Nurses who don't take the time to care: have you seen examples?

Jailhouse RN · May 10, 2004

Student nurses are much too idealistic. They feel they will come out and save the world of nursing. Then in a flash it is all gone thanks to managed care, time tables and nursing shortages. Best to see the world as it is and get the real caring (holistic type) in where you can. Another thing to remember is that all that holistic care you learned cannot be used everywhere. I work in a place where it could get you hurt or fired.

mattsmom81 · May 14, 2004

OK just to be fair to this student, I will give an example of a nurse not taking time to care. Mrs. A 's doctor has just left her room after giving her a diagnoses of CA...they opened her and closed her and she has 3-6 months to live...nothing they can do. Her nurse who is gabbing and making personal calls (she is at the desk but NOT on break) notes her patient is sobbing , knows the dx, but does nothing...in fact she does not enter the room for the next 3 hrs, turns this sobbing patient to the next shift without ever taking time to be a helpful presence.

In my experience, a nurse exhibiting apathetic, noncaring behavior can be taking a risk. Customers tend to remember noncaring behaviors and seldom sue nurses they like, who took time to care a bit for them, listen, empathize, whatever. Many times when a lawsuit occurs, the nurse is listed as someone NOT to sue, just because the patient liked them (this from my nurse attorney)

Hope this helps the OP, who I am sure is just trying to complete her assignment and has quite unwittingly offended some of us here by asking her question. Good luck to you in your assignment and your career.

CAMMIERN · May 14, 2004

IT TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF PERSON TO BE A NURSE,:) YOU HAVE TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO INSPITE OF WHATEVER HAPPENS, IF YOU ARE NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON YOU SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE:p

LovePeaceJoy · May 14, 2004

I'm becoming a little emotional when reading this board. I've actually been a patient and a family member of dying patient. I've seen nursing in all forms and am currently a nursing student because of it. I've seen nurses give you a sympathetic look because they felt that's what they were supposed to do and the ones that treated you like a human being and actually educated you.

My family's story -- My grandmother was ill and had been in and out of hospitals within a year. After she passed away my mother cried as she wrote the letter commending the NURSING staff of one of the hospitals (not hospice) she was in. Part of the tears was of course sadness but it was also about the nurses. This staff really did make a diffence in my family's comfort because they were there to answer questions in our time of need and not just keep the patient clean.

My story -- I had surgery about a year and a half ago and was afraid because I had never been hospitalized. The nurses I experienced prior to my operation were wonderful. They understood my anxiety and were able to talk to me about what I should expect. I felt RESPECTED.

After the surgery was a COMPLETELY different story. First, I was in a room with a severe parapalegic that could barely talk, could not walk, and could barely feed herself! In my anasthesia fog I realized this so when I heard her vomit in the middle of the night I called the nurse to come help her her!!! I then heard the RN and the CNA saying she was supposed to have a one on one. My roomate never received one. When I asked about pain management medication I was told I would get some. I was never told when it would happen. I guess before I became one of those annoying, complaining, patients, they just yessed me to death and ignored me.

Day 2 Day- The surgery caused a lot of bleeding and when I moved there was a gush. Another CNA came in and had the nerve to ask me why I moved, now she had to change the sheets. Maybe I should have just stayed in one position and made her life easier.

Day 2 Night - I am woken up by two CNA's screaming and hollering about how they can't stand their jobs. They are not in the hallway talking about this, but in my room. I asked them "What time it was?" and after apolozing profusely then went on to tell me why they were complaining. I did not solicit this information.

Day 3 -- I Went home!!!

This hospital is in Park Slope brooklyn and is a well respected teaching hospital.

As I said, it is the nursing staff that makes a difference when you are in a hospital. Not all patients are complainers or are looking for someone to coddle them. Some just want respect.

There was a movie back in the early 90's called "The Doctor". It was about a rather aloof doctor that got the experience of being a patient when he was diagnosed with cancer.

