[Virgo_RN]

I did end up setting limits, albeit indirectly just by telling him that I'd be back in a little while, then going back when it was convenient for me. I wasn't going to drop whatever I was doing to fulfill a non-urgent request, when I had a very sick man next door that really needed my attention. He was far too sick to ask for anything, and when he was finally able to express that he was in pain, I was so happy that he had shown that much improvement. This is a guy that I wasn't sure was going to make it through my shift.

The manipulative patient was acting like such a nice guy, but I felt it wasn't genuine. It was like he had read "How to win Friends and Influence People" and was trying to use those techniques on me, and it was more irritating than anything to feel like he was only acting so nice just to try and get me to do what he wanted. I wanted to just say "Dude, drop the act. You're in the hospital. Yes, you are a sick man, and I'm sure you must be a nice guy, you don't have to prove it to me. But the good news is that if I am not constantly hovering in your room, it means you're not dying right now. If I was *really* worried about you, the big shiny red cart would be parked right outside your room. You will be taken care of, your needs will be met, but you cannot nickel and dime my time. I have a patient next door who actually might die very soon, and you are not going to die if I am not at your beck and call.", or something to that effect.

[Virgo_RN]

Originally Posted by flightnurse2b

nope. she had done it so many times that the MT didnt bother calling the nurse because it was always her way of trying to get attention. she had been down for about 25 minutes when we finally got in there, transporter came to pick her up for CT scan and found her pulseless. big big big drama.

i guess the boy who cried wolf story came to life that day...

Just goes to show we still need to check, even if we know it's probably not real. Bummer that patients can use it to manipulate, though. Fortunately, I don't think many of them are aware of this little trick!

Before anyone accuses me of being insensitive to the acutely ill patient, I should say this guy had a history of MIx5, stentx7, CABGx4, and had been hospitalized about 45 times. He was very familiar with hospital routine, and well aware of how busy the nurses are. To deny any needs when directly asked, but then flag down a busy person while they are visibly in the middle of another task is about control.

Anyway, I have a few days off now, just needed to vent somewhere safe, where I know others will understand and not judge. One of the frustrations of being a nurse, IMO, is having to be very careful about how/when/who you vent to. The general public really does not understand all that nurses do. I'm thankful for this site!

[nurseby07]

Nancy-
Vent away! I totally and completely understand! I HATE when my pt has to share a room with someone else. Every time you go in the other patient needs something else. And how is it possible that it is always the guy who asks you for ice-cream, you check his water, grab a warm blanket regardless of whether he needed one or not, check when pain meds are due and he needs "a pen" "a magazine" "a newspaper" "can I call long distance from here?" UUGGGHHHH! It gets exhausting. It doesn't mean you aren't a caring nurse if you are annoyed when this happens, just as long as you don't let it show. I've mastered the "inner eye roll"!

[kizzykatlove]

ooh i can't even explain the horrible weekend i had with 4 patients families and friends( out of my 6 patiets ) that they seemed to come up to the nurses station and ask me stupid questions . i swear one daughter of a patient asked me stupid questions because she knew she would be bothering me.. i had to dscharge her mother and she kept me in the room for 1 hour asking the stupid questions over and over again.. and saying "oh wow i don't have to start her blood pressure meds until the next day because i allready gave them to her for the day" and she asked me that 20 times and then she asked me about " what it means to take a med with food" she kept asking me now should i give her the whole meal or half ?? i said what did you do at home to her and she stated " you tell me what should be doing at home with this med??" what a looser she was.. that was the discharge from hell, and i had to put up with that woman for the whole 2 days from before the discharge...

then i had a patent who's friend was a CNA and she wanted to take the pt's temp for me.. i said no you don't work here and you cannot touch my IVAC... and she screamed at me and it just contuined for the whole day and the day after....
and thats 2 of the problem families

i never knew people could be so selfish and take a busy nurse who is tired and has other patients who need them keep you there for stupid things ...
they know you have been there all day working and take up your time.. i have been a nurse for 22 years and people are becoming so selfish...

