Is this the norm for Covid+ patients in the waiting rooms?

[chocomorsel]

---

Members don't see this ad.

That they aren’t isolated unless it’s severe? This may be the wrong website to ask (I suspect RNs may know better) but is this typical for those in the know?
Took my mom to the ER last night for sepsis and found out this lady was Covid + and was being told to sit among the masses. After sitting w mom for five hours and this lady has been there a couple of hours or so. No isolation, simple mask and that’s it. And the woman herself felt bad about being told to sit with us and she was hugging the wall and going into this little cubby where they take VS. I totally created a scene because I felt that my concerns where falling on “I don’t care” ears of the staff. They have no isolation rooms they say. And I say why can’t y’all put an M95 amd they say “has she been fitted”? It didn’t end well.

I only see Covid patients in their isolation rooms when I go down there. But I don’t really go check out the lay of the waiting area and clearly made assumptions that they are isolated like they are in the back.

Are we doing this in 2021 two years in?

 

[Mr. Vandemar]

Sounds like you may have berated ED staff who are working with what they have, under an operating procedure they were told to follow. I probably would’ve invited you to leave. As to whether that’s standard practice where I am, yes. There’s really no other good option. We have no space and few resources.

Edited to say, I am sorry your mom is sick.

 

[theSmurfette]

We have a semi-closed off area in the waiting room but it doesn’t even have a door that we’re supposed to keep COVID patients in. I’m not sure that we actually do tho
And even in the back, in my ED, we have all of 2 negative pressure rooms that are usually full with ED admits and no room for the ED COVID patients to go into.

 

[RuralEDDoc]

Sounds very normal. No different than likely TB, influenza, and RSV patients mingling in the waiting room. Most EDs have literally no room to isolate patients. Some have tents but no staff to man the tents. It’s a big problem with no easy solution. You would think hospitals would have figured this out so far into the pandemic and yet your experience is not surprising at all to me.

 

[dadaddadaBATMAN]

That they aren’t isolated unless it’s severe? This may be the wrong website to ask (I suspect RNs may know better) but is this typical for those in the know?
Took my mom to the ER last night for sepsis and found out this lady was Covid + and was being told to sit among the masses. After sitting w mom for five hours and this lady has been there a couple of hours or so. No isolation, simple mask and that’s it. And the woman herself felt bad about being told to sit with us and she was hugging the wall and going into this little cubby where they take VS. I totally created a scene because I felt that my concerns where falling on “I don’t care” ears of the staff. They have no isolation rooms they say. And I say why can’t y’all put an M95 amd they say “has she been fitted”? It didn’t end well.

I only see Covid patients in their isolation rooms when I go down there. But I don’t really go check out the lay of the waiting area and clearly made assumptions that they are isolated like they are in the back.

Are we doing this in 2021 two years in?

.

 

[HemorrhagicShock]

What you describe is exactly the situation in my ED's waiting room. COVID+ patients just mixed in with the wheat and the chaff. Since a majority are unvaccinated they're of the personality type where they don't give a rat's a$$ if their mask isn't covering their nose, and they will take every opportunity to let the staff know that they are the most important person in the waiting room requiring Q 5minute attention because their comfort needs aren't met

"I haven't eaten in hours! I'm leaving this hell hole" *Patient is hypoxic to high 70s without oxygen*
"You got the diagnosis wrong doc, this is just double pneumonia" *COVID positive at urgent care, referred here and repeat swab also positive, chest x-ray screams COVID*
"Might as well just get the vaccine now... what? You're not giving out in the ED?" *You had your chance buddy, you now must lay in the bed you've made*

Just spewing BS and viral particles over a variety of the regular ED folk along with their families. I am 100% convinced that my hospital is complicit in the spread of COVID within our community purely due to a lack of isolation approach within the waiting room.

It's sad, but an unsurprising microcosm of the system and how the rest of the hospital functions. I've had to just compartmentalize the fact that there's nothing I can do about it and the moral injury from it will probably cause some sort of PTSD 10 years down the line. The country and our healthcare system are screwed.

