can we talk here, please people when you or someone else calls 911 cause you are drunk out of your head and bring you to hospital you cannot just leave. we have had several incidents of patients coming to hospital drunk out of their heads blood alcohol levels that would have killed an elephant and they want to leave. not going to happen. once you hit that ER you are under the care of the ER  doc and if admitted to floor, my responsibility cant let you leave even if you want to. if you persist, and try to leave guards get called and we will forcibly restrain you. we have a LEGAL duty to do that. you have two options in this situation. don't come to the ER or just stay till your alcohol level is good and you can leave.  people think they can come and go as they please. if you have insurance usually the insurance will not pay if you leave against medical advice. if you are lucky and have medicaid you don't have to pay. nice for the taxpayers of the state. thats another fiasco for another time. we didn't come get you, someone anyone had to call 911 or drop you off or you came on your own to the hospital. just don't come stay home. once you are in the hospital you are ours. we have a LEGAL  duty and be held responsible if you leave drunk and say get hit by a car, fall and really hurt yourself, etc. just don't come. and don't act stupid throwing things, hitting your fists against the wall making threats. call your lawyer i don't care you drunk not me. hehe

been a nurse for along time and i have to honestly say the mess we (the american public) are in, is a quagmire of unrelenting paperwork and computer work and if the public really knew how little time we (the hospital staff) have to actually take care of them they would be angry. with government putting their noses into the day to day running of the hospital, it leaves really little time for patient care. when i think of it, i'm ashamed and scared. i want to do my best, i want to do what i would like done for me or mine. truth is, we have little time for all but the very basics. years ago before drgs (diagnosis related group) i'm talking like the 80's we could take care of alot of patients just say two nurses and one aide. now with the government involved if this charting is not done just right, the hospital will not get money from the government it needs to function, esp if patient is on medicare or medicaid. its a shame.its a mess. we didn't have all the paperwork to do. now ,it is a mess of paper and computer work. it has not gotten easier by far. charting takes at least half hour per patient times that by 7 patients and not including the phone calls, distractions, meds to be given and dealing with ancillary depts and family issues we have little time for patient care. i don't care what people say, government or insurance companies have no business in healthcare.