the no-nonsense nurse

[Chief1C]

Learned his lesson? It's a child... With cancer.. not wanting to be poked. Can ya blame him? Chances are, he will die, that ain't funny. I've been deeply disturbed by pediatric patients dying, and find no humor in the matter. Fire the bitch.

Edited September 9, 2010 by 4c6

[Richard B the EMT]

I have no idea how long BeachRescue has been an EMT. Let's use that as a jump-off point, and I'll try to not make it look like an attack.

Someone not in our line of work might think of it as a bad joke, like some LEOs (Law enforcement Officers) might make light of a bad guy getting shot in the butt. I am guessing BeachRescue is a new EMT, as the profile posted states (s)he wants to become a Paramedic and/or LEO, which makes me suspect BeachRescue is a "newbie" in the field, hence, feels it to be a funny story. If that is the case, BeachRescue will eventually become "seasoned", and know when to make jokes, and, obviously, when not to.

Sort of a case in point, is the old joke, the long time EMT and Paramedic having a discussion of a particulary gory call they did, in detail, not realizing they are grossing out everyone else at the Burger Barn restaurant where they are having the discussion (mea culpa, I actually did that).

As for the NICU/PICU nurse not taking action with the baby having convulsions and turning blue, I would have probably been loud and vulgar in telling her to get the f*** off the phone and do her job, or I'd see to it someone else more deserving had her job tomorrow.

Side note: an old girlfriend (former EMT) who had cancer (was a heavy smoker) has been emergency hospitalized for difficulty breathing, and a colleague from FDNY (mentored me when I came into the NYC Municipal 9-1-1/EMS system) was recently told her cancer had reocurred after more than 5 years in remission. Cancer, sure as hell, is NOT funny.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I am trying not to make an assumption here but since this was posted in the funny stuff and the original poster has not responded that the OP thought that this was perfectly acceptable behaviour and found it funny. Otherwise he/she would not have put it in the funny stuff area.

Like I've said already, if this was my son or daughter, I'd have been in front of the hospital board and also the board of nursing making a complaint against this nurse.

But in all actuality, I would have never gone along with this whole shenanigan in the first place and I'd have been making arrangements with my EMS Service to transfer my child to a hospital that had more caring nurses.

[HERBIE1]

In all fairness, I am guilty of telling a regular belligerent drunk and/or abuser, seizure faker, feigning unconciousness, etc that I was looking for the biggest needle I could find, one with the square tip, etc. Inappropriate- maybe.

Do I feel any remorse over it? Nope.

[scubanurse]

In all fairness, I am guilty of telling a regular belligerent drunk and/or abuser, seizure faker, feigning unconciousness, etc that I was looking for the biggest needle I could find, one with the square tip, etc. Inappropriate- maybe.

Do I feel any remorse over it? Nope.

Big difference between a belligerent drunk and a sick child....

I would have be furious if that was my kid... faking or not... try first to figure out why the kid was doing that and talk to him/her about their fears...talking with a kid can go a long way to easing their fears. So often we just do things to kids that adults understand but kids don't and that creates a lot of apprehension and fear of the medical community.

[HERBIE1]

Big difference between a belligerent drunk and a sick child....

I would have be furious if that was my kid... faking or not... try first to figure out why the kid was doing that and talk to him/her about their fears...talking with a kid can go a long way to easing their fears. So often we just do things to kids that adults understand but kids don't and that creates a lot of apprehension and fear of the medical community.

Agreed. That's why I can differentiate between the 2. I don't care how long you have been doing this job, how can someone be so callous towards a kid- especially a kid with cancer.

Like I said, I hope this is not a true story because I would hate to think ANYONE could treat a child like that- especially a health care provider.

[Mateo_1387]

I don't find it too funny, but maybe it was one of those things where you had to be there to appreciate the humor.

I would feel worse for the parents reactions towards the situation than I would the kid's reaction. The parents can understand 'I'm sorry, but we lost your son' as meaning the kid has died. On the other hand, I don't really think the kid would understand it the same way. I think the kid would understand 'lost' literally, meaning they could not find him, which makes more sense.

Plus, what kid really knows how to fake being unresponsive. If the kid is fighting because he is afraid, how does he rationally think 'Oh, let me play dead' to get out of this shot? I find it hard to believe the kid used rational thinking during a fight/flight response...

[fakingpatience]

Let me start by saying that I think what the nurse said was completely out of line

A joke I have done with kids (not ones I just see on the ambulance, ones I know, and worked with for a while), if they are complaining about for example a paper cut on their finger, I might say "Oh no, that looks bad, I think we are going to have to cut off the finger!" This is something that I would never say to a kid unless I know them, because I don't know how the kid would react to it, and the kids I know, would know I was joking. The kids usually respond my laughing/ screeching "NO", and then go about their day. It gives them a little perspective.

Maybe the nurse was thinking along those lines, had a good rapport with the kid and family, but just took it a little to far. While it is incredibly sad that the 11 year old has cancer, and may die with it, it is still important to joke around, but not quite that far. Maybe they could have said "uh oh, he can't sit up, I guess we will have to give him the shot on his bottom instead of his arm" but then again, that might have started the kid being combative again. I dunno, you need to have a good relationship with the kid to know what would work, but I do think that good, tactful humor has its place, especially when dealing with kids.

To Mateo: Most 11 year olds, especially ones who have grown up around adults (such as one who lives primarily at the hospital) know far more than we give them credit for. I would not doubt that any 11 year old would understand exactly what the nurse was saying when she said "we lost your son"

[scratrat]

Hugely inappropriate. If the mother agreed to this, then she's trash and probably provides minimal parental guidance if any.

If the nurse actually did this, she a piece of shit and needs to be fired and have her license pulled. If someone even THOUGHT about doing that to one my children, I'd probably be arrested for punching someone in the throat. That is absolutely absurd and I pray to God that bits and pieces of this story are even not true, or embellished.

[mobey]

Why is it we are so hellbent on rousing people who are faking unCx/seizures anyway?

I have picked up many faking UnCx teens, and you know what..... it is a quiet ride!

I don't NEED them to wake up and talk to me for me too assess them and discover they are faking. Just let them know that you know quietly, and if they choose to continue, that is fine. From that point on it is a psyc call.

If the kid wants to fake, let him be..... you don't always have to jam shit up noses and fake calling them dead to get a "HA!! TOLD YA!" moment.