I am in no means trying to condemn ANYONE, but my experiences are what I will remember when it is my turn to do bedside nursing.

minnieme104 · May 14, 2004

I have been recently caring for a 2 week post CVA and he was c/o abd.pain in the RLQ. I asked my instructor what I could do for this patient because he could not recieve any more tylenol prn it wasn't time yet. She looked at me and said nothing other then getting a warm blanket, well this pt. is always warm and that warm blanket would just get thrown on the floor. I was devistated that she said nothing. To me this was not being very caring and I had to then decided for myself what to do. Against my instructors wishes

leslie :-D · May 14, 2004

I have been recently caring for a 2 week post CVA and he was c/o abd.pain in the RLQ. I asked my instructor what I could do for this patient because he could not recieve any more tylenol prn it wasn't time yet. She looked at me and said nothing other then getting a warm blanket, well this pt. is always warm and that warm blanket would just get thrown on the floor. I was devistated that she said nothing. To me this was not being very caring and I had to then decided for myself what to do. Against my instructors wishes

so what did you do minnie?

minnieme104 · May 14, 2004

so what did you do minnie?

Well I reported to the Charge nurse and kept going in and taking a temp on him to make sure that the temp was not increasing, and I also gave him a sponge bath to try to cool him down a little. I was encouraging him to lay on his left side so that gas could pass if it needed to and it seemed to give him a little relief

leslie :-D · May 14, 2004

Well I reported to the Charge nurse and kept going in and taking a temp on him to make sure that the temp was not increasing, and I also gave him a sponge bath to try to cool him down a little. I was encouraging him to lay on his left side so that gas could pass if it needed to and it seemed to give him a little relief

excellent intervention. in nsg. you'll always step on someone's toes but what you did 100% was advocating for your pt. good job.

minnieme104 · May 15, 2004

excellent intervention. in nsg. you'll always step on someone's toes but what you did 100% was advocating for your pt. good job.

Thank you very much it is nice having some reassurance being a student. I still question everything I do so Thanks again

moia · May 20, 2004

that was absolutely the best thing to do...sometimes just acknowledging the patients pain can be enough. As a patient I know that once someone acknowledges your pain it becomes easier to cope with it...I have had nurses that never asked and that can make you really anxious because no one wants to be whiner or have a nurse think you are a big baby.

Giving suggestions for relief and actively monitoring vitals gives validation to the patient and reassures them that they are being payed attention to.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · May 20, 2004

One of the reasons I only work part time is that I do care, and it is increasingly hard to do so.
The rewarding part of nursing is being able to spend time with your patients, learning about them, their lives, families and the impact of their hospitalisation on all of these.
I am finding that my workload is generally so heavy, pt. acuity is very high, that you do what you must first, to keep every-one safe, and it doesn't leave much time left for the "caring". It's a balancing act, and as I'm getting older it's one that I am beginning to lose the taste for..
jax

I can totally identify with your post. Give the new grads some time, and they will, too.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · May 20, 2004

I agree whole heartedly. The biggest problem with this particular site is that people that are students and have never done any Pt care outside of a very controlled environment and only one or two at a time come here and ctitique people that have been nurses for any number of years.
In fact and this is one that really burns my bum is that some of the people may not even be students yet or even considering a nursing career and they have all the glorious opinons and idea's about how and what nursing is and should be.
Just my little Rant, I did not mention anyone in particular(notice) so if you flame me you will be making yourself be seen as one of these very people, I am aware that everyone has an opinion and they are entitled to it, what I would suggest however is that until you have actually performed Pt care in a real setting without it being controlled by your instructor or basically just one or two Pts at a time (unless you are CCU etc)you should perhaps temper your judgement of what the actual situation is until you have had some actual experience.
Thank You Very Much
CCU NRS has left the building!

I agree completely. Some of the future nurses who are so critical of seasoned nurses need to walk a mile in our white shoes.