Disappointed with my nurse last night

[BSNbeauty]

Long story short: I was having terrible side effects from a prescribed diet pill. My husband finally convinced me to go to the ER after having s/s for the past 2 weeks that has gotten progressively worse. So the nurse asks me why I'm here and I tell her my story.Then my husband interjects and says " She knows better than to take this stuff, she is a nurse". After he said that, the nurse began berating me to doing such harmful things to my body and stated my husband is right and that " You should know better". She went on and on about it and even stated " If I was your friend, I would have kicked your ***". She said I get no sympathy because I'm a nurse. She said it in a joking way but I still didn't appreciate it. Not only was I in pain but I also felt stupid for taking something that I knew had possible harmful and undesired S/E. As soon as I muster up enough energy I plan to report her. I just don't think nurses should be judged for why they are in the hospital whether it is their fault or not. The point is I was her patient, not a nurse and I all I needed was quality care and not her two cents. Speaking of quality care, she never scrubbed my hub when given meds and just kinda all over the place. I've worked in the ED for a short time so I know it can get pretty crazy. I just think she should have least did the basic things to try to prevent infection. Anyway, I just needed to get that out.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Sorry, but other than not swabbing your IV port, I see nothing this nurse did wrong here. Seems like everything a nurse thinks, says or don't say, does or doesn't do, somebody has to complain about it. Did you complain about the doctor who prescribed this medication to you? Did the doctor discuss the possible side-effects with you? As for the swabbing, if it was really an issue with you, surely you would have said something to the nurse at that time; after all, you did notice it then.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Sorry, but other than not swabbing your IV port, I see nothing this nurse did wrong here. Seems like everything a nurse thinks, says or don't say, does or doesn't do, somebody has to complain about it. Did you complain about the doctor who prescribed this medication to you? Did the doctor discuss the possible side-effects with you? As for the swabbing, if it was really an issue with you, surely you would have said something to the nurse at that time; after all, you did notice it then.

A nurse can think what they would like to. It is the saying it out loud to the patient which is questionable at best.

No one can predict if someone will have a side effect to a medication or not, so why would the OP complain to the MD?

Perhaps the OP is an obese nurse who has to lose weight or lose her job--we see it on here all the time. Or after many failed diet attempts, she needed to lose the weight for a variety of other reasons.

Perhaps it would have been more p.c. if she just said that she has starved herself for a couple of days, and the heart palpitations were from dehydration....

Nurses can and do educate about medications. The line is crossed when we throw in our own 2 cents regarding OUR feelings about said meds.

MD had a reason to prescribe them. She took them. As prescribed.

It is more of a worry to me when people DON'T take the meds that are prescribed to them.

[SDgirl2013]

^^ Where's the like button?? Great points ^^

[CodeteamB]

I wonder, was the lack of hub-scrubbing a single occurrence or did it happen more than once? If it was a one time thing it sounds like a busy nurse getting distracted and messing up, could happen to the best of us. In that case the most appropriate thing would be for the patient to point it out to the nurse at the time. If it was multiple times then sister probably needs some remedial training in IP & C, and I would consider reporting it (if it occurred after I brought it to her attention).

As to the rest of it, it sounds obnoxious but I would just let it go. First, you were likely one of her healthier patients, you knew what had caused your symptoms and your own family member was calling you out for knowing better. I would have done a little patient education too, though I would have worded it differently. I would have said the same thing to any patient, medical professional or otherwise. Second, at least she said something to your face instead of just telling your tale in the break room :)

Hope you are feeling better!

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

A) I think nurses get a little report happy with other nurses.

B) Whatever happened to good old fashioned directness. "This is a decision I made with MY physician and I'm here because I'm having side effects, not because I'd like to discuss my decision making process. And if you're not going to 'scrub my hub'"

heh, really?

"then if you'll just pass me an alcohol swab I'll do it for you."

(that's even funnier)