What's Rude?

[Ruby Vee]

We all have our pet peeves, something that we are SURE is rude whether it bothers others or not. So I'm wondering -- what bothers you?

Things that bother me:

In a nurse's station with four or five unused computers, why does anyone have to sit down at the one I'm using, clearly marked with my scut sheet, my pen, my drink and my charting all pulled up and not finished? They take my spot, log me off (so I have to start over with any charting I didn't sign before the arrhythmia alarm jolted me out of my seat) and log in over me. Then when I return, they tell me "I didn't see your name on it." Why not just use the computer with the screensaver up and no ones stuff there?

People who put their feet up on the chairs in the nurse's station. Not only does it look totally unprofessional to anyone who visits the station, including families, but the C. Diff that that they' we picked up on their shoes is now transferred to the impossible-to-clean fabric chairs in the nurse's station.

Saying "no prob" in response to a thank you.

Taking the nurse's chair. Our rooms has a sofa and two chairs for visitors, a recliner for the patient and a chair at the computer station for the nurse to use when charting. So why do the visitors always have to take the nurse's chair? Clearly, the nurse can't chart from the sofa.

After you've taken the nurse's chair, why give me attitude when I ask you NOT to sit in front of my computer, but to sit in one of the five spots provided for visitors?

Visitors using the patient bathroom.

Staff who let patients use the staff bathroom. I've never been able to figure that one out.

I'm cranky today, I have lots more. What's yours?

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Patients who continue their phone conversations when you are giving them their pills, assessing them, answering their call light, etc.

People who put their containers half full of food in the breakroom fridge, and forget about them. Or bring stuff in and forget about that. have had to clean out fridge and found moldy stuff, etc . sometimes it's so built up ( the food/containers) there's literally no room for another bag. Seriously- slobs!

I have had a pt who refused to talk to me ( or any staff). acknowledged my presence , I guess, but would not speak. Spoke with own family just fine. seemed rude, but eventually would give me one word answers.

Pts who give you an attitude when you didnt answer their call light within 5 seconds. Have been told " I dont care if you were in another room"

oh well, I guess there's rudeness everywhere.

[BeckyESRN]

Our badges are doubled so that if it flips over our name is still facing out. Mine would forever be flipped the wrong way of we didn't have them like this!

That's freaking brilliant! Why don't all hospitals do this?!?

Pet Peeves from the school nurse: Not saying "Thank you"

-Walking into my office demanding things-I have a 4th grader that I've trying to retrain since I started here, he walks in and yells what he wants "Ice pack" "bandaid" whatever, makes me crazy-

-Parents that repeatedly send their kids to school ridiculously ill-once I can forgive, sometimes you can't get that last minute sitter, but a heads up would be nice!-

-Parents that berate the nurse because their special snowflake has head lice, yep it's totally my fault; in fact I sprinkled them on their head just to inconvenience you!

-Teachers who constantly question my nursing judgement or make diagnosis- snowflake coughs r/t allergies and walks in saying "My teacher said that I have pneumonia"

[Farawyn]

I am about to take my first bite of food in hours. The fork is hovering. My mouth is open.

WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME ABOUT YOUR FOOT PROBLEM FROM 3 DAYS AGO?

Shoo. Get out.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

Staff asking "Are you really busy right now?" I'm always busy. If I'm not, I will ask someone what I can do to help.

Family members snapping at me when I am trying to concentrate on a task at the bedside.

Family following me around in the hallway, telling me it's time do something or that the patient is in pain, while he is sleeping peacefully.

Call light goes off. CNA is sitting next to me, scrolling on phone/Facebook while I'm charting like a madman. CNA continues to sit...I finally get up and go answer the light.

[AutumnApple]

My biggest pet peeve came up in another thread: People who throw buzz words around thinking they are impressing everyone. Meanwhile, their application of half the terms they use are off by miles. Critical thinking and holistic care seem to be the two this happens with a lot.

Some people just sound more intelligent after they stop speaking.

Second thing would be somewhat related: People who trumpet on and on about teamwork. Yet, they have no clue what that is. And they don't want to know, they just want other workers to carry and accommodate them.

Teamwork is a two way street. If it's always someone else helping you, don't call it teamwork. That's a one way street. And me always covering your shift when you call off on holidays isn't teamwork either.

Last peeve: People who abuse caffeine all day then are having panic attacks and running around like Chicken Little. My gosh, put the Mt. Dew down, it's gross anyway.

[llg, PhD, RN]

1. Colleagues on their phones constantly when they are at lunch with a group. If you want to be "alone" with your phone -- then sit at your desk by yourself, don't hog a chair at the lunch table if you are not going to interact with the rest of us.

2. Colleagues on the phone during meetings. You are wasting everyone's time by not engaging in the meeting and moving it along appropriately. You are not listening to what is being said at the meeting, etc. It's rude.

