[QUOTE=lee]
While KellyM was in there trying to negotiate me being seen without waiting in that miasma, I passed out and was attacked by security guards.
[/QUOTE]
Frankly, my “not the whole story” sense is tingling here.
-FrL-
[QUOTE=lee]
If someone can’t maintain patience and become inflexible to the point they care more for their convenience than the health and safety of patients, then that person should not be working in the ER. It is not for everyone.
[/QUOTE]
That may be so, but we don’t yet know just how impatient or inflexible the ER staff was with Ms. Rodriguez.
And note that too much patience and flexibility with one patient may jeopardize other patients.
[QUOTE=lee]
While KellyM was in there trying to negotiate me being seen without waiting in that miasma, I passed out and was attacked by security guards. She came out and was able to convince them to stop beating me and we left and called the OB again. He made some phone calls and fortunately my pregnancy was advanced enough I could go directly to the maternity ward. We went back to the hospital using another entrance. As I was checking into the maternity ward, security guards showed up to further intimidate me and only left when the lead nurse chased them off.
[/QUOTE]
Can you flesh this out a little? What happened afterwards? Did you call the police?
You know, not that it probably matters to anyone but me, I’d like to apologize for my only response to this thread. Yes, I’m still pissed off as all get out (probably due to my better half always having worked at a hospital – some small, cramped, busy and serving indigent patients – and this sort of thing would never have been tolerated in any of his former places of employment) and I think the behavior all around was reprehensible, despite any excuses that can be made. However, that doesn’t matter. I overreacted based on my emotions and let my temper get the best of me. Therefore, I undoubtedly sounded/came across as (more) insane (than I am due to my “normal” psychological reasons). So I’m sorry guys, that was way over the line. Now I’ll just go back into my shell and hide. 
Passing out and getting attacked by random passers-by is the 3rd leading cause of injury in the US.
Passing out and getting attacked by wildlife is number 2.
[QUOTE=Frylock]
Frankly, my “not the whole story” sense is tingling here.
[/QUOTE]
This is a nicer way of saying what I was thinking. Oh, those naughty security guards! Always randomly beating up unconscious pregnant women! You talk to them and talk to them, but they never learn.
Count me in on the side that says the 911 operator guy was a complete dick, but that there was nothing he could realistically do.
“It’s not an emergency!”
“Yes it is! She’s dying!”
“NO IT’S NOT!”
when a woman is dying on the floor of a hospital waiting room. Fuck you, 911 operator. Even though you couldn’t have helped, you were still an asshole about it.
From what I understand, that hospital was already in some serious trouble. I feel bad for the people in the area if it gets shut down, but it sounds like the place had been awful for a long time to me.
[QUOTE=Jodi]
This is a nicer way of saying what I was thinking. Oh, those naughty security guards! Always randomly beating up unconscious pregnant women! You talk to them and talk to them, but they never learn.
[/QUOTE]
Hey, first we get them to lay off the dead horses then we move to unconscious pregnant people(I don’t want to be sexist here).
Sorry, lee, but I don’t think you’re telling the whole story, either. I think you’re leaving out your part in the melee. Do you not realize how your story sounds? “I passed out and was attacked by security guards.” Just lying there, all pregnant and dying, and they decided to beat you, eh?
[QUOTE=featherlou]
Sorry, lee, but I don’t think you’re telling the whole story, either. I think you’re leaving out your part in the melee. Do you not realize how your story sounds? “I passed out and was attacked by security guards.” Just lying there, all pregnant and dying, and they decided to beat you, eh?
[/QUOTE]
When I came to, someone was trying to lift me off the ground by tugging on my wrists. It felt like they were going to pull my arms out of their sockets. I tried to pull my arms out of their grasp and that is when the first guard jumped me. From there on, I was trying to get away and I was attacked on all sides by several guards and they did not stop until KellyM got them to back off. I have no idea if they could tell I was pregnant or just saw me as fat. They probably perceived me as some kind of druggie/drug seeker as I passed out and was disoriented.
[QUOTE=lee]
When I came to, someone was trying to lift me off the ground by tugging on my wrists. It felt like they were going to pull my arms out of their sockets. I tried to pull my arms out of their grasp and that is when the first guard jumped me. From there on, I was trying to get away and I was attacked on all sides by several guards and they did not stop until KellyM got them to back off. I have no idea if they could tell I was pregnant or just saw me as fat. They probably perceived me as some kind of druggie/drug seeker as I passed out and was disoriented.
