What patients/behaviors/illnesses/injuries do you HATE the most?

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I'll start with people who say "I went to nursing school" Okay, but are you a nurse?

I need my meds today. Also I can't pay for them.

Moms who let their kids run wild and scream. I get that stuff hurts, go ahead and cry. No need to run like a wile monkey or screech like you're dying, I assure you that if you were dying you'd have no time to yell like that.

And let's not get started on the drug-seekers!

Specializes in Oncology.

Speaking of "crying out loud" I HATE patients who scream when there's no one in the room and they want attention or some trivial thing, they scream "HELP ME" (I honestly want to punch people who scream HELP ME when it's not life and death or injury that's happening) and they just want something stupid or they are lonely and want attention. Makes everyone uncomfortable and on edge and I don't like to go in there because it encourages bad behavior. I want to ask them, are you 5 years old? If not then stop acting like it. And, ever hear of the boy who cried wolf?

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I am a psych patient myself and I read these threads and hear first hand some of the stuff nurses say about psych patients and I think to myself, I pay people to be talked about and treated bad? Victoria, I have had the same experience as you. I think some people think psych is just an easy/low risk job compared to med surg (I am not saying every psych nurse but there are some). It's just as serious because you run the risk of the patient killing themselves (it has happened before on psych units).

I have a mental health history myself; however, I am not adept as a psych nurse. I for sure don't HATE psych patients, but therapeutic communication exhausts me. I'd rather give you a fluid bolus to fix you. All nursing has a psychiatric component but I just know I am not the nurse you want if the primary diagnosis is psychiatric in nature. Maybe it is because of my psych history, I don't know.

Anyway, plenty of nurses adore psych nursing. My boyfriend works exclusively with the psych population and loves it. I could never do what he does...likewise he couldn't be calm in an emergency like a code blue.

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According to Stanford, "The increased frequency of borderline disorders among women may also be a consequence of the greater incidence of incestuous experiences during their childhood. This is believed to occur ten times more often in women than in men, with estimates running to up to one-fourth of all women. This chronic or periodic victimization and sometimes brutalization can later result in impaired relationships and mistrust of men and excessive preoccupation with sexuality, sexual promiscuity, inhibitions, deep-seated depression and a seriously damaged self-image. "

Borderline Personality Disorders

So, it may be fair to say that a significant number of female borderline PD diagnoses are actually created by those crabby old men nurses seem to love caring for so much. Trained at the knee, perhaps?

I've worked with both female and male borderline PDs. Some of the females have been abused, but same are highly intelligent and in my opinion strongly embrace "the sick role" and don't seem to be willing to function outside hospital even though in my professional assessment they are quite capable of doing same. They spend the bulk of their inpatient time monitoring/being critical of the nursing staff and dictating the terms of their psychotropic scripts to their psychiatrists.

From a nursing or patient management perspective a bordeline pd patient can definitely give you a shift you won't soon forget.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Victoria, I have to agree. It seems most hate psych patients here. I am not saying that they aren't difficult at times but I have heard some horrible stuff said about patients who have a psych dx and aren't doing anything to the nurse at all (not on AN but on med surg floors and in my psych class). Plus, you have to consider that they do have something mentally wrong with them hence their behavior (I am not saying every behavior is excusable but you have to admit that part of their "acting out" is the psych illness; I am speaking of a true psych pt not someone looking for quick disability). I want to know the nurses' excuse for such poor behavior.

I am a psych patient myself and I read these threads and hear first hand some of the stuff nurses say about psych patients and I think to myself, I pay people to be talked about and treated bad? Victoria, I have had the same experience as you. I think some people think psych is just an easy/low risk job compared to med surg (I am not saying every psych nurse but there are some). It's just as serious because you run the risk of the patient killing themselves (it has happened before on psych units).

I believe the stats for suicide in Borderline Personality Disorder is 1 in 10. That's completed suicide, the others have suicide attempts. I thought I would put that down because it seems that that is the one illness everyone keeps pointing out that they don't like in psych. It's not all attention seeking; it's a serious psych illness.

I have a mental health history myself; however, I am not adept as a psych nurse. I for sure don't HATE psych patients, but therapeutic communication exhausts me. I'd rather give you a fluid bolus to fix you. All nursing has a psychiatric component but I just know I am not the nurse you want if the primary diagnosis is psychiatric in nature. Maybe it is because of my psych history, I don't know.

Anyway, plenty of nurses adore psych nursing. My boyfriend works exclusively with the psych population and loves it. I could never do what he does...likewise he couldn't be calm in an emergency like a code blue.

Venting about a patient population you dislike, either on allnurses.com or in the break room of your job, is not "poor behavior". If it upsets you so much to read the vents, please don't. None of them are directed at you personally, and patients with a mental health issue are very frustrating to many of us. Most of us who are not psych nurses do not feel as though we know enough to deal with the issue therapeutically -- other than making sure the psych meds don't get held unnecessarily -- and we have neither the time nor the patience for therapeutic communication. And, as DeLanaHarvicWannabe posted, therapeutic communication is exhausting. Especially when at the same time you're doing it, or attempting to do it, you're also trying to stop bleeding, fix airway issues, replace the IV the patient has just pulled out or clean up poop.

