How are you judgemental?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was reporting off this morning on a rule out chest pain pt. He was a 49 yr old guy who had an extensive family cardiac risk hx, he had had a CABG in his 30's, had been an alcoholic until 8 yrs ago, when he gave it up. He had abused recreational drugs. He previously had smoked 4 pks a day, but now was down to 1/2 pack a day. He still occasionally indulged in pot, was married for 30+ years, had had stents, was not overweight, had early COPD, and was just about to get on disablity for his multiple problems. He also had had some esophegeal surgery secondary to his previous ETOH dependence.

The guy was actually very nice and really above board and honest. He had been a traveling worker who had worked on railroads. He had made the effort to quit drinking for 8 years, had cut back to 1/2 pack a day, was not pestering me for morphine, and was really nice.

So, one of the nurses in report was pretty judgemental. Let me just say that this nurse tends to give a pass to all the out of control diabetics who are 100 punds overweight, and is a only too eager to point out how judgemental I am if I comment on that.

This all made me realize how each of us has something that makes us judge our pts. For some reason, this guy seemed up front and honest. He didn't mind my remarks like "How in the world did you manage to smoke 4 pks a day!?". I saw him as someone who WAS making an effort. Yes, I think that whiny, overweight pts who have complications from their food overindulgences bug me.

So, what is it that particularly sets you off about your pts? For me it's the overeating, abdominal chronic pain pts, they really aggravate me. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

What twerks me off are the parents who bring their sick children to the office and tell me that they don't have the money to buy tylenol, so would I please give them some and invariably they smell like cigarette smoke and have a pack of camels in their purses or pockets.

AND the parents who have kids with Asthma or chronic ear infections who swear they don't smoke around their kids, but the kids still smell like a bar at last call.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

I have to say the admitted drug abuser/positive drug screen pt who claims to be in an agonizing pain of 10 at the exact time for his/her next dose of pain medication, yet no change in vitals and when you come in with the meds they are sleeping! I know pain is what the pt says it is but come on!

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it's the people who try to justify smacking their kids (and insist that it isn't abuse, even when they are brought to court because someone saw it happen, and then further justify by saying "it was my own child, not a foster child")

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.

I tend to be a little judgmental of people that come into my Urgent Care Clinic at 10 minutes to close with a minor problem that they have had for 2+ weeks.....:angryfire

I like to get home to MY family too.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

unnecessary call lights...

"What's today's date?"

"What time do they serve lunch?" or "Do you know what's for lunch?"

"Am I getting __(insert sleeping medication)__ tonight because I had it last night and it really helped me sleep" ....at 7:30 in the morning

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Specializes in Tele, Infectious Disease, OHN.

New moms who ask to go for a walk (in a wheelchair) just so they can go downstairs and smoke, and then come back to the helpless baby they have bbrough into the world REEKING of cigarettes.

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Heh Heh, these are all pretty good!

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i have a different take on it.

i can pretty successfully tune-out pts' demands, idiocyncrasies, etc., and not get bothered.

in an interview long ago, i was asked what my weakest point was.

i was forthright in answering "my standards are too high".

and sometimes i think i may be right, since i get easily muddled by other nurses' shabby work ethics.

or the gossips who thrive on creating a toxic work atmosphere.

or the nurse who looks the other way when noticing a pt doing something unsafe, or just independently, when they still need assist....because it's not their pt.

the list could go on but my point is, i have little patience with experienced and seasoned nurses who lack certain key qualities and maturity, that are required in order to become something they should aspire to be.

i have no patience with this workgroup.

and we all know who they are. :)

leslie

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Earle, I totally agree. That is another angle on the question. I have a real problem with that sort of negativity and lousy work ethic. That's the main reason I had to leave the unit I was previously working on, because I was up against that sort of thing and there was nothing I could do about it.

I work on a very healthy unit now where every single nurse has a work ethic I admire (even if we are judgemental about different things)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

I have no time for people who lie, or are underhanded, or are stupid.

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Specializes in med surg, SICU.

I think drug seeking behavior is the thing I am quickest to judge on. I'm not judgmental directly to the patient, mind you, but I have a running commentary in my mind that is probably not very polite. I know we are supposed to take the patient's pain rating as the gospel truth, but I have charted pain ratings using 2 different scales before. "Pt. rates her pain at a 10 on the numeric scale. Pain rating is a 2 per the FLACC scale..." etc. ;)

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