Parents that make you go MMMMrgh!

Specialties NICU

Published

Like the set of parents we have right now, their baby is in the ICU room, lines etc , but will be a short term stay, compared to the 24 week, now 30 week tiny in the next bed space. These parents come in, are so loud..bring the 4 yr old sibling from haades, who I swear, flashed his eyes at me red, when Iasked him to sit on his behind and stop jumping and touching stuff!! Anyhow, today, my wee tiny is out for kangaroo care with her mammy, all nice and quiet, after 3 days of being unwell, and this family come in and totally spoil the quality of the cuddles for the mammy and baby who needed it so! They are an obnoxious family, gentle hints dont work, and their noisy behaviour had an effect on the really sick preemie who needed time out with her mother.

How do you guys handle such loud families...(apart from tripping up the "damien" boy, so they HAVE to leave to visit the emergency room???):devil: (am only kidding about tripping him up btw..well, I THINK I am!)

I never feel like this about families, Ilove the kiddos that visit, but this family are so disrespectful of whats happening around them, I'm going :devil::devil: every time they come in. Any tips on tactfulness guys????

Specializes in Retired NICU.

i'm sure we all get these types of problems. one of the hardest for me to handle well is when it is the baby's family that is causing a problem for their baby...then my instinct to, protect the baby and be his/her advocate, rears up, and i have trouble being delicate and educative:innerconfwith the parents, especially after they've been reasonably educated several times, and persist in disturbing the baby, actually being a detriment to it's wellbeing...:nono::argue: :angryfire :hlk:

and yes,:igtsyt::spbox: :oornt::deadhorsethose pt satisfaction surveys were invented by :devil:

:banghead::trout::smiley_ab:smackingf:lol_hitti:grn::hdvwl::idntdt:

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Specializes in NICU and neonatal transport.
And in some of our cases, the manager just perpetuates the problems in the name of Family Centered Care

Not just us then! After rants with parents and wafting the (laminated and on every door) visiting signs at them, you go and get your manager and they side with them. ARGH!! Why do we have rules then?!!?

We've got a set of the '3wks in and I'm a neonatologist' parents. Usual questions include:

'What was the pH on the gas?' One day I'll say 6.7 and see what they say

'Her lead has fallen off' ON ANOTHER BABY!!!

'I think we should start diuretics and then steriods' Pardon?!!?

I think she is tired of the tube, shall we take it out for an hour or so?' ET tube that is :)

Please turn her oxygen up/down/off'

As long as everything else is alright, it doesn't matter how bad her lungs are' ahem have you seen the CXR? Ok so shut up

........and breathe.

Lots more from this same mum.

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

'what was the ph on the gas?' one day i'll say 6.7 and see what they say

quote]

do it with a straight face and a video camera and i'll send you $20!!!:yeah:

(yes, a joke, for the humor impaired...)

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The mom very loudly talks on her cell phone to her friends and family about her baby's condition

I always thought that operating cellphones in a hospital was not allowed (and rude)?:nono:

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
I always thought that operating cellphones in a hospital was not allowed (and rude)?:nono:

Rude, yes.

There are still SOME areas in the hospital where they're not allowed. But most hospitals allow them because they do not cause the interference once thought. And, they've (cellphones) become a little more sophisticated than when that rule was first introduced.

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Specializes in NICU.
Rude, yes.

There are still SOME areas in the hospital where they're not allowed. But most hospitals allow them because they do not cause the interference once thought. And, they've (cellphones) become a little more sophisticated than when that rule was first introduced.

I agree. Our unit still doesn't allow them, though, because of privacy; it's hard to know exactly where parents are aiming their camera phones and we have more than one baby in a room.

I'm surprised at the number of parents who, after being told several times a visit they will have to leave the unit to answer the phone to talk, still think that stepping a few feet away and huddling over their phone is OK. Most parents are really good, though, and will even police the other--ruder--ones, LOL.

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