3. People who use too much of the shared refrigerator -- leaving inadequate space for everyone else.

I'm starting to think of pet peeves now -- and that's a different topic. So, I will stop for now. But I might be back later.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

When a teacher comes in as I am mid-bite in my already rushed lunch,

"I am at lunch and Johnny is sick, he's going to sit in here (and puke in front of you)".

One of these days I am going to put on a huge production and dramatically throw my food in the trash right in front of them and say "I am so glad I wasn't at lunch!" Grrr. Rude, y'all don't wanna see me when my sugar drops.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

So my peeve is at myself and those darn badges that won't stay face up!

I laughed a bit at this . . . I hate my photo on my badge so I purposely turn it upside down.

Call light goes off. CNA is sitting next to me, scrolling on phone/Facebook while I'm charting like a madman. CNA continues to sit...I finally get up and go answer the light.

This is my biggest issue lately. I walk by the nurses' station and nurses and CNA's are on their phones looking at FB. This is in a very public place as the lab and X-ray are nearby plus you have to walk past this place to get to our LTC to see family. It looks pretty unprofessional for staff to be on their phones at the nurses' station looking at FB. I don't even care if you have completed all your patient care/med pass. In school we were taught to find something to do and don't let the public see you sitting there reading a newspaper or novel. Now it is FB and phones.

I recently came back to work at the hospital doing outpatient wound care and IV's. I had to learn the computer system EMR and of course I'm quite vocal here on AN about not liking to have a computer at my hip when I should be taking care of patients.

I've been fortunate that hospice doesn't have access to the hospice program when we are out and about on rural roads high up on a mountain so I've charted on patients when I get back to the office from my own notes written with a pen. Ah, I miss the old days and it is probably good that I'm near retirement age.

Here's a strange one - in nursing school one of my clinical instructors made a large point about making sure the linen closet was closed after you took linen out. She stated it looked bad to the public to see our linen closet open and so almost every day I walk by and the closet is open and I close it. I can still hear her voice in my head.

[djh123]

CNA's, visiting NP's, and sometimes others who don't introduce themselves, when we've never seen each other before. I'm responsible for all of my residents, and I just like to know WHO is in my unit.

Once I had a NP whom I'd never seen before (w/no ID badge or anything) sitting at the (only) chair at my little nurse's station, with a chart or two open, and she said (when I came up) 'Oh, hope you don't mind me using the chair for a few minutes', and I held my hand out and said "And you are...?".

[BSN16]

When i am constantly answering another nurses pump (who is sitting RIGHT THERE, answer your pumps woman!!)

When patients tell me they haven't had an appetite ALL weekend and havent eaten since 3 days ago, but suddenly now that they are NPO they are furious about not being able to eat

[3ringnursing, BSN]

Listening to my neighbor's elderly chihuahuas bark for 14 hours a day, everyday, when they aren't making a racket that sounds like they are fighting to the death.

Listening to same neighbor's chickens scream like demons early in the morning.

Leaving lint in the dryer screen.

Allowing the dog to sleep on my bed when I'm not home.

Family members that follow you into another patient's room, then claim they didn't know that was not allowed.

Being called "honey", or "sweetie". I had a nursing instructor tell us it is demeaning, and it is.

Agency nurses who have a patient ordered 2-4 mg of MSO4 IVP Q 2-4 hrs PRN but check out a 10 mg carpoject for multiple use, keep it in their fanny pack, then argue with you about it when you tell them they can't leave the unit for lunch with it on their person. Umm … lock it up, or waste it already.

Routinely finding unclaimed partially used injectable narcotics in drawers. Honestly, having to dispose of other nurse's narcotics is similar to finding something horrible in a public toilet.

Finding a patient who seems like they haven't been turned in 8 hours, laying in dried stool.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I have to laugh because before I even read your post, I was thinking about the nurses that "stake out" a spot for a shift. I am the one you be getting frustrated with LOL.

We have one nurse that will actually tell a physician to get off of "her" computer. It is more frustrating that she carts up front rather than back at the nurse's station. Those of us that chart where are pts actually are, are the ones that end up having to answer questions when they won't use the call light or if a bed alarm goes off.

I tend to chart in the rooms as much as I can so I am not bothered where I chart outside the room. I try respect those that do like their space.

My biggest pet peeve is people that don't clean up after themselves. Our unit looks like a pig sty at times, our refrigerator and microwave are a mess. I just wonder what some of these people's houses look like. Take pride in your work AND where you work :)

If computers are in short supply, staking out a shift is rude. But when they're plentiful and traffic is relatively low (permanent nights here), why would you need to use the computer with my stuff there and my charting up on the screen? Just use the lonely, unused computer right next to it on either side. Or one of the three on the other side of the station!

I hate the folks who don't clean up after themselves as well. Especially when they clean their whole area with Cavi wipes before their shift, but leave their dirty coffee mugs, potato chip crumbs, juice rings, used kleenexes, etc. after their shift.