Some nurses, as DeLana pointed out, love psych nursing. Those nurses are usually found on psych units. So if you're hospitalized for a psychiatric issue, you're probably not paying "for someone to talk about you and treat you bad." And if you're hospitalized for a non-psychiatric issue, please bear in mind that the nurses you encounter will not BE psych nurses and attempt to modulate your behavior appropriately.

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I can't stand having a resident with a urostomy (sp?) that refuses to take showers.

I have a mental health history myself; however, I am not adept as a psych nurse. I for sure don't HATE psych patients, but therapeutic communication exhausts me. I'd rather give you a fluid bolus to fix you. All nursing has a psychiatric component but I just know I am not the nurse you want if the primary diagnosis is psychiatric in nature. Maybe it is because of my psych history, I don't know.

Anyway, plenty of nurses adore psych nursing. My boyfriend works exclusively with the psych population and loves it. I could never do what he does...likewise he couldn't be calm in an emergency like a code blue.

It's nice to get this kind of perspective. I try my best to be an "easy" patient whether it is for physical or psych care. Now I know what type of behaviors to avoid.

I can definately see how psych work could be emotionally draining on someone who doesnt specialize in it, expecially after reading your post. The symptoms aren't visible or obvious all the time and it must be frustating for someone who likes to help others to not be able to "fix" the problem. And like I said I am well aware of how annoying we can be.

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Specializes in ICU.

[Mine would have to be, the dementia patient who is still able to walk, but not safely, who will get up every couple minutes and set off the alarm. Sit down, I will say. Other people will say, just take him for a walk, he just wants a little exercise. Sure and then after his walk, he will continue to stand up and try to walk on his own again. Soooo frustrating.

]

Just had this pt yesterday, but to make it more fun she spoke NOOOOOO English.Creole only. Well except the word NO! She understood that when we all yelled it as she was trying to getup on all 4's and climb over her side rails.

2 doses of Haldol, 1 dose of Ativan, and 3 phone calls to the doctor she won herself a nice set of restraints.

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Pt visitors and family members who seem to think that their needs and desires are just as important as those of my other pts. As if their friend or family member being admitted automatically makes them an add-on to the pt and entitles them to extra perks. I can't believe I have to tell people "No, I cannot give your father his insulin even if he forgot his at home because he is not a patient". Or the family member who seems to think I'm not busy enough and also should play the role of their personal waitress/servant, because they cannot be bothered to leave their family member for 1 minute in order to get their own cup of coffee.

I definitely do not mind trying to make pts and visitors comfortable when time permits, but it can be quite frustrating when I'm really being stretched and attending to important needs and people make ridiculous demands.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Any sort of dental trauma, not sure why but it really gets to me!

Oh I agree!!! My daughter was hit in the face with a stick 3 days before her 10th birthday... 4 pushed in front teeth a fracture jaw and an emergency dental surgeon visit.... i can deal with just about anything.... but any trauma in the mouth makes me want to run and hide

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Aww, Eternally grateful for nurses like you. That would be the best way to describe my dad when he was in the hospital before he passed and you are right - heart of gold under the gruff exterior. Some nurses took the time and got to see and understand.

I love elderly people... and my absolute favorite is the gruff grumpy old man that no one wants to deal with because they say "hes rude and mean" take some time with them and give them back some of their same gruff sense of humor and they can be awesome patients!!

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
I don't take that at home." "I take that at night." "I take a different dose." "I take x, y and z. Why am I not getting x, y and z?" -- Gee! Maybe what you were doing at home wasn't working out so well, seeing as how you're in the hospital now and all.

LMAO I'm going to have to remember that line, or a version of it. Yeah you're here for hypotension, I doubt your doctor wants you to continue the same b/p meds.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
Pt visitors and family members who seem to think that their needs and desires are just as important as those of my other pts. As if their friend or family member being admitted automatically makes them an add-on to the pt and entitles them to extra perks. I can't believe I have to tell people "No, I cannot give your father his insulin even if he forgot his at home because he is not a patient". Or the family member who seems to think I'm not busy enough and also should play the role of their personal waitress/servant, because they cannot be bothered to leave their family member for 1 minute in order to get their own cup of coffee.

I definitely do not mind trying to make pts and visitors comfortable when time permits, but it can be quite frustrating when I'm really being stretched and attending to important needs and people make ridiculous demands.

Sheesh yes. I've probably written this elsewhere before, but I came in one morning and the very first thing the patient's wife said, "He BETTER be going home today. I'm supposed to be home recovering from my own surgery, not here in this uncomfortable sofa bed." I told her as long as she didn't have an id band on her wrist, she was welcome to go home at any time. I also enjoy how some family members try to make it our personal problem that they have transportation or financial issues and huff when they don't get some kind of courtesy tray or meal ticket that they're accustomed to getting at certain other hospitals.

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Specializes in ICU.
most people with an axis 2 diagnosis, specifically borderlines.

Borderlines are.....interesting. With most others, they tend to tantrum and staff split. With me, they wave, grin and give an enthusiastic hello when I come onto the floor...Then proceed to follow me suspiciously with their eyes all shift. I'm wicked hard to manipulate.

It's the antisocials that I can't stand. I have to really watch myself that I don't get agitated with them. The ones we usually get (frequent flyers) like to target and antagonize ANYONE with a schizo component - especially the quiet ones. ****** me right off.

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