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I’ll be the villain

By Robert Brandt, M.D. | on March 1, 2013 | 0 Comment
Opinion
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I also intrude into the most invasive of personal places.

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ACEP News: Vol 32 – No 03 – March 2013

I jab people with random objects. “What’s that? Your stomach hurts? Well, now your arm is going to hurt. Nurse, go jabby jabby jab the IV. Muwahahahaha!

Oh, I’m sorry, Motrin never works for your back pain of 10 years, only Dilaudid? How about a jabby jab of toradol, ‘cause the other meds aren’t coming. Muwahahahaha!

We are not allowed to say anything that can offend a patient or hurt their feelings, even if it is in their own best interests. Might letting the inner villain out a little more actually help?

We are continually berated for making patients unhappy. Yet we are responsible for their terrible decisions. We shirk telling them they are fat. We fear saying noncompliance is idiotic. When asthmatics continue to smoke, they are killing themselves slowly with stupidity. We fear the repercussions of blunt honesty.

Skip that. If I have to make the choice between their happiness or their health? I will gladly be the villain.


Dr. Brandt is an emergency physician for GREMG in Grand Rapids, Mich. Please send questions/comments to BrandtsRants@gmail.com.

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Topics: Brandt's RantsCommentaryEmergency MedicineEmergency PhysicianPractice Trends

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