you read a lot in blogs etc. about the sense of entitlement we see in a good portion of the poor, welfare dependent, 'disabled', medicaid population. It has always fascinated me that people who contribute nothing to society feel that society needs to drop everything and be at their beck and call. How do people get that way? were you raised that way? I sure wasn't. I was brought up in a family where you were expected to pull your own weight. I had a full-time job at 15, they weren't too particular about child labor laws then. I have worked full-time plus since then except for maternity leaves. We were expected to pitch in at home, we all had chores we did every day and if we didn't get them done......well let's just say we got them done because we respected our parents and we knew there would be consequences. And they never laid a hand on us. Where did that kind of society go?
Well there is another type of person with a massive sense of entitlement, they are usually well-to-do with a white collar type of job. They think their wealth entitles them to special treatment and they are not nice about getting it. I was assaulted once by a family member who grabbed me by my arms and shoved me out of the room because the doctor hadn't met them when they arrived in the room after being force to wait with the riff raff in the lobby. They didn't like being told that the doctor was a little busy in a code at the moment. Then there are the ones who like to name drop, like they are friends with the CEO. Who cares, call him at home and see if he will come in and wipe you because I will not when you are perfectly able to do it yourself. Or "my husband is a cardiologist" well good for you, I hope he is nicer than the ones here, you still have to wait your turn.
The ER is the great equalizer. Everyone will be seen according to the severity of their illness. If the crackhead is coding he gets to go first, I don't care if you are the president of the university. If the heroin OD isn't breathing Mrs. Doctors wife, you are going to have to wait a bit. Please don't try to impress me with your credentials.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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6 comments:
Yup. Absolutely agreed.
Then there are some of the doctors themselves. Like the one who, without so much as a word, physically pushed me out of the way so he could have his chosen chair at the nurses' station. Did I mention that I was standing at the time? And that until he walked up I was the only one there?
Here's a funny story: I recently had a lady come in who had a little dementia. In the first five minutes she mentioned that her brother in law BLAH BLAH was the head honch of the hospital you know. Guess what Mr. BLAH BLAH left the hospital 7 or 8 years ago after misusing hospital funds! Ouch.
Hey, I just want you to know that I love your blog. I am not in the Health Care field, but I am still riveted by most of your stories, discouraged by the treatment you receive, and encouraged by the treatment you give. Please keep it up!
Wow, just reading this gets my blood pressure up. Who is more distasteful -- the entitled poor or the entitled rich? That's a tough one.
This is one of the things that interests me in working in an ED. It's weird I know.
Congrats on a great post. I'd love to be able to watch some of the rich guys just get bitch slapped by the nurses.
I like it when someone is famous (eg. local CEO or local news reporter or athlete etc), I don't know they're famous, and the patient doesn't say a damn thing. I had one of those the other day. It was nice.
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