"But for me, 98.4 means I have a fever...."

TopazLover, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

1. Show a little compassion for a patient who is legitimately ill
2. Show a little respect for the patient rather than treating the patient like a nuisance
3. Pay attention to the PERSON in front of you with an illness and not just focus on average numbers
Most of the time, patients just want to feel as if someone is listening and taking them seriously.

I wish I could give this 100 "Likes".

As you can see I am a crusty old bat. As gristly as they come. I understand many of you come to vent. When I read many of these vents I get the impression that some of you need a refresher course in steps 1, 2, and 3 rather than memorizing scripts.

There was good reason why the work day was shortened to 8 hours. I think many of you are over tired, worn out and cranky. I know I was when I worked 12.5 hr. shifts that never ended at 12.5.

I know as a patient I saw a shortage of compassion. People viewed me as an inconvenience in their busy lives. As a nurse I was often complimented that I showed compassion. I felt the difference.

Numbers mean little if you don't think about the patient. Some of the responses given have shown that people know their own and loved ones bodies and responses to assault.

Get over the numbers shuffle. Listen to your patient because just maybe one of your patients will be one of those who have responded here. You never know.

Laurie52 · Mar 15, 2012

We also once had a mom on my floor who got mad at our lack of reaction to her child's 30 second complex partial seizures. This is neurology, we have kids go into status and respiratory arrest regularly with seizures up here. If you want a code blue every time your child has an eye twitching episode, you'll have to go to another floor.
I also love people who react to their infant's BP being 90/50 and wonder why I'm not freaking out... because, you know, that's not a normal BP for a baby.

This mother does not care how many codes and how many kids are in status. She only cares about her child. She would probably been less angry (or anxious) if she felt that you cared too.

Wave Watcher · Mar 15, 2012

My son caused mass hysteria in his 3rd grade classroom one year. Apparently his tummy-ache was of such drama that one by one just about every other kid in the class had a tummy-ache too. The inexperienced teacher let all of them leave the classroom en masse to go see the nurse. :/ No, it was not food poisoning. My son just has a real flair.

I had to laugh! I am a school nurse and just the other day I had a 1st grader come into office complaining of belly ache and said he threw up in the bathroom BUT no one saw it. Well, my policy is.....if you vomit you better make sure someone can vouch for it! Otherwise, you're going back to class. So, I sent him back to class and asked him to try and hang in there till lunch time.

It was approx. 5 min later his teacher came into my office with paper towels and said, "He just vomited all over my classroom!"

Me: "Score! He gets the golden ticket to go home then!" Uh, do I need to call the janitor?

Teacher: Please.

I totally LOVE my kids!

wooh, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

I understand many of you come to vent. When I read many of these vents I get the impression that some of you need a refresher course in steps 1, 2, and 3 rather than memorizing scripts.

Many of us come here to vent so we can manage to pull out the 1,2, and 3 when we're at work. :)

wooh, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

This mother does not care how many codes and how many kids are in status. She only cares about her child. She would probably been less angry (or anxious) if she felt that you cared too.

Venting here now doesn't mean that she didn't care then.

WildOne · Mar 15, 2012

I have had a few clients like this too and its so annoying! I remember one of my residents in LTC during my final placement was like this and after seeing her BP reading which was high because she had hypertension but was on meds started freaking out. In an hour she was complaining of chest pain...but then went to go smoke 5 minutes later.

Funny when she thought she was out of my hearing range she would straighten her spine, stop moaning and be just plain fine.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

Just a pet peeve....I hate when I do a set of vitals on a patient and the vitals are clinically stable but the patient insists its abnormal.
Example:
Me - Just checked the temp - reads 98.4
Patient (40 something drama queen) - "Thats high for me...I think i have a fever"
Me - "Do you know what your temp normally is?"
Patient - "My normal temp is 98.2"
Me - "Your temp is FINE...all your other vitals are FINE"
Patient - "But i really am sick if I go above 98.4.......blah, blah, blah
Just irritates me....

Wrong answers.

"Oh really Mrs. Handwringer?? Thank you for telling me this important information, we will be keeping an extra close eye on you!"

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

1. Show a little compassion for a patient who is legitimately ill
2. Show a little reespect for the patient rather than treating the patient like a nuisance
3. Pay attention to the PERSON in front of you with an illness and not just focus on average numbers
Most of the time, patients just want to feel as if someone is listening and taking them seriously.

1. The gentleman in room 7 is having a heart attack. I have compasion.

2. The gentleman in room 8 is having a stroke. I have respect.

3. You have my attention. What do you want me to do to?

Listening will not cure that raging 98.9 fever. What do you want me to do?

TopazLover, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

1. The gentleman in room 7 is having a heart attack. I have compasion.
2. The gentleman in room 8 is having a stroke. I have respect.
3. You have my attention. What do you want me to do to?

Listening will not cure that raging 98.9 fever. What do you want me to do?

Assess.

Sometimes the sickest don't follow our rules. How do you know there is an MI?, a stroke? You assess. Once you have assessed then use your communication skills to let the person know you will be attentive with any S/S they can give you or you discover.

That really takes less than allowing the person to fry your brain as they are living rent free up there.

Epic_RN · Mar 15, 2012

-We're in the ER with my son and I told the nurse he had a fever. He took an auxiliary temp and his temp was somewhere around 98. I told him take it rectally (the room was very cold and his HR was 160's at 3 yrs). He started telling why we shouldn't do a rectally but I wouldn't back down. He finally agreed and was shocked his temp was 102.7.

Had something similar happen with my son. His fever was at 102.9, gave Motrin, and a half hour later it was still climbing. Got in the car when it was 104.1, then it was 105.2 in the ED and he was delirious with slurred speech. The CNA doing vitals in the ED lobby was using the temporal wand and didn't know what she was doing so his temp registered at 101.3. I whipped out my oral (this has happened before so I was prepared lol) and took it in front of her and made her write both on the triage sheet. She was mad, but I truly did not care. He ended up being treated for an ear infection and not meningitis, thank God, but it was scary. Funny thing was, the triage RN was shocked when I told her that, yes, I had given him Motrin -- guess that's rare around here

nguyency77, CNA · Mar 15, 2012

I once had a woman flip out over her blood pressure, insisting loudly that it was rising due to "something in the water." She refused to drink anything but bottled water.

Being only the CNA, I did not point out to her that it was probably not the water, but perhaps had something to do with her religious devotion to McDonald's, soda, and inability to cooperate with the nurse regarding her blood pressure medication.

Woodenpug, BSN · Mar 15, 2012

Yeah, just jumpiness in: Signs mean nothing. The symptoms are important. Most will not believe me, but I have cared for a patient with "stable" V-tach. However possible, my patient had a heart rate of 140, and clearly V-tach. She was fine, orientated X 4 and a stable B/P. If you treat those only things that can be measured, I hope that you are not treating someone for whom I care. I would like you to care for an administrative RN. In that case, the benefits, (surviving patients), far outweigh the consequences of that patient's survival.