Pt's Complaint? Warranted or not?

[RNforLongTime]

I work in a 6 bed general ICU at a small hospital. Our rooms are all private with glass doors that are able to slide open. For the most part the doors to all pt rooms stay open . It's easier to get in and out that way, especially if a pt is having a problem that warrants immediate attention.

So, the other night I admit a pt with chest pain, r/o MI. Everything went fine. Pt not moved up to the floor due to tele malfunctions on the floor. So, I took care of the pt again this last night. Pt complains to the nsg supervisor this morning that I wouldn't close the door to the room the night before! It was so noisy that it prevented the pt from sleeping is what was told to the supervisor. Supervisor explained to pt the nature of being in ICU and that because the pt had JUST been admitted to ICU it was necessary to keep the door open.. The door was open part ways, with maybe a 4 ft opening to allow staff to come through. This past night, the door was shut all the way cause the pt was treated like a regular floor pt as that is where the pt should've been had there been any beds.

Now, I don't recall the pt asking me to close her door. I probably would have had she asked. At least part ways closed. And unfortunately, in ICU it CAN get noisy. We admitted FOUR patients between 9pm and 2am that shift.

I just cannot believe that the pt complained about this. Apparently the pt had a problem with my coworker on day shift. Pt then complained to daughter about all of this, who was livid and wanted to call an ambulance to have her loved one moved out of our ICU.

Ive been an RN for 10 yrs and have never had a pt complain that I wouldn't close the door to their room.

I was upset that the pt complained about this and I'd better not get written up for it either. I feel that my supervisor did a good job in explaining to the pt why I wouldn't shut the door. And my coworker said that she thought it might be illegal to close the door to a pt's room in ICU. Don't know if that's true or not.

Anyway, I don't feel that I did anything wrong by not shutting the pt's door. After all, I had to go in and out of the room as did the lab to draw blood on the pt. It is a lot easier NOT to shut the door because continually opening and closing a door can be loud and disturbing as well. Especially with older doors.

So, what do you think?

[burn out]

If I got in trouble everytime a patient complained about the noise in ICU I would have been fired a dozen times over squared. Our unit has no doors on any room so the "better" less ill patients will complain about the unit door closing. I guess they have to find something to complain about and if it is only the noise you must be doing something right.

[misscece]

Please don't spend another minute worrying about this patient and their complaint. Are you kidding me? If I had even one penny for every ridiculous complaint I've heard in my unit I could retire happily. How nice it would be to tell these folks what I really think (and at times I do in an off-handed manner). My opinion is that hospitals have lost their minds on this whole patient satisfaction thing. Don't get me wrong - of course we want our patients to be safe, happy and comfortable and we, as nurses, should not be allowed to be unprofessional in dealing with them or their family members. BUT...this is not a restaurant and my job is not to appease a patient's every whim - especially when that patient is especially and apparently difficult. I have found that if you really "lay down the law" with patients while remaining completely professional, they usually respond more realistically. Just don't beat yourself up over this issue or lose any more sleep over it.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Oh Lordie b! People will complain about anything! I wouldn't let it get to you...heck, I have had complaints about me not shutting a door, or shutting it! I typically ask folks during the assessment time as I leave if they like their door open or shut and put a note on the door...can you tell I have had that complaint before??? LOL!

I work now on a partial tele floor and I can not tell you how many people complain about the alarm sound (sounds like a cookoo). Not like we can turn that off! So typically I explain to them they are not in a hotel, they are in a hospital that runs 24/7 and if they were the ones with a monitor they sure as heck hope we hear that alarm!

I have also had complaint pointed at me for everything from too much starch in the sheets, to cold food (like that is my department???). I even had a lady complain that the picture of a lovely garden scene in her room was too 'cheery' for a hospital, and the paint job in the room was all wrong! MY GOODNESS!!!! Took a lot of strength not to laugh at her on that one! "what...can I bump up your bill so I can have an interior decorator come in and make it all better????" Sheesh!

[PANurseRN1]

I have to admit that I was irritated that the nurses always left the door open when I was in the hospital. I'd get OOB, shut the door, then someone would come in, walk out and leave the door open. I'd get up, close the door, and the cycle would repeat. I did state that I preferred the door to be closed but that never seemed to register with anyone. I wasn't in ICU, so it didn't need to be open for a "safety issue."

I did not complain to the supervisor, though. There were some really serious care issues I could have complained about, but I didn't.