What are your favorite types of patients??

Nurses Relations

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I don't recall seeing a thread like this and it was something someone asked me so I thought I would throw it out there.

What are your favorite types of patients??

Me, I love when I have Pre-Teen and Teen boys. I work well with teenagers in general (outside of my own) but I have had a lot of 11-16 year old male patients lately and they are probably my most favorite patients. I think because I relate well to boys first of all, having 3 of my own, and I relate to teens and I always just feel more motherly to these types.

Anyone else have a general type they tend to enjoy having more?

Specializes in PACU, OR.

Pain-free and sleeping :D

I also like the "pleasantly confused" ones. In PACU that means the ones who wake up and immediately start laughing at everything, anything and nothing....

Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

anesthetized patients. hence why i work in the OR

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

Hmmm...this is a toughie. Since I work in the OR, I have very limited time with pts while they are awake.

I would have to say that my favorite are those who have been down for multiple surgeries. For example, a trauma pt who has multiple wound vac changes, a burn pt who needs multiple I&Ds, an ortho pt getting their ex-fix removed.

But I think my VERY favorite patients are the ones that come to the OR to have their colostomy taken down. HOW EXCITING FOR THEM! No more poopie bag! I work with a GI surgeon most of the time now, and his pts are usually young men and women that have UC or Crohn's. I just can't imagine what having a colostomy does to their self image at such a young age...but when they are in pre-op and I interview them, I see that they are wrestling with being excited about having the take-down, yet scared to go into surgery at all. I love to be able to help them focus on the positive aspect of the surgery and decrease their fear to a degree.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Sedated, intubated, restrained, multiple pressors, swan'ed, a-line, hell why not throw in a IABP while were at it. The sicker the better....and then when they somehow make it out of it, I get to tell them, how they just put up the fight of their lives, the reaction is priceless.

Old demented people are fun too, esp ones who are pleasantly confused who you can play into the whole confusion bit with and it sometimes gets funny actually.

And anyone or anything with multisystem trauma, ICP, and all that good stuff.

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology patients...they are so brave, funny, and mature beyond their years. They are sicker than sick and while our main goal for the day is to keep them alive, their goals are to play, do homework, watch a good movie, and text some friends. They feel like utter crap but don't want pain meds cause it will make them too sleepy to finish their homework or make it to the playroom when it opens. And even though they've been hospitalized for who knows how long, they still cringe when you look at their poop :-) Beyond amazing creatures!

i'm torn.... when i worked neuro and coma stim, i loved the "flip, flop, fold, feed, and fluff" club..... :sstrs::dzed:

i also liked the drug/alcohol patients who wanted to get well- and there were a lot of them. :cheers:*wine

with med-surg/ortho, i usually gravitated towards the ones nobody else liked....there was something about them, that was underneath the crankiness, and i wanted to be nice to them, in case nobody usually was in their regular life. idk- i understand being misunderstood- so didn't want to add to that. :o

i ltc, i always seemed to get the ornery old farts- and they seemed to like me.....one guy used to scream (after i'd gone from the floor to mdss) "__my name___, are you gonna grease my butt?" he could be heard halfway down the hall- which was oh, so special when the admissions people were trying to tour prospective residents' families :uhoh3:

his family would send him goodies (most lived a ways away)- vienna sausage was a big one....i'd keep his frig (taller dorm size) cleaned out (talked to daughter and she was glad someone was willing).... i called her one day to tell her that we were good w/vienna sausage- 40 cans in the closet :D. then the tuna started showing up. i was cleaning out the frig one day (resident was always there- grumpy) and looked at the mayo jar...i turned it upside down and the lump of mayo felt to the other side:eek:. the resident said it was fine- i told him i couldn't leave anything in there that might kill him. he gave up. lots of scary food stories :D

the floor staff would call me when he was acting up (he made loud, weird noises, and would panic if his door was shut)-- "your son is acting up again- will you puleeeze come down here and do something with him?"..... lol i loved that old fart!!!;)

Specializes in School Nursing.

Love my special needs kiddos. Even the ones who won't let me near them with a thermometer. I love when the kids with mild developmental delays start out in our 3 year old class, then by the time they are in Kinder they are in a regular class. We have a kid in 1st grade now who started out in our 3 year old class and he is a handfull, but one of my favorites.

Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.

I like the critical patients - more things to play with!

I also like my LOPs (little old people) - the more grouchy and cantankerous the better. I love trying to turn them around into little old happy people. The more of a challenge, the better.

The ones that actually WANT to get better.

People that enjoy being sick drive me CRAZY-er. I just don't relate, and I can smell their manipultion from a mile away.

So those that get involved in their care, and help me help them get my "favorite" vote.

Specializes in ICU, PCU.

Live ones! I prefer them not trying to die on my shift! (if full code)

Specializes in Pediatrics.

4-6 year old girls. I've got just the right amount of silly/informative in my voice and actions to calm them down, make them more comfortable, and establish a great rapport with them. :yeah:

Specializes in ICU.

pleasantly confused little old guys and gals who dont try to jump out of bed, and are continent. They are always full of pleases, thank you's, and hugs! And when I get the time to give them a bed bath I usually get a reply of "I feel like a million dollars!" That really makes me happy that I made them feel better just by giving them some attention.

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