Sunday, August 23, 2009

Abusing STAT

There’s a new resident on the GI service who LOVES to write STAT for everything.

Lytes, BUN, Cr, Glucose – STAT

ECG – STAT

Trial clear fluids – STAT

Stool samples for C&S – STAT (But…but… she hasn’t made a doody yet!)

AM blood work – STAT (umm – that’s in 7 hours from now. I’m confused.)

Even when he’s asking for some mundane piece of equipment (ex: 10 cc NS flush), he will add STAT to his command. Granted that his ubiquitous and unnecessary use of the word stat makes me chuckle without fail, but I really want to tell him that he’s in the ER – everything is stat! However, I’ll hold off for a bit just to see what other not so stat orders get the stat treatment from him.

10 comments:

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Such a waste of time and resources.

I NEVER use the word, unless it's absolutely urgent. That way it gets done, because people know I don't abuse it.

This bozo sounds like the boy who cried wolf.

S3XinthePantry said...

It would be really hard for me to hold my tongue.

New GI res: Do you have a pen?
Me: Do you need it stat?

Someone should tell him though.

Reality Rounds said...

Yes, and STAT labs cost more money. I am surprised no one has outed this Doc yet for his statiness.

Glee said...

Breakfast on Saturday, STAT!

LivingDeadNurse said...

muahah i like the comment about the pen..hehe sounds like something smart ass i would say. Yea sounds like he abuses that word. Glad i don't have any in my work that does that

Angry Nurse said...

I find the best response to stupid Stat orders is to call the resident with the results as they arrive. Now if your hospital is like mine we do tend to get results one bit at a time so usually the offending party gets the hint after the third or forth phone call.

One Nurse said...

New Resident + unecessary STAT orders = HUGE EGO

Not to mention he is not making any friends in the nursing department!!!

Anonymous said...

Or how about when you actually need a STAT order and the doc doesn't make it STAT? And when you ask them to reorder it as a STAT, they say you can just write on the requisition form that it's STAT. And then only to have the labs call you and say they can't process STAT orders unless it was originally ordered STAT? Arg.... I need a drink, STAT!

OMDG said...

I remember when I admitted patients to the medicine service from the ED, none of the orders got done after we saw the patient -- STAT or not STAT (though I tried both). Seems the ED nurses felt the orders were the floor nurse's job, and the floor nurses felt the orders were the ED nurse's job. Both got their nose out of joint over the lack of the other person's work, and nothing would get done.

Imagine my delight when I walked into my patient's room at 4PM after an 8AM admission only to find him seizing because he hadn't gotten his serax for his florid alcohol withdrawal.

Yeah. Stupid f-ing residents.

Maha said...

OMDG - That's clearly a fail on the part of the nurses in both the ED and the floor. From my point of view, sometimes I can't get admission orders started in the ED because we don't carry some of the medications in stock and have to wait until the morning when the pharmacy can deliver them to us. There might also be delays in getting blood work done because I'm juggling new patients as well as admitted patients.

As far as orders that are stricly for patients who will stay in emerge, I don't think its necessary to write stat next to every single order.