[frustratedcanrn]

I work and was educated in Canada. I now work in an ER department and man some people who come in to see a doctor make you wonder why you are in this nursing profession, while others are make you want to cry. I had a woman come in when I was working at triage, no hello or anything her first comment to me was "how long is this going to take" putting her hand on her hip. I asked her to take a seat and talk to me about her concerns. She sits and tells me that she "has a cold for the last 2 weeks and was walking by and thought she would stop and see a doctor". WHen I asked if she had a family doctor she rolls her eyes and says "well of course but I am too busy to take time off work to see him for just a cold" . I am trying to keep my professional composure by this time. As she hums and haws about whether or not to stay because she would have to wait (oh my god heaven forbid) I tell her that "it does cost a few hundred dollars to check in with me (the triage nurse) and administration," she tells me "I don't care I pay taxes and I am sure I pay alot more than most people in this room". SO anyways she registers with me and has her paper work done, within 3 seconds of having her paper work complete, she walks over to my desk and says "yeah I am leaving this is crazy I shouldn't have to wait". And she walks out. I don't understand the whole entitlement thing? Why would she think that because she 'pays taxes' that she can spend that kind of money( $375.00 plus this is only to talk to me not to see the MD to have xrays bloodwork etc.) on something that WAS NOT an EMERGENCY hence the name Emergency Room.
Am I the only Canadian RN feeling under appreciated and feels like banging her head against the wall with these stupid people, who don't understand how fortunate they are to have this healthcare system?

[Silverdragon102]

Think you will find this happens in other countries as well, Know a few in the casualty departments in the UK get mad and frustrated. I usually reply I also pay taxes and in fact could be classed as self employed cos I pay myself too

[frustratedcanrn]

I know that other nurses all over the world get the same thing. It is just so frustrating, I have been in the healthcare system for 10years and it is only getting worse every year. I honestly thought it would get better if I left medical & surgical and transferred to the ER.

While on M&S I had one son (who was an adult) tell me to do something with his father because he was too busy to take him home.

This older man was very sweet and ready for discharge after many months of being in the hospital but his son told me that he didn't have time for his father and that I should "put him somewhere"
I told him your father isn't a book, he looked after you and didn't leave you when you were sick. He just muttered under his breath and left. Then people wonder why they are waiting for such long periods of time in the ER for a bed.
I had to leave medsurg because it broke my heart to have these little old people just dropped at the hospital when their families got tired of looking after them, and then would never come and see them ......but of course would show up to fight over rings and such when the older person died...it was sickening.
ER has proved alot more of the same. I think I need a change of profession...or location at least it might give me a new outlook if I was in a new place. Oh who knows. I am sure it is the same for you as well. Thanks for the reply.

[GradrnKylie]

The rudeness of people is increasing. I am finding it hard to bear with.

The public need to be aware that everyone is equal for healthcare and most important cases in triage are taken care of first. She had a cold, its not like she will die from it. You did the best you could, and you acted professional so give yourself a pat on the back

That lady and many of her kind, think they should walk on red carpet. Pfftt, very ungrateful to the hard working nurses in healthcare. She had time to come to ER instead of spending another 30minutes getting to her doctor??????? I find that very odd.

[frustratedcanrn]

I just find that the more that I work as a nurse the less patience I have for these people who as so rude.

I can't remember why I wanted to be a nurse some days when those people are yelling that they are going to go to the media because they had to wait 40 minutes prior to seeing a doctor. And the sad thing is that the media only sides with the patients and totally disregards that most of us have missed christmas concerts, teacher interviews, soccer games, basketball games etc of our children or spouses to look after these patients that rant and rave about the wait times.....
It really is a no win situation.

[NurseScarlett]

I feel your pain. I am an ER nurse, and the extent of self-entitlement and rudeness that I see on a daily basis still astounds me...you would think I would be used to it by now, but no...I am still surprised and disgusted on a daily basis by some of these people. :P

Fortunately, I find that for every "princess" as I call them, who expects to be waited on hand and foot and at the expense of other patients' well being, there are many more grateful patients who, while they get frustrated with the wait times, do not take it out on me and in fact commiserate with me over the situation.


