Monday, October 30, 2006
The most emotionally challenging part of being an ER doc
Separating who really needs narcotics:This is honestly the most emotionally challenging thing I have dealt with as an ER doctor -- not as hard as having a child die on you, but more of an every-day sort of low-level emotional parasite. Some ER docs say "Why bother?" Give 'em what they want -- it's easier and everybody's happy." No complaints to administration that way, either. We euphemistically call these docs the "candy men," but in truth I feel like a more honest appellation would be "pushers."
Posted by Kevin |
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There is another less obvious incentive to give the drug seekers drugs. The risk that they will find you in the parking lot or kill one of your family members. This is not a paranoid or unheard of risk. ER staff is like police and social workers in that they have to deal with the craziest portion of the populace. If I was an ER doctor I would own my house in an LLC or trust to make it harder for the random wackos to track me down. I would also exercise my second amendment right.
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# posted by 
: 10:30 PM
: 10:30 PM
I am a "Candy Man". I have been physically assaulted after I gave a patient Motrin for a toothache, plus, I work in an "overstretched ER" and I just don't have the time or energy to fight with this people. Alot of times I notice that i'll see a patient and two hours later his neighbor will come in with the same "back pain" complaint. I know when I'm on these patients come in and then tell their fellow drug pushers an "easy mark" is on and send in their friends, and I know some of these guys are selling what I prescribe them, but I don't want to be shot and there are much bigger threats to us as ER docs, namely the lawyers who sue us. We are not cops.
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# posted by : 3:51 AM
: 3:51 AM
