How do you deal with these types of patients? - Page 3

I am so glad to be out of the ER, because I think this type of patient made up 50% or more of our patient and family member mix.

And maybe it is un "nurse-like" but as another poster stated, no one short of someone who has an IQ less than 80 can be completely unaware of how much time they are taking away from other patients with their frequent requests of "can you move my tissue box four inches to the right?" The only way to deal with this is to set limits, stick with them, and make sure all of the staff on the unit does as well.

I understand the anxiety as well but you know that most of the staff will avoid that patient as much as possible because they are such time wasters and the patient has to catch on at some point too. I would feel more secure to have 1 minute with a staff member who wasn't just seeking an exit strategy then to ramble on with pointless stories and requests and keep someone there for longer and longer who didn't want to be there. I do not mind almost any request (within reason, and sometimes even sorta ridiculous ones) so long as they are not constant or used as a ploy or I am not being treated poorly by the patient. I've made sandwiches for homeless patients, scratched backs, trimmed beards, changed socks, brought snacks, made phone calls for patients, and just sat and held hands with someone who was scared. But not because they were being pests and begging for attention, because they asked for my time and were respectful of it. That is all the difference. I am there to care for others but not to be someone's whipping boy.