 

[Tiger26]

It's no different than going to Walmart. Might as well get used to covid being like any other virus

 

[deleted836128]

We have a a “quiet room” we put them in, at least at one hospital. Fortunately it’s in the waiting room and right near triage. At our other hospital the triage nurse parks them by the double door entrance… away from the waiting room but they’re still breathing their COVID all over everyone who walks in the ER.!

 

[chocomorsel]

Sounds like you may have berated ED staff who are working with what they have, under an operating procedure they were told to follow. I probably would’ve invited you to leave. As to whether that’s standard practice where I am, yes. There’s really no other good option. We have no space and few resources.

Edited to say, I am sorry your mom is sick.

Oh, I was rightfully invited to leave and I really don't care. It's just their total lack of care that really upset me and yeah, the hospital is complicit in spreading Covid to other patients.
In this hospital specifically, there is a room that could totally be converted for Covid + patients. They just need to screen it in, but they don't really seem to care.
Yeah, I was pissed because my mom is immunocompromised and the Covid + patient herself felt bad and was hugging the wall and hiding in and out that extra room. So we went to another hospital that had more compartments and not just one open area and were a lot more comfortable. And ran into another family that left that same exact hospital and came to the second one too due the bad, nonchalant attitude of the staff.
My mom will be fine as long as she doesn't catch Covid.

 

[chocomorsel]

It's no different than going to Walmart. Might as well get used to covid being like any other virus

Walmart does not have 50 people packed into an area as big as its refrigerated/frozen food section. Not the same thing.
And hospitals and their admin need to do better. They just DGAF. Guess it's more money for them if more people catch the virus.

 

[chocomorsel]

What you describe is exactly the situation in my ED's waiting room. COVID+ patients just mixed in with the wheat and the chaff. Since a majority are unvaccinated they're of the personality type where they don't give a rat's a$$ if their mask isn't covering their nose, and they will take every opportunity to let the staff know that they are the most important person in the waiting room requiring Q 5minute attention because their comfort needs aren't met

"I haven't eaten in hours! I'm leaving this hell hole" *Patient is hypoxic to high 70s without oxygen*
"You got the diagnosis wrong doc, this is just double pneumonia" *COVID positive at urgent care, referred here and repeat swab also positive, chest x-ray screams COVID*
"Might as well just get the vaccine now... what? You're not giving out in the ED?" *You had your chance buddy, you now must lay in the bed you've made*

Just spewing BS and viral particles over a variety of the regular ED folk along with their families. I am 100% convinced that my hospital is complicit in the spread of COVID within our community purely due to a lack of isolation approach within the waiting room.

It's sad, but an unsurprising microcosm of the system and how the rest of the hospital functions. I've had to just compartmentalize the fact that there's nothing I can do about it and the moral injury from it will probably cause some sort of PTSD 10 years down the line. The country and our healthcare system are screwed.

I found out from my RN cousin that this is probably the norm. My mom is triple vaccinated but diabetic, with MDS and all cell counts are down.

 

[e30ftw]

What specific changes would you make to allow all PUI lobby patients an isolated room? FYI the answer "create rooms out of nowhere" is not an option. At our hospital when the lobby gets busy enough that patients cannot stay ~6ft apart we kick all the family out of the lobby and if family makes a scene the on-duty police officer escorts them out.

 

[Groove]

Yes, this is happening everywhere. I'll usually scan the WR looking for COVID re-evals or URI sx so I can quickly COVID test them and discharge because I don't want them sitting out in the WR. There's simply not enough resources to put all these pt's in isolation. It's as simple as that.

 

[chocomorsel]

What specific changes would you make to allow all PUI lobby patients an isolated room? FYI the answer "create rooms out of nowhere" is not an option. At our hospital when the lobby gets busy enough that patients cannot stay ~6ft apart we kick all the family out of the lobby and if family makes a scene the on-duty police officer escorts them out.

Well how about there was no six feet of separation going on? That's a start. Chairs were strewn everywhere in no order.
And Like I said, in this hospital, there was a little cubby with two entry point they could screen in.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

Happens at my ER too, and it's beyond criminal.

