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  1. Sep 17, '09 by ShayRN
    I really like the Reader's Digest new monthly article. 13 things_____ won't tell you. This month it was teachers. So here are some I would like to see listed for nursing:

    I really resent when you call and say you need a nurse immediately and when I get to the room you tell me you need a drink of water with a lot of ice. That is NOT something you need immediately and not something you need a nurse to do for you. Next time I won't hurry.

    Standing at the desk staring at me isn't going to get me moving any faster, I am on the phone with the doctor getting orders. Glaring doesn't help either.

    I understand you just had surgery, part of your recovery process is getting up and walking, so get up and walk.

    Your doctor is an #@$hole, he will kill you sooner or later. Please don't sit there and say to me "well, my doctor says..."

    Your family is crazy. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

    If you hit me, I will prosecute. I am not your punching bag.

    You break my heart. You have been sick for so many years and yet you still smile when I walk into the room. AND manage to make me smile.

    I love my work, but it is my work. My life is outside this place with people I love.

    Please don't talk to me like I am stupid or deaf. I have a four year college degree and great hearing.

    Use your call bell and your inside voice. Screaming nurse, nurse, nurse and banging your cup on the tray table will have people thinking your crazy and they will just ignore you.

    When you come in acting like an idiot, your not advocating for your mom. The second you leave every nurse on the floor will avoid that room because they don't want to do a thing to tick you off.

    That hug you gave me meant the world to me. The thank you for your great care? Made my day. Yes, I will be back tomarrow and one way or another you will be my patient.

    Nursing is hard physical work. Nursing is hard physical work. Nursing is hard physical work.

    What would be on your list?
    MJB2010, anotherone, SuesquatchRN, and 67 others like this.

  2. 200 Comments so far...

  3. Sep 17, '09 by StNeotser
    Do not shout and complain to me again about the doctor not being here when s/he said they would. You need to take it up with them, not me. I'm not their secretary. But I'd like to be around when they get here to see if you shout and complain in the same manner about it that you did to me.
    MJB2010, anotherone, Gabby_101, and 27 others like this.
  4. Sep 17, '09 by Pepper The Cat
    I am not the enemy. I want you to get better and go home. Trust me - its easier on me to let you lie there in bed and do nothing. But you won't get better so that is why I am breaking my back to haul you out of bed several times a day.

    You chose to have the knee/hip replacement. Now get out of that bed and do your physio so it wasn't a waste of time.
    MJB2010, anotherone, Gabby_101, and 16 others like this.
  5. Sep 17, '09 by ernoc333
    Runny nose for 15 minutes with no other symptoms is not a medical emergency. No, you may not be Triaged first, ahead of the Cardiac Chest Pain nor the Acute Asthma patient, just because you verbally abuse the Registrars.

    Chronic Temper Tantrums, worse x 1 hour PTA is not a medical emergency. Get a parenting book.

    Rushing to the ER to have an RN administer Tylenol to your child with an uncomplicated URI means that Taxpayers just bought you a $650.00 dose of Tylenol.

    Calling the ER ahead of time, saying, "my Migraines are acting up, I'll be there in 15 minutes and I want to be seen first when I arrive" doesn't mean anything to the Triage Nurse who has 23 arrivals, some of whom are fighting for their lives.

    After weekly visits for "I need a place to stay tonight", most ER Nurses really want to get down on you and say, "This isn't a Hotel", but they only hold back so they don't get into trouble with their management.

    You will NOT abuse my staff. I will Prosecute.

    If you have a minor, not even visible Contusion, and you ask why you aren't getting the same level of attention from the staff that a Critical Patient fighting for his or her life is, not only will the medical staff, but also surrounding patients and visitors will believe you are an idiot.

    If you come to the ER stating, "I've had a Runny Nose and Cough since yesterday, a 99 degreee fever and I'm not breathing..." Trust me, if you can speak that normally, I am 100% sure you are breathing.

    Sick or Not Sick. Determines Minimal Attention versus Intensive Attention. TO CARE FOR THE SICK is the function of the Medical and Nursing Staff in the ER. Don't expect to receive Intensive Attention if you come to the ER when you're not sick. Also keep in mind that you're being Irresponsible and Misusing the Emergency System when you call an Ambulance or come to the ER when you're not sick, and that someone fighting for his or her life will get less care when you do so.

