[BeachBayNurse]

There is a WORLD of difference in the way patients behave on the different floors I work on. What makes the difference?? The mangement of the floors!! One floor, the nurse manager will stand up for you and let the patient know that we are busy, the other floor the nurse manager gets upset if you tell the patient they have to wait. It is no surprise that one of the floors I described always has extra nurses working, the other floor is always short and noone wants to float there.

I really believe that the administration sets the tone, be it the suits, or the charge nurse for the shift.

[birdgardner]

Originally Posted by aeauooo

HA! I got one for ya:

I had two patients in the ICU, one alert & oriented, relatively stable. The other was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head who had blown out one of his eyes. I had to put lacri-lube on it then cover it up with half a styrofoam cup every couple of hours.

While setting up to put lacri-lube on the guy's eye I heard my A&O patient in the next room say, "I want a drink of water." Then I heard one of the visitors come out of the room saying, "Where's that nurse? Where's that nurse?"

I removed the styrofoam cup from the guy's eye and stood aside so that the guy's blown out eye could be seen from the door.

I heard, "Where's that nur..."

I didn't hear another word about a cup of water after that.

Ooooo, HIPAA violation. Good on you.

[CrunchRN]

Originally Posted by birdgardner

Ooooo, HIPAA violation. Good on you.

Who cares - they deserved it!

[aeauooo]

Originally Posted by CrunchRN

Who cares - they deserved it!

I figure some people who read that are going to think it was funny, others offensive. I make no apologies for it.

It was not premeditated. I was about to begin a task that I felt was more important than dropping what I was doing to go fetch a cup of water (there were sinks in the room, after all). I neglected to close the curtain behind me, but it being night shift, didn't think anyone other than staff would look in the room.

In retrospect, yes, it was not the right thing to do, but as Stevie Wonder said,

"You grow up and learn that kinda thing aint right
But while you were doinit-it sure felt outta sight"

[JessieRN]

Do the patient complain while you are opening their spenda packet that it is not real sugar?!?!

[earle58]

i once had a pt who would spit on the floor: (basin in front of her)
blow her nose and throw the tissues on the floor;
and use her call light for "her nurse" to pour her a drink, even though the carafe was right in front of her on the overhead table.
(she was not immobilized.)

after a few polite 1:1's, she blew me off and continued w/her offensive demeanor.
although i had provided her with a sm trash bag taped to her table, she continued to huck and spit on the floor, as well as throwing her snotty tissues there.

i got a little tougher with her, w/firm limit-setting.

when i had to change her and was cleaning her bottom, she 'let one loose', with my face only inches from the source.
and then she snickered.

mean, mean lady.

leslie

[aeauooo]

Originally Posted by earle58

i once had a pt who would spit on the floor: (basin in front of her)
blow her nose and throw the tissues on the floor

That reminds me of an old guy I took care of years ago. The first time I set foot in his room he let loose a stream of profanity. I responded with my newly-developed limit-setting skills, told him "You can't speak to me that way," and walked out of the room. After a series of similar experiences, I realized that this was a form of aphasia and that he couldn't speak without using profanity.

After that, we became buddies. It was hard for other nurses to deal with him - so no one minded that I would volunteer to take care of him. I had long conversations with him and documented his concerns about his care. People would read my notes and wonder how I got all of the information I did out of him. I learned to listen through the profanity and heard what he was trying to say.

Anyway, the reason your story reminded my of him was that he had difficulty using a urinal and would pee on the floor. I figured it was easier to throw a towel on the floor than to have to change his bed linens every time he voided.

[jlsRN]

Sometimes I long for the days when nurses ruled the wards, and we didn't have constantly cater to patients and their demanding families like a waitress hoping for a tip.

The public has gotten so demanding! Yes, like someone mentioned, this patient called me in the room to push the button to raise the head of the bed. , even though she's been a patient multiple times.

It's so wearing dealing with a wheedling manipulator.

[ranaazha]

Originally Posted by aeauooo

I've had docs complain that I wasn't doing my job because I didn't make coffee or load paper into a printer.

"Sorry, I wasn't taught how to do that in nursing school."

I had a doc yell at me because the pulse ox on our vitals machine was too slow. He was wondering why his patient was so sleepy. Everything was FINE with the guy, except for the fact that HE gave HIS patient Ambien the night before - first time ever. Seen this happen with SO many older patients. (It's not text book for a reason!) As soon as he was dialyzed, he woke right up.

[Diary/Dairy]

Originally Posted by earle58

i once had a pt who would spit on the floor: (basin in front of her)
blow her nose and throw the tissues on the floor;
and use her call light for "her nurse" to pour her a drink, even though the carafe was right in front of her on the overhead table.
(she was not immobilized.)

after a few polite 1:1's, she blew me off and continued w/her offensive demeanor.
although i had provided her with a sm trash bag taped to her table, she continued to huck and spit on the floor, as well as throwing her snotty tissues there.

i got a little tougher with her, w/firm limit-setting.

when i had to change her and was cleaning her bottom, she 'let one loose', with my face only inches from the source.
and then she snickered.

mean, mean lady.

leslie

I bet it was hard to control your temper on that one! Why do people act so hatefully???