What is your least favorite kind of med-surg patient?

angie1982 · May 7, 2005

I work in acute care and we constantly towards the end of the month get of flood of patients in with sickle cell pain crisis. Now I know that pain is subjective and all, but some of these patients are getting 8-10mg of dilaudid every two hours plus sometimes even t3 or t4 q 4 hours atc. They are on the buzzer within an hour wanted more pain meds. Not to mention something for itching because they are so pumped up on narcotics. These patients refuse pca pumps because then they cannot leave the floor to smoke. It's rediculous (sp) I feel like a drug dealer. (Although I'm almost positive I would make way more money doing that) lol. It gets very hard to distinguish between real pain and drug abuse at times. I feel bad b/c they might really be in pain, however if they are well enough to leave the unit to smoke do they really need to be hospitilized for three weeks at a time?

the other kind of least favorite pt. is respiratory especially trachs. It makes me sick to my stomach to suction, I cannot stand the sputum and mucus. gross, not to mentioned the suction canister in the room on the wall. I gag just thinking about it.

allnurses Guide · May 7, 2005

The MRSA isolation patients . . . .

Pitocen inductions . . . staying in the room all day with people can be very boring - We have no monitors at the nurse's station and so have to stay in the room.

steph

Luv2BAnurse · May 16, 2005

agreeing with vanillapalomino...it's the families! (and other visitors). The ones who "camp out" in the room with the patient and never leave. These are the same ones who hover over the patient while you try to assess, question, medicate, feed, etc. They also want to tell you all about their own medical problems. AND, these are the very same ones who keep "begging" for food and beverages. Who has time for that? If you don't smile and oblige them, then they whine to the managers, and you come out in the wrong.

z's playa · Jun 12, 2005

I have a question. How do you decipher the difference between a so called drug seeking whiney pt and a pt in genuine pain?

If the pt asks for meds q 3.8 hours wouldn't this signal insufficient relief only?

If the pt is in the hospital ..it seems 'drugseeking' shouldn't be frowned upon if they complain of pain.

Right? :uhoh21:

Z

suzy253, RN · Jun 12, 2005

Drug seekers & isolation patients.

318LPN95 · Jun 12, 2005

My least favorite patient is the one who has a colostomy bag with a sling on his right arm and can not do anything for him/her self except want more food when they know that they are on a restricted diet. The more you eat the more will come out of the colostomy bag. I hate changing colostomy bags the smells just takes my breath away. I would much rather suction a trach. :rolleyes:

melinated · Jun 21, 2005

the non compliant diabetics and copd'ers

wound vacs are annoying too!

grinnurse, RN · Jun 21, 2005

I have only worked on a MS unit for 5 shifts and so far these are the ones that get on my nerves:

1. The patients that stay on the call button and think they are the only patient that you have. :angryfire

2. The ones who know exactly when their next pain med is due and tell you that their pain level is 10 with absolutly no change in vs. :rolleyes:

3. The families that insist that you get their loved ones up (forget the patient is dying) just b/c that's what the doctor said!! :crying2:

4. Psych patients w/o sitters. :uhoh21:

I am sure as I get further along I will be able to add more but that's what has been the most challenging so far.

plumrn, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2005

The ones that have intractable pain, and/or nausea/vomiting, etc., but despite multiple tests, over several days, nothing can be pinned down. They are truly sick, the family is worried sick and getting impatient, the doctors are nervous, the nursing staff is worried, but what to do? It makes us feel really inadequate. You feel so helpless, when the patient is going down hill a little every day, and you still don't know WHAT is Wrong with them?? If the patient gets transferred out, you feel shamefully relieved because you won't have to face the pt or their family anymore with no answers for them, and you hope that someone else can get to the bottom of it.

Dinith88 · Jul 3, 2005

My least favorite are...

1) Confused and mobile patients...(once had to practically sit on a patient (for ~6hrs) with a femoral sheath who had a short-term memory of ~20 seconds...was in restraints, and mean...

2) incontinent ones...(for obvious reasons)

3) Patients who either a)know it all (or at least more than the nurses) or b)have family-members who know it all...(or at least more than the nurses)

4) (the ultimate worst patient-type) an incontinent, confused and mobile patient with a family that knows everything.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 4, 2005

---------------oops

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 4, 2005

Right......and it's usually not even the PATIENT, it's their families!

I swear, we just had one that boggled all our minds.

Not going into specifics, but I began to wonder if Munchausen's by proxy might have been involved......grrrr......

....also cannot stand the families who think that having their "loved one" in the hospital means FREE MAID SERVICE! :angryfire

YES, YES....totally agree. :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire