Thursday, August 21, 2008

Entitlement

Illegal Mexican family brings their daughter to the ER for hives with unknown cause. Dr orders chewable benadryl.. we don't carry tablets only IM shots,IV dosing, capsules and benadryl elixir with 14% alcohol. These are all unacceptable dosing as this is a very minor minor allergic reaction. Here is my discharge conversation with the parents..

Er Nurse- Hi Mr &Mrs "Lopez"...Do either of you speak English or should I call for a translator?
Mr Lopez- Yo hablo un poquito english.
ERN- Great ......."Maria" is having an allergic reaction, she needs to take benadryl as prescribed on this prescription. You can fill it at 24 hour pharmacy.
MRL- You aren't going to give her something now.
ERN- We don't have chewable, and she doesn't need an injection.
MRL-How am I suppose to get to the pharmacy at this hour.
ERN- You drive.
MRL- I can't drive there I don't have a drivers license. So you need to fill it for us.
ERN-How did you get to this ER ?
MRL- I drove.
ERN- Great now you can drive past the pharmacy on the way home. Have a nice night.

It really amazes me you patients that think I owe it to you to make your life easier. I didn't force you to come to the ER if you had an ounce of common sense, and weren't so frigging lazy your life would be easier and I wouldn't have to work so hard to support the medicaid system.

4 comments:

Bianca Castafiore? said...

Why, blogging itself is something of an entitlement, yes? Give me the big "oui, oui"!

Amazing what the mind reveals. For instance, I imagine the Mexican (She is Mexican, yes?) thinking: WASP, "I drove" can mean several things... but since this is a construct for a blog, this Wetback isn't going to quibble!

Drama>Trauma said...

Thanks for your comment, now here is a little info for you.. that blog was meant for any person that comes in that believes that once they cross my ER doors I am responsible for fixing their social, economical, parenting, and lack of common sense problems.

Now because this blog is about people and their issues that bring them to get medical care I have to be careful and keep in mind HIPPA so I try to be vague about my identity.
That being said I too am as you so eloquently said also a "wetback". But this Hispanic works 2 jobs to support her family as I was raised by my Hispanic family to enhance and give back to my community not be a burden on it.

Bianca Castafiore? said...

Thanks for the information. But I am curious as to why adding that information necessary? I doubt too many people have sought you out as some sort of panacea! That might be more of a perception thing...

Please don't get yourself in trouble with HIPAA rules on my account. My comment was based on an attitude that really can't be fictionalized all that well. No, it cannot be fictionalized at all.

Anonymous said...

You just lost a reader. I was really enjoying going back through the archives and waiting for the next post. I really do not believe you are hispanic or you would more than likely be able to speak enough spanish to converse with this family. I also believe its possible this family came in at nite bc they work during the day.