[JustaPatient]

For me it is a thing of I don't want to bother or annoy my nurse. When my nurse comes in to do something I generally ask for the things I need, along with a "when you get a chance" and, unless it is the bathroom, which I do use the call light for, I truly do not mind waiting a little while. I realize my nurses are busy. When I am asking for something like a drink from the kitchen I say why don't you bring two then I will not need to ask you later. That way I really don't need to ask her later and as she is getting me one it is just as easy to get two.

I am getting better with this and if I need something using my call bell. I recently had a discussion about this with a couple of members here actually.

[MrsCaseyRN]

This might be a little off topic, but it also becomes very frustrating when pts don't use their call bells and instead send a family member to the desk...everytime!! I've had many pts were they have a visitor that comes to the desk for everything from requesting water or a snack to toileting or my favorite "needs to talk to the nurse". (no specific reason supplied) This becomes difficult when they ONLY seek out the nurse, since many of their requests could be shared between myself and the CNA. Since the call bell is not ringing, the CNA would have no reason to think the pt needs anything and its not worth going and looking for the CNA (I don't mean to suggest they're hiding, but rather they are caring for pts that do use their call bells) for these tasks when I can just do them myself. HOWEVER, I then end up providing one on one care to this pt, doing both nursing and CNA tasks. These also tend to be the pts that when the CNA is around, they are fine and say they don't need anything right now. It has become such an inconvience to keep stopping to do every little thing eveytime the pt sends out their visitor to alert me that they need something else, that I now tell them that they need to use their call bell.

[nurseby07]

Originally Posted by CaseyGirl827

This might be a little off topic, but it also becomes very frustrating when pts don't use their call bells and instead send a family member to the desk...everytime!! I've had many pts were they have a visitor that comes to the desk for everything from requesting water or a snack to toileting or my favorite "needs to talk to the nurse". (no specific reason supplied) This becomes difficult when they ONLY seek out the nurse, since many of their requests could be shared between myself and the CNA. Since the call bell is not ringing, the CNA would have no reason to think the pt needs anything and its not worth going and looking for the CNA (I don't mean to suggest they're hiding, but rather they are caring for pts that do use their call bells) for these tasks when I can just do them myself. HOWEVER, I then end up providing one on one care to this pt, doing both nursing and CNA tasks. These also tend to be the pts that when the CNA is around, they are fine and say they don't need anything right now. It has become such an inconvience to keep stopping to do every little thing eveytime the pt sends out their visitor to alert me that they need something else, that I now tell them that they need to use their call bell.

I call that "The Lost Look At The Nurses Station" better known as "Can he have this Frappuccino even though he is NPO?"

[november551]

I'd prefer for them to ask for everything at once. Sometimes the rapid-fire requests are the worst though!!

I had a patient the other night that said, "Hey I drank this whole cup of water you gave me 2 hours ago! I've been thirsty!" So I walked to the kitchen, got him a new cup of water.
When I returned he said, "Is there any way I can get a cup of ice cream?" I think, "sure, why not, he's a diabetic and got a bunch of insulin earlier it can't hurt." Walk to the kitchen, get him some ice cream."
When I returned he said, "LOL I accidentally spilled my urinal on my bed I need new sheets. Just call me Mr. Butterfingers." I say, "hang on a minute I'll be right back. Can I get anything else for ya?" Pt-"nope" Walk to the clean utility, get new sheets. Walked back and changed the bed.
Pt-"Boy all that rolling around in bed made me sore...can I get a pain med?" Me-"yes! Anything else while I'm out there?" Pt-"Nope." I went to ge tthe pain med...returned, handed him the meds.
Pt-"These pain meds can be hard on my stomach, Can I get some graham or soda crackers to eat with it?" Me-"Okay sure. Do you need anything else?" Pt-"Nope" Walk back to the kitchen AGAIN. Return smiling, "here's your crackers sir."
I notice he had dropped ice cream all over himself..
Pt-"Can I get a new..."
Me-"Gown! Yes a gown!! Anything else?" Pt-"Nope."
Make the triangle from the dirty utility to clean utility to pt room.
Pt-"I'm still kinda hungry do you guys have sandwiches up here?"
Me-"Sure do you like ham or turkey? Mayo or mustard?"
Pt-"Ham with mayo please!"
Me-"okay! Is there anything else I can get while I'm out there?" pt-"Nope"
Run back to the kitchen AGAIN. Return to the pt's room.
pt-"Do you guys have milk up here?"
me-"Yes do you like 2%, whole or skim?"
pt-"2% sounds great."
me-"Anything else?"
pt-"nope" Run to the kitchen and back
pt-"hey thanks for the milk, can I get @#$>@#%........"

