like fries with that?

Emergency’s come in all shapes, colors and sizes and those emergencies can range from patients arriving near death to having a runny nose for 3 weeks.  No matter what the emergency, there is an expectation that medical professionals also serve as wait staff.

The uncommon patients and/or family members are those that do not ask for a full meal, water or coffee that is served to order.  Yes, that’s right…..coffee served to order with all the bells and whistles to include caffeinated, decaffeinated, specific temperature, cream and flavorings.  Often times, these “orders” take higher priority than providing actual medical care.

Once while working at a major trauma center, one of my patient’s family members asked for a cup of water.  On my way to get said cup of water, a patient in an adjacent room cardiac arrested.  I along with my fellow medical professionals, we all stopped what we were doing to make the dying patient a priority.

I started doing chest compressions while everyone else assumed their roles during the cardiac arrest.  After several minutes of doing chest compressions, I heard someone behind me say “excuse me” and firmly tap me on the back.  I turned my head expecting to see a coworker waiting to switch off and take over performing chest compressions.  Imagine my surprise when I turned my head to see the other patients family member standing behind me very cross at the fact that I had not yet delivered their cup of water.

That’s right……this other patients family member was more concerned with getting their cup of water than another patients life.  Although this example is an extreme, this phenomenon is becoming an all to frequent occurrence in Emergency Departments.

This post is by no means a dig on wait staff.  I worked as a waitress for several years in my early 20’s and it’s hard work with little gratitude from their customers.

My point is…when and why did trivial things such as meals, water and coffee become the center of medical care instead of the actual medical emergency that is occurring?

Medicate your child…. Please.

Children are commonly brought to the Emergency Department with complaints of fever and pain. More often than not, there has been no attempt to medicate their child for the pain or fever with Tylenol or ibuprofen. This is a phenomenon I have never understood in all my years of nursing; that’s 14 years to be exact.

As adults, we are very quick to take Tylenol and/or ibuprofen at the onset of any sort of illness, injury or distress. Having a fever, illness or an injury is just as uncomfortable for a child as it is for an adult.  So why do so many parents not do the same for their children as they would for themselves? Why is the Emergency Department the first line of treatment instead of Tylenol or Ibuprofen?

I have heard all the excuses in the book for this to include….we ran out, I need a prescription, they refuse to take it, I wanted you to believe it and so many more.

Tylenol and Ibuprofen can both be bought at the dollar store or any grocery store and do not require a prescription to obtain. If you come in and tell me your child has a fever, I believe you and the first thing I am going to do is medicate your child for the fever with Tylenol, Ibuprofen or both.

Also, why are children getting to choose their medical treatments?  In my house, Tylenol and Ibuprofen get put on the grocery list when we start to run low just like we do with milk, cereal and other groceries.  If we do run out, either myself or my husband runs to the store and purchases it if it’s necessary.  We don’t go to the Emergency Department.

My 5 year old daughter has asthma and gets pneumonia if the wind blows wrong.  She uses her daily inhaler twice a day every day, her nasal spray daily, her rescue inhaler as needed and takes medications when given them.  She does this all without question because we have taught her that taking medications are not an option, it’s a necessity.

Bringing a child to the Emergency Department is traumatic.  It’s loud, bright, dirty and lets face it…no fun at all.  These experiences have a huge impact on how our children see medical providers and medical treatments.  A little Tylenol and Ibuprofen and an appointment at the pediatricians office goes a long way.