NurseScarlett, ER RN

[thegoose]

I work emergency too and I feel your pain. People today are so egocentric. There is really nothing you can tell them that will make people like that lady you mentioned feel better about waiting. It's frusterating becuase when they start that converstation "how long is the wait" even if you elude to the fact the doctor is with someone who's heart has stopped/who's not breathing/who's criticall ill etc, it really dosen't appear to register with people.

One of the worst examples of this is one time I was working exam (which is our walking wounded/LEAST critical area) when a patient was waititng (can't remeber what was wrong with him) and this room is just off the hallway where our trauma pts. are often wheeled down to the trauma suite. The patient happened to be in view of the hallway when an EMS crew brought in a trauma, tubed, backboard/collared and performing CPR down the hall. The pt looked at that and said "oh great, now I'm going to be waiting FOREVER!"

I'm thinking, what if that was your father, your brother, mother etc.... but if the sight of that has no effect on people I really believe there is nothing you can do. I try not to engage them when they ask those questions anymore. I just waste my time and energy!!

[Fiona59]

Where to start,

the ice water isn't cold enough

I want a nurse that is smiling and positive

why do you have my father in restraints? Why can't you reason with him. (after he slapped one of the night shift and tried to kick a pregnant nurse)

why do we have to pay for the TV?

I deserve a private room (on my unit you only get one if dying or requiring isolation) Our semis are really nice rooms

I pay your wages and think you are overpaid. (this got said patient a lecture on the differnce in the hourly rate of a LPN and RN, the skill set on our unit is so close, you can only determine who is an RN by who pierces the TPN or blood bag).

family members who won't let you assess your patient without them

family members who refuse to believe that the end of visiting hours applies to them.

I've decided I hate people after this summer. It's official.

[linzz]

Yes, I so agree with all of these posts.

I also love it when people say, "You have my parent doped up all the time because you can't be bothered to care for my parent properly"

Honestly do they think that we just slap on a chemical or physical restraint because it is easier. However, I also do not enjoy being kicked, punched and spit at.

I used to really like almost everyone, now, not so much.

[mamaonamission]

This post strikes a chord in me as I just came off an exhausting shift at the hospital where I work as a ward clerk on a med-surg floor. It is an extremely heavy floor (neurosurg and spinal) and today we were short one nurse and you really feel it when you have 30 patients on the floor.

A 32 year old woman was there to be discharged and taken home by her mother - both rude and snottty in attitude. They wanted to leave but we explained they had to wait until the doctors' did rounds that morning and wrote the D/C order. After the order was written, the nurse did not even know it was there as she was extremely busy with her six patients. When the women was told she was free to go home, she and her mother came to the front desk and demanded from me to see the nurse. I was in a flying frenzy - three phone lines were ringing for me to answer, four patients were buzzing on the patient call centre, nurses were asking me to do this and that and the relatives of two patients were waiting to speak to me - no word of a lie, it was INSANE.

So, as I am trying to field and cue all the demands and requests that were being fired at me I tried to explain to them that the nurse would come over to see them as soon as she finished with the patient she was attending to. These women were oblivious to everything but their own wants. They glared at me and stood aside, checking their watches and huffing.

When the nurse (within 10 minutes) came over to go through their follow up info with them they were rude to her as well. But.....


(This final part of my story is petty but I could not help myself.)


A 1/2 hour after the mother and daughter left I got a call from a pharmacy stating that the two women were there with a prescription that did not have the hospital stamp on it (they left before I could stamp it) and the pharmacist wanted me to verify that the daughter had indeed been a patient at the hospital. I could have said yes, but I found myself asking the pharmacist to call me back in 15 minutes so I could check the chart. I heard the mother and daughter freaking out in the background when there were told they would have to wait 15 minutes for verification of their story...I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a big grin on my face when I hung up that phone.