repeat this ad nauseam for an entire hour. I wasn't otherwise busy or else I would have had to cut it shorter.

I mean, obviously if he had just asked, "I need my bed changed, my urinal's kind of full, and I'm sore and hungry" I would have just done all that in the first place...

[Ms Kylee]

I don't mind them not using the call light so much, but I really hate it when they start yelling. Had one screaming the other night. He was at the end of the hall and you could hear him all the way up to the nurse's station. Nurse and I both came running. This guy is the meanest, nastiest patient from you know where. And because we didn't come running fast enough, he called us "worthless pieces of (swear word)." Darn good thing he was HOH too because if I could have gotten away with giving him a piece of my mind, I would have.

Nancy, I feel your pain...

[smurfy]

Originally Posted by november551

I'd prefer for them to ask for everything at once. Sometimes the rapid-fire requests are the worst though!!

I had a patient the other night that said, "Hey I drank this whole cup of water you gave me 2 hours ago! I've been thirsty!" So I walked to the kitchen, got him a new cup of water.
When I returned he said, "Is there any way I can get a cup of ice cream?" I think, "sure, why not, he's a diabetic and got a bunch of insulin earlier it can't hurt." Walk to the kitchen, get him some ice cream."
When I returned he said, "LOL I accidentally spilled my urinal on my bed I need new sheets. Just call me Mr. Butterfingers." I say, "hang on a minute I'll be right back. Can I get anything else for ya?" Pt-"nope" Walk to the clean utility, get new sheets. Walked back and changed the bed.
Pt-"Boy all that rolling around in bed made me sore...can I get a pain med?" Me-"yes! Anything else while I'm out there?" Pt-"Nope." I went to ge tthe pain med...returned, handed him the meds.
Pt-"These pain meds can be hard on my stomach, Can I get some graham or soda crackers to eat with it?" Me-"Okay sure. Do you need anything else?" Pt-"Nope" Walk back to the kitchen AGAIN. Return smiling, "here's your crackers sir."
I notice he had dropped ice cream all over himself..
Pt-"Can I get a new..."
Me-"Gown! Yes a gown!! Anything else?" Pt-"Nope."
Make the triangle from the dirty utility to clean utility to pt room.
Pt-"I'm still kinda hungry do you guys have sandwiches up here?"
Me-"Sure do you like ham or turkey? Mayo or mustard?"
Pt-"Ham with mayo please!"
Me-"okay! Is there anything else I can get while I'm out there?" pt-"Nope"
Run back to the kitchen AGAIN. Return to the pt's room.
pt-"Do you guys have milk up here?"
me-"Yes do you like 2%, whole or skim?"
pt-"2% sounds great."
me-"Anything else?"
pt-"nope" Run to the kitchen and back
pt-"hey thanks for the milk, can I get @#$>@#%........"

repeat this ad nauseam for an entire hour. I wasn't otherwise busy or else I would have had to cut it shorter.

I mean, obviously if he had just asked, "I need my bed changed, my urinal's kind of full, and I'm sore and hungry" I would have just done all that in the first place...

every pt, every shift. all of a sudden they become quadraplegics and need help to do things they did when they walked onto the floor (..hold my cup so I can drink water, wipe me, boost me in bed....)