    For future reference: Sick= Bleeding out, Heart Issues, Neurologic Issues, Psychiatric Crises, Precipitous Labor, Seizure, Burns, Open Lacerations. Not sick= Menstrual Cramps, Acute Onset Yeast Infection, Fight with Boyfriend and want his Attention, acute allergic Rhinitis, Superficial Paper Cut, Broken Fingernail, requesting daily Enema.

    Why do Not Sick people use an Ambulance to come, while Truly Sick People's families DRIVE them in?

    If you weight 300 pounds and can walk normally now, and on a daily basis, please don't ask the 110 pound nurse to lift you off your wheelchair when you can easily do it yourself.

    If you are a drunk male in the ER asking your nurse for sexual favors, you have a LESS THAN ZERO chance of getting one EVER in this lifetime.
    Last edit by ernoc333 on Sep 17, '09
    SuesquatchRN, ohiostudent'RN, VICEDRN, and 24 others like this.
  6. Guide
    Sep 17, '09 by talaxandra
    I get that you're... unhappy, shall we say, that you have whatever you came in with but renal failure, strokes, diabetes etc aren't my fault so stop taking it out on me.

    If you can scream at me your breathlessness is not a 'call the crash team' level emergency - take slow, deep breaths and calm down while I check your obs and call the doctor. No, you're not dying - yet.
    canoehead, MARTHACATTNURSE, donsterRN, and 1 other like this.
  7. Sep 17, '09 by Virgo_RN
    Pointing at the patient and saying "Ice chips for her" the moment I walk into the room to see why the monitor is alarming will not result in ice chips being brought by me.
    MJB2010, Gabby_101, canoehead, and 10 others like this.
  8. Sep 17, '09 by EymieICURN
    If you do not want to leave the room while I clean your family member, then grab some gloves and a washcloth and help me out!

    I do not read lips! so stop wasting your time trying to talk to me with that tube down your throat. All I am going to do is turn up the white stuff and put you to sleep.

    NO you cannot have a bedpan...can you see we are giving report!?
    Not_A_Hat_Person, krave, hollyhelps, and 3 others like this.
  9. Sep 17, '09 by catlynLPN
    Quote from EymieICURN
    If you do not want to leave the room while I clean your family member, then grab some gloves and a washcloth and help me out!

    I do not read lips! so stop wasting your time trying to talk to me with that tube down your throat. All I am going to do is turn up the white stuff and put you to sleep.

    NO you cannot have a bedpan...can you see we are giving report!?
    Wow....I hope I'm not ever your patient. I feel sorry for the ones who are.
    Keep em sedated and no bedpans, huh?
    ashleyisawesome, NeoNurseTX, CandyGyrl1985, and 28 others like this.
  10. Guide
    Sep 17, '09 by VivaLasViejas
    Please keep in mind that this is a venting thread........thanks.
    SuesquatchRN, fuzzywuzzy, canoehead, and 8 others like this.
  11. Guide
    Sep 17, '09 by nerdtonurse?
    Don't be a freakin' drama queen (or king). I've seen seriously, point of death ill -- you're not it.

    Our nurse's station is not your television set. We're actually discussing how to help people who are truly ill, not ones like you who check in with "chest pain" every time you have an argument with your husband.

    For God's sake, make your mom a DNR. She's brain dead, has a PEG, and is on a vent.. She is never coming home. Why are you making us torture your mom? Could it be because you asked me "how long do we have after Momma passes before we have to tell Social Security to stop her check?"

    I'm looking at your telemetry. I've seen people have a heart attack. You have a textbook case of normal sinus rhythm, 73 beats a minute, no PVCs, no PJCs, you can't even work up a first degree block. So, no, I'm not going to wake up the cardiologist at 3 am because "my heart's racing, and I'm skipping beats." The 3 (yes, THREE) cardiac caths you've brow beat the doc to run keep telling you there's nothing wrong with you. And no, I will not call "disability" and tell them you need to be on it.

    If you tell me one more time how to do my job, you just might get to try it.
    SuesquatchRN, Gabby_101, junebug50, and 7 others like this.