Feeling like a servant

Nurses Relations

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Do you guys ever feel like the families and sometimes patients treat you like u are the waitress? Or like they are ur only patient? It really irritated me today.

The hospital is a scary place for those not conditioned/acclimated to that environment. Family members and friends may find it bewildering and sickening, e.g., a friend and I visited a friend who had just survived a car crash. (Our friend's face got wrecked and got it fixed by an excellent plastic surgeon. Surgeon also threw in a rhinoplasty gratis.)

My friend fainted from the smells and visuals of the hospital. For me it was business as usual. I was checking the IVs when friend passed out. The friend is otherwise hardy (passed the CPA exam, in full, on first try).

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

When I first starting nursing in 1976, every patient got a back rub as part of HS care. We had time to do it then, however.

Specializes in Med-surg.

When I was a nursing assistant, I had a family member suggest that we do what Quickchek does with their coffee and make it fresh every 20 minutes. :/

Specializes in APRN / Critical Care Neuro.

When I was in my 20's I had emergency surgery and had internally hemorrhaged over 4 pints of blood. Had I not drove myself into the ER instead of staying home sick in bed I would have slowly bled to death and died. This was before cell phones. The boyfriend I thought I loved and lived with did not contact anyone in my family or my friends. I woke up after surgery terrified and alone...for days. No one knew I was in there and I was hooked up to a morphine pump. I could barely remember my full name much less phone numbers. What saved me was the nurse who truly cared for me. She came in on the second evening with a container of warm water and clean towels. She cleaned, rubbed and massaged my legs and feet while speaking so gently to me. I really needed that.

I learned 2 valuable things. 1) The boyfriend had to go ASAP and 2) Servitude is not demeaning unless you allow it. Servitude is not giving up control or self esteem. To me, servitude is simply being there for another human being at their weak moment, not yours. There are those who will try to abuse and don't physically need it...but they wouldn't be trying if they were not emotionally having issues.

Maybe I am Pollyana sometimes...but I still believe that deep down people don't really want to hurt each other, they just sometimes get very confused trying to defend themselves. It doesn't explain all the evil in the world, but I think it fits the vast majority of us who are good eggs.

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.
yeah but home health you're not stuck with them for 12 hours straight, are you?

Heck yeah, if you are private duty! Some families think they have a babysitter and maid rolled into one! I don't mind doing light housekeeping if it's specifically for the actual client, but when the mom wanted her AAO quad daughter to have her nurse do what would be her share of household chores (like take out the kitchen garbage and recyclables) I drew the line!

LOL - that's AWESOME (your response!) - let their lazy a*** get up and fetch their own drink, smh.

Specializes in PCCN.

ahhh- ok, didnt know that.... yeah ,thats crossing the line...

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

As a 3rd shift private duty nurse, I've been asked by more than one client to keep an eye to the window on their neighbors' houses while their neighbors were away.

Specializes in ICU.

Our patients are not allowed in the refreshment room; they cannot just go in there and fetch their own drinks, ice, or snacks. Almost all of them are either on diabetic finger-sticks, or fall precautions, so we have to dictate when and what they eat, and assist them with any ambulation. It usually works out OK. Sometimes we get the family that wants to live in the room and demand everything. We have a large indigent/poor population, and camping out in the patient's room means free cable TV, free air-conditioning, etc. Plus most demand a free meal tray 3 times per day. I have just learned to deal with the customer-service stuff, since it doesn't look like it is going to change in the near future.

Specializes in APRN / Critical Care Neuro.

I will have to admit there are limits. I was a little put off when one patient, elderly CHF severely overweight, who was on fall precautions wanted me to hold her 2 week old grandbaby while she was hooked up to a 12 lead because she was having questionable rhythms and angina. The mother was no where to be found...presumably getting lunch in some other part of the hospital. Let me add that the patient in a room just a couple of doors down was c.difficile. I was appalled that the baby was there and was worried about what I could have been possibly passing on to the baby off of my own scrubs. I clean my hands in and out like I am supposed to...but had a wonderful moment earlier in the day with a patient that had CHF and schizophrenia. The grandmother expected that I hand the baby back to her...but it looked very precarious and dangerous because she was not stable and could easily drop the baby. What can you do really? The baby is not the patient. Families are something else and can be ridiculous. This was an indigent family and the daughter was probably enjoying the free babysitting. ugh.

I am a waitress going through nursing school and i always say nursing is going to be like waitressing only you get paid much more. Ill take $20+ over $3.85 anyday!

I was a server too for 5 years and during nursing school, and I always thought the same thing! And I think it does have many similarities , you will have such an easy time with time management which is usually the hardest thing for people. I mentioned in my cover letter the similarities that would help me in nursing and it worked out well.

Specializes in Emergency Department, Rehabilitation.

Good answer!! I actually told a patient, "I'm sorry but massage therapist is a licensed profession in the state of New Jersey. I don't give massages & massage therapists don't give you your medications." End of conversation.

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