Multiple solutions:

1) Discharge them from triage. DUH. Anyone who has normal VS and normal WOB can go home. They do not need CXR or labs. We did this aggressively at the beginning, but for some reason stopped. Probably because patients got their FEELS hurt.

2) COVID Tent. We also had this at the beginning, and then it vanished, probably because we lost market share to cross town competitor. Another example of corporate prioritizing FEELS over healthcare worker and non-covid patient safety.

3) Have them wait in their car. Why not? If they have normal VS and WOB, the probability of a bad outcome is exceedingly low.

4) F*****g FIGURE IT OUT. Are you seriously gonna say there's not some conference room / broom closet someplace where you can't stick all these people? Non-covids and covids and be separately cohorted and packed into rooms otherwise reserved for singlets. If they are ambulatory, they can be in a folding chair separated by portable curtains for "privacy." Put em in 5 deep.

So tired of taking Ls for corporate decision making.

 

[Rendar5]

so you berated security, medics, and nurses for not doing a n95 fit test on your mom and for not calling in administration and construction crews to change the architecture of the waiting room the night you were there?

You basically chewed out people who had no ability to change the work environment. So we’re you justifiably angry? Sure. Did you take that anger out on other people inappropriately? Yes. Your behavior was in the wrong

 

[Birdstrike]

Took my mom to the ER last night ...No isolation, simple mask and that’s it.... I totally created a scene because I felt that my concerns where falling on “I don’t care” ears of the staff. They have no isolation rooms they say. ...

I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope your mother eventually got the care she needed and is doing better. I have 4 questions for you:

1) Did you go and "totally create a scene" to the face of the hospital CEO, or administrator on call (after hours) who actually have control and responsibility over how the hospital functions?

2) Or did you just "create a scene" at the powerless, constantly abused ER staff who've spent two years in the COVID-jungle risking their own lives for patients, while being told "no" they can't have better resources by administration countless times?

3) Should people "create a scene" in the face of an anesthesiologist, because the OR is backed up one day, or a surgeon is being a jerk?

I found out from my RN cousin that this is probably the norm.

4) How did it go when you went back down to the ED and apologized to the staff you "made a scene" at? You did, right?


This is why great people leave Emergency Medicine.

 

[RustedFox]

I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope your mother eventually got the care she needed and is doing better.

But did you go and "totally create a scene" to the face of the hospital CEO who's responsible and actually has access to the hospital's checkbook and control over how it functions? Did you call the hospital administrator on call (if after-hours)?

Or did you just "create a scene" at the powerless, constantly abused ER staff who have gotten destroyed for two years in the COVID-jungle and probably agree with you better resources and resources are needed, but have been told "no" by administration countless times?

Should people "create a scene" in the face of anesthesia, because the OR is backed up one day, or a surgeon is being a jerk?

This is why great people leave Emergency Medicine.

The number one cause of burnout is...

 

[WilcoWorld]

Walmart does not have 50 people packed into an area as big as its refrigerated/frozen food section. Not the same thing.
And hospitals and their admin need to do better. They just DGAF. Guess it's more money for them if more people catch the virus.

I don't think they're trying to drum up business. More a combination of limited resources/exhaustion/learned helplessness

 

[Angry Birds]

That they aren’t isolated unless it’s severe? This may be the wrong website to ask (I suspect RNs may know better) but is this typical for those in the know?
Took my mom to the ER last night for sepsis and found out this lady was Covid + and was being told to sit among the masses. After sitting w mom for five hours and this lady has been there a couple of hours or so. No isolation, simple mask and that’s it. And the woman herself felt bad about being told to sit with us and she was hugging the wall and going into this little cubby where they take VS. I totally created a scene because I felt that my concerns where falling on “I don’t care” ears of the staff. They have no isolation rooms they say. And I say why can’t y’all put an M95 amd they say “has she been fitted”? It didn’t end well.

I only see Covid patients in their isolation rooms when I go down there. But I don’t really go check out the lay of the waiting area and clearly made assumptions that they are isolated like they are in the back.

