Same patient's over and over again

5 Do you ever get to work, look at your assignment and have your heart sink because you know the patient's by name?

My last few shifts I have had the same alcoholic on my assignment . A person I have detoxed so many times . I know alcoholism is a disease, but sometimes I consider becoming a traveling nurse to get away from taking care of the same people for years on end.
That's a great advantage of working in the ED! Yes, you may see the same person from time to time, but chances are, they will come back in someone else's room

Quote from DixieleeThat's a great advantage of working in the ED! Yes, you may see the same person from time to time, but chances are, they will come back in someone else's room

I work on a unit and have found that we have ones that seem to keep coming back over and over again. So often that we don't even find the humor in it anymore. You do your best to educate them and their families but really feel it falls on deaf ears and in a week or two they'll be back in with the same problem. Not sure how much plainer we can make it. You might love the high sodium foods but your CHF doesn't.

So true, my ER co-pay is $325.00,I'd have to be a millionaire to beable to come into the ER as much as these people do. I see some ofthe same patients who make 20 to30 visits a year alone in our ER. During that year you have towonder what other ER's they visitas well.

Quote from MattNurseI work in the ED from time to time and not kidding I had one guy come back 3 times in one 12 hour shift. He kept walking out AMA and calling 911 from the corner. He was mad that EMS was putting him in the waiting room for his non-emergent head lac.

There should be some sort of consequence, otherwise why would they modify their behaviors. Yet I never hear the lawmakers complain about chronic abusers of the system and the general population probably has no idea who their taxes support.

One of the main reasons I left my renal floor.. same pts month after month. I moved to the ICU.. We rarely see the same pt twice

Quote from MattNurseThere should be some sort of consequence, otherwise why would they modify their behaviors. Yet I never hear the lawmakers complain about chronic abusers of the system and the general population probably has no idea who their taxes support.

Quote from Sun0408One of the main reasons I left my renal floor.. same pts month after month. I moved to the ICU.. We rarely see the same pt twice

I hear you Matt. Frequent flyer syndrome is so disheartening to the staff esp. when we look at our tax $$$ at work. You have a lot of supporters out here.

most hospitals have been hesitant to address the situation of repeated patients, in part because federal law requires doctors to treat anyone who turns up at ed. consequently, a small fraction of people who visit the ed each year account for a huge percentage of the costs in emergency care. having said that, this is true of healthcare in general and it's known colloquially as frequent fliers, these individuals visit the er repeatedly throughout the year, because they’re chronically ill, uninsured or alone or a combination of all three. furthermore, often these patients visit ed several times a day because they know how to work the system, and don't give up until they are admitted to their choice of unit. in conclusion, i recall seeing one pt. in particular that visited ed with all different ailments over a period of 6 times within 48hrs. just to get admitted :uhoh21:

It gets worse every year and the patient's are getting younger.