[/QUOTE]
I read this as:
They saw me faint and one of them tried to help me up. I freaked out on him, and another guard had to restrain me so that I didn’t hurt the first guard or myself. I like to call it a beating, tho.
[QUOTE=lee]
When I came to, someone was trying to lift me off the ground by tugging on my wrists. It felt like they were going to pull my arms out of their sockets. I tried to pull my arms out of their grasp and that is when the first guard jumped me. From there on, I was trying to get away and I was attacked on all sides by several guards and they did not stop until KellyM got them to back off. I have no idea if they could tell I was pregnant or just saw me as fat. They probably perceived me as some kind of druggie/drug seeker as I passed out and was disoriented.
[/QUOTE]
You sure you didn’t lead them on an extra long car chase while high on PCP? 'Cause that I’d buy.
[QUOTE=brazil84]
That seems like a reasonable approach, but the problem is that it means the ER will always give top priority to fakers / drug seekers. You might pick the person up off the floor, listen to their complaints of terrible pain, send them right to the doctor, have the doctor determine that the problem is minor, and send them on their way. Then 5 hours later the same patient might be back, lying on the floor of the ER waiting room.
If you continue to give the faker/drug seeker top priority, you will be making other people wait – people who have legitimate problems that may need prompt attention.
[/QUOTE]
I agree with you, and I NEVER said anyone who is faking should be given priority over anyone with a more serious condition. I think several people are getting defensive and reading much more into what I wrote. I guess that’s understandable; I have no doubt it’s a very difficult job, and ER workers probably get a lot of flak. But please don’t read more into what I wrote than what is actually there.
One has to take every situation seriously, because one never knows if the person who looks like a faker might be about to die. That is not to say one doesn’t have to prioritize; I never said nor implied such a thing.
[QUOTE=kidchameleon]
If only that were so. My brother has to take a lot of vomitty and bloody drunks and other addicts to lock up all the time. The police are at the mercy of the hospital to diagnose the patient.
[/QUOTE]
Sure, but no cop where I work is going to take an actively vomiting pt out of the hospital that HASN’T been medically cleared to book, and I’ll bet your brother hasn’t either.
[QUOTE=lowbrass]
I agree with you, and I NEVER said anyone who is faking should be given priority over anyone with a more serious condition.
[/quote]
To be sure you didn’t say it, but it may end up being the practical effect of the policy you described earlier: "Unless you know for a fact that’s what they’re doing, you ought to err on the side of caution. "
[QUOTE=lee]
When I came to, someone was trying to lift me off the ground by tugging on my wrists. It felt like they were going to pull my arms out of their sockets. I tried to pull my arms out of their grasp and that is when the first guard jumped me. From there on, I was trying to get away and I was attacked on all sides by several guards and they did not stop until KellyM got them to back off. I have no idea if they could tell I was pregnant or just saw me as fat. They probably perceived me as some kind of druggie/drug seeker as I passed out and was disoriented.
[/QUOTE]
What does “jumped you” mean? And why were you trying to get away? And what do you mean by “attacked”? Attached how?
This still doesn’t make much sense, except that now it seems like someone was trying to help you and you didn’t like it.
[QUOTE=outlierrn]
Sure, but no cop where I work is going to take an actively vomiting pt out of the hospital that HASN’T been medically cleared to book, and I’ll bet your brother hasn’t either.
[/QUOTE]
No, he usually gets them outside the Oakland Coleseum. 
I was just saying that vomiting isn’t an automatic show stopper. Hell, with that hospital they may have cleared her for all we know. 
[QUOTE=brazil84]
To be sure you didn’t say it, but it may end up being the practical effect of the policy you described earlier: "Unless you know for a fact that’s what they’re doing, you ought to err on the side of caution. "
[/QUOTE]
Like I said, I have no doubt it’s a difficult job - maybe not for everybody.
[QUOTE=lowbrass]
Like I said, I have no doubt it’s a difficult job - maybe not for everybody.
[/QUOTE]
Even Jesus Himself might have a hard time following the following 2 rules at the same time:
-
Possible fakers should be treated as legitimate patients with serious conditions until it is known for a fact that they are faking.
-
Fakers should never get priority over legitimate patients.
Because you can’t know for a fact that somebody is faking until they have been examined by the doctor. And even then, they might come back a few hours later with more complaints.
What’s your point?