Hey man, I'm totally on your side here. This is stupid and I'd be ticked off like you.
GonnaBeaDoc just listed some reasonable options to exhaust before such a thing should happen.
I get it that the staff isn't to blame. But, staff can be nasty to patients. Sometimes a simple, "You know what, you're right -- I'll pass up your concern to administration..." is all it takes. Instead, they often jump straight to hostility. And the hostility often starts with the tone of voice on asking "why are you here?"
I'm sorry about your mother. I'd be upset as well if that was my mother put in that situation. Is she doing better?

 

[CliveStaples]

We tell people to wait in their cars at my facility. Seems to be the best solution, imo. This is failure of leadership, however, and not a failure of the people working the front desk of the ER that day.

It's easy to see that the source of burnout for staff is to be berated for factors that are not in their control.

 

[Angry Birds]

It's easy to see that the source of burnout for staff is to be berated for factors that are not in their control.

My consistent experience is that most patients immediately calm down with just a sentence of validation.

Wait time: "I'm sorry for the wait, COVID has really killed us. Thank you for your patience..."
I want an MRI: "I agree with you. I really wish I could order an MRI at this time of night..."
etc...

Meanwhile, I notice that ER staff, in general, start out hostile, not realizing that what for us may be a routine everyday thing for the patient/attendant may be the scariest moment of their lives.
Look, I'm obviously not talking about frequent flyers here.

Staff could simply say, "That concern seems well-placed to me. I'll make sure to convey your concern to the admin to see if anything can be done going forward..."

I'll also say that I think some nurses especially can be terribly rude. There is something of a personality type here that gravitates towards this field.

 

[Angry Birds]

What grinds my gears is how angry staff gets when relatives come to support/grieve for a dying/dead patient. I mean, jeez, have some humanity left in you.

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

I’m not making light of a serious situation. But empathy goes in all directions. Nobody in healthcare isn’t stressed out right now. We’re working in a system not designed to handle the gravity of our day to day existence now, in hospitals that are bursting at the seams, with wait times for everything through the roof, with an administration that is often without understanding or sympathy for the current crisis amongst healthcare workers of all backgrounds.

Patients, families, physicians, nurses, techs, therapists, literally everyone in clinical medicine (or those who require its services) is stressed to the breaking point.

The only solution as I see it lies within the wisdom of Bill and Ted. Have empathy for each other and try to see what the other person is experiencing in their shoes. Which often means you have to look at your own actions in a less than favorable light. In short…

 

[RuralEDDoc]

Staff could simply say, "That concern seems well-placed to me. I'll make sure to convey your concern to the admin to see if anything can be done going forward..."

That seems like a great line for a low volume cash pay cosmetic dental office. Not the hell hole of ER triage. Seriously. It’s a hell hole. Entire TV shows are made about it, and the triage portion isn’t an exaggeration.

 

[chocomorsel]

What specific changes would you make to allow all PUI lobby patients an isolated room? FYI the answer "create rooms out of nowhere" is not an option. At our hospital when the lobby gets busy enough that patients cannot stay ~6ft apart we kick all the family out of the lobby and if family makes a scene the on-duty police officer escorts them out.

I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope your mother eventually got the care she needed and is doing better. I have 4 questions for you:

1) Did you go and "totally create a scene" to the face of the hospital CEO, or administrator on call (after hours) who actually have control and responsibility over how the hospital functions?

2) Or did you just "create a scene" at the powerless, constantly abused ER staff who've spent two years in the COVID-jungle risking their own lives for patients, while being told "no" they can't have better resources by administration countless times?

3) Should people "create a scene" in the face of an anesthesiologist, because the OR is backed up one day, or a surgeon is being a jerk?





4) How did it go when you went back down to the ED and apologized to the staff you "made a scene" at? You did, right?


This is why great people leave Emergency Medicine.

They were rude as hell. I didn’t start off berating people. It was their total lack of any kind of empathetic or understanding response that pissed me off. They had horrible attitudes. They may be burned out but they don’t care. If they are burned out, let them go work somewhere else. Everyone is burned out, doesn’t give you a right to be rude and not give a crap about the possibility of infecting other vulnerable populations. Maybe some donuts and a card telling them to change their attitudes?

Guess how many people we ran into at the other hospital who also left because they were treated like ****? Three that we talked to.
And I asked them to put a mask on the Covid patient. Not my mom.
And no , I did not send an email to the CEO because they won’t do crap. But you know what, I will today. I wanted to go to the news really.

We left a big name hospital branch in our city and went to HCA and actually got treated much better.

 

[chocomorsel]

My consistent experience is that most patients immediately calm down with just a sentence of validation.

Wait time: "I'm sorry for the wait, COVID has really killed us. Thank you for your patience..."
I want an MRI: "I agree with you. I really wish I could order an MRI at this time of night..."
etc...

Meanwhile, I notice that ER staff, in general, start out hostile, not realizing that what for us may be a routine everyday thing for the patient/attendant may be the scariest moment of their lives.
Look, I'm obviously not talking about frequent flyers here.

Staff could simply say, "That concern seems well-placed to me. I'll make sure to convey your concern to the admin to see if anything can be done going forward..."

I'll also say that I think some nurses especially can be terribly rude. There is something of a personality type here that gravitates towards this field.

Thank you. You know exactly what I mean. Their responses were rude and non caring. Multiple people left that hospital to the other one due to rude behavior.

 

[chocomorsel]

We tell people to wait in their cars at my facility. Seems to be the best solution, imo. This is failure of leadership, however, and not a failure of the people working the front desk of the ER that day.

It's easy to see that the source of burnout for staff is to be berated for factors that are not in their control.

She was standing and walking actually. Was in no way gonna get admitted.
I don’t know what her doctor was trying to accomplish by sending her there.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Hey man, I'm totally on your side here. This is stupid and I'd be ticked off like you.
GonnaBeaDoc just listed some reasonable options to exhaust before such a thing should happen.
I get it that the staff isn't to blame. But, staff can be nasty to patients. Sometimes a simple, "You know what, you're right -- I'll pass up your concern to administration..." is all it takes. Instead, they often jump straight to hostility. And the hostility often starts with the tone of voice on asking "why are you here?"
I'm sorry about your mother. I'd be upset as well if that was my mother put in that situation. Is she doing better?

Great post

This thread (and forum, and country) is increasingly full of pain-passing anger and it's making everything worse. The only way to stop it is to decide NOT to pass along the anger that comes your way.

"Evil is a relay sport when the one who's burned turns to pass the torch"
-Fiona Apple

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

The problem with this thread is that we jumped on another physician...instead of admin.

 

[southerndoc]

Walmart does not have 50 people packed into an area as big as its refrigerated/frozen food section. Not the same thing.
And hospitals and their admin need to do better. They just DGAF. Guess it's more money for them if more people catch the virus.

Walmart may not, but a lot of restaurants do.

 

[CoolDoc1729]

My consistent experience is that most patients immediately calm down with just a sentence of validation.

Wait time: "I'm sorry for the wait, COVID has really killed us. Thank you for your patience..."
I want an MRI: "I agree with you. I really wish I could order an MRI at this time of night..."
etc...

Meanwhile, I notice that ER staff, in general, start out hostile, not realizing that what for us may be a routine everyday thing for the patient/attendant may be the scariest moment of their lives.
Look, I'm obviously not talking about frequent flyers here.

Staff could simply say, "That concern seems well-placed to me. I'll make sure to convey your concern to the admin to see if anything can be done going forward..."

I'll also say that I think some nurses especially can be terribly rude. There is something of a personality type here that gravitates towards this field.

I agree 100% that we should be offering the olive branch line. I start every interaction with “I’m sorry you’ve been here the better part of half your life, thank you for not yelling at me “ and it usually defuses the vast majority of anger/most people laugh. But I feel like it is getting harder and harder to be cheerful when everything just keeps getting worse… so the staff that started on the rude and/or burned out side probably has nothing left to give , unfortunately.

 

[Birdstrike]

The problem with this thread is that we jumped on another physician...instead of admin.

I correctly pointed out this is admin created and that clinical staff should not be verbally abused over things they can't control.

1) Did you go and "totally create a scene" to the face of the hospital CEO, or administrator on call (after hours) who actually have control and responsibility over how the hospital functions?

2) Or did you just "create a scene" at the powerless, constantly abused ER staff...

 

[Birdstrike]

I agree 100% that we should be offering the olive branch line. I start every interaction with “I’m sorry...

This is good practice, however, I think admin should be required by law, if a for-profit hospital, to staff EDs 24-hours-per day, with an administrator (must be non-clinical) whose entire job is to do the apologize for the conditions they created and do the public relations work. It's not okay to create battlefield conditions, either by design or neglect, yet expect the clinical staff to deal with the consequences of those decisions, such that the cost cutting can ensure obscene profits, for them alone. If they want good patient sat scores, then put your money where your mouth is and send non-clinical administrators out on the front lines to kiss some butt.

Instead, they create unacceptably adverse conditions under the guise of "cost containment" and "healthcare crisis!" while running and hiding in their c-suite, while clinical staff are thrown under the bus to deal with conditions they didn't create and can't control. And it's all for mad profit, that they try desperately to keep as hush hush as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they paid news organizations to not write articles on how much profit they make, while claiming to be in constant "crisis."

 

[Mount Asclepius]

Pretending you can avoid COVID-19 forever is naive. COVID-19 is everywhere. Especially in the ED waiting room. The ED waiting room has been a viral cesspool every winter for years. Trying to cohort undifferentiated patients in the waiting room is difficult. Some people just get triaged with chest pain, which is due to their COVID-19, or they’re old and generally weak, because of their COVID-19, or they have vomiting and diarrhea from their COVID-19. People don’t walk into the ED with a sign on their heads with diagnoses like often the inpatient side expects from us when we admit patients.

I do agree that EDs could do better cohorting higher likelihood patients. I think though that ED staff are on a razor’s edge and burned out after a difficult two years. They don’t feel supported by administration and the for profit medical system at large. It’s a system designed to run at full capacity like the hotel industry to maximize profit. It’s not a system with built in flexibility to handle the stress of a pandemic. There are no hotel bookings for COVID-19 patients. Resources are stretched thin and the front desk isn’t the place to express your frustration regarding the decisions made by the industry at large.

I agree with @Angry Birds and @WilcoWorld. Often patients, family members and upset physicians (and even physicians who are patient’s family members) can be diffused by acknowledging their frustration. Many lower trained ED staff don’t have the emotional intelligence or incentive to recognize and mitigate these volatile situations by catching more flies with honey. Patient satisfaction is something that we as EPs feel more on the backend due to various pressures - inappropriately from administration in the form of metrics, self imposed due to our self-selected empathy as physicians, as well as our self-serving motivation to limit medicolegal liability driven by angry patients and their family members that experience a bad outcome irregardless of anyone’s fault. Overworked, undervalued and underpaid front end staff in the middle of a pandemic without the same motivations results in your’s and many other’s experience in our cesspool waiting rooms.

 

[CliveStaples]

She was standing and walking actually. Was in no way gonna get admitted.
I don’t know what her doctor was trying to accomplish by sending her there.

I am sure you were correct and she was not admitted. The vast majority of COVID+ patients I interact with in the ER are discharged these days.

 

[CajunMedic]

My consistent experience is that most patients immediately calm down with just a sentence of validation.

Wait time: "I'm sorry for the wait, COVID has really killed us. Thank you for your patience..."
I want an MRI: "I agree with you. I really wish I could order an MRI at this time of night..."
etc...

Our facility is so overwhelmed right now, 90% + percent of my initial patient contacts are either in the waiting room, or on the EMS stretcher. If i'm lucky, I can use the "Provider in triage" room, triage nurse areas, or cubby/closet/office that's vaguely HIPAA compliant. I just automatically start with "I'm sorry for the wait and the unorthodox way we're having to do this..." Seems to disarm them.

Every time someone threatens to call administration, sue, etc. I want to answer "Please do, here's their number, they won't listen to us, maybe they'll listen to you" We've given up trying to cohort, family members have to stay in the car until the patient gets a room. We had figured out a 70% solution to get treatments started and try to keep the flow going, but someone called the state, whose investigators slithered in and said pretty much every thing we were doing was an EMTALA violation.

 

[jw3600]

Everyone on the earth will be exposed to Covid. If you have been vaccinated to the furthest degree possible and still are worried, the only other risk mitigation you can do is wear N95 at all times. No one is stopping you. Its unfortunate but that’s where we’re at.

 

[emergentmd]

I am not sure what you want them to do. Some places are like mass casualty ERs. If 20 gunshot wounds comes in, there are going to be a bunch of people bleeding to death.

If a hospital is over capacity and people continue to come in, then what do you want them to do? Tell people not come into the ER when they think they have an emergency which is illegal?

I had a friend who had a true non covid medical emergency taken by EMS to an ER that was way over capacity due to covid. He was placed in a critical care bay on multiple drips with a covid pts that was intubated having active chest compressions. It sucked, he was super stressed, but at the end of the day, what do you want the ER to do? Leave my friend in the hallway/waiting room, or make him wait in the car? Take the covid pt to another room that does not exist?

 

[Angry Birds]

That seems like a great line for a low volume cash pay cosmetic dental office. Not the hell hole of ER triage. Seriously. It’s a hell hole. Entire TV shows are made about it, and the triage portion isn’t an exaggeration.

I recognize that I now work at a low volume shop, so maybe I can afford to be a bit more considerate.

 

[DeadCactus]

I recognize that I now work at a low volume shop, so maybe I can afford to be a bit more considerate.

I think you had it right in the first place. So much wasted time putting out interpersonal fires because someone on staff decided to double down on bull**** instead of acknowledging that a patient or family member has a legitimate concern or complaint. Then the patient or family member gets labelled as "difficult".

 

[Ho0v-man]

Every ER has been a war zone for like 18 months. I imagine the only reason OP didn’t get escorted out by security is because he/she’s a physician.

 

[wendalltwolf]

Everyone on the earth will be exposed to Covid.

One exception might be North Sentinel Island.

home to the Sentinelese, an indigenous people in voluntary isolation who have defended, often by force, their protected isolation from the outside world.

 

[emergentmd]

One exception might be North Sentinel Island.

home to the Sentinelese, an indigenous people in voluntary isolation who have defended, often by force, their protected isolation from the outside world.

These are probably the smartest group of people. Drop anyone from the outside on the island and they all would die of something in a month.

 

[chocomorsel]

Every ER has been a war zone for like 18 months. I imagine the only reason OP didn’t get escorted out by security is because he/she’s a physician.

Like I said, I did. Rightfully so, but I didn't care.

 

[Angry Birds]

I think you had it right in the first place. So much wasted time putting out interpersonal fires because someone on staff decided to double down on bull**** instead of acknowledging that a patient or family member has a legitimate concern or complaint. Then the patient or family member gets labelled as "difficult".

After seeing how staff was on the other side -- when I came as an attendant (is this the right word?) for a family member multiple times over the last couple years -- I am now seeing things differently. Honestly, we were treated excellently by staff and it made me think that we do a terrible job at my own hospital.

My own staff is saying that I've turned soft... and I think they are right.
But, even before that, I always noticed the attitude given to patients from the very start of the encounter. I always have to do "service recovery." And I don't do it to get any pat on the back from administration... I do it because I think it's the right thing to do.

 

[Dred Pirate]

These are probably the smartest group of people. Drop anyone from the outside on the island and they all would die of something in a month.

probably one of the reasons they kill anyone who comes close to their island....

 

[Dred Pirate]

To the OP.
What we do - we have a conference room off the ED that we send all COVID + patients (and any family accompanying them) to wait in until they can be seen. Obviously pt's that haven't been diagnosed by have symptoms are still in the waiting room, thus can still spread if they are infected, so that is less than ideal.