How would love to hear some of the things coworkers have done at work that just make you mad and frustrated.
For example, the other day we had a lady who was clearly terrified of needles. Now we all have patience claim they're scared of needles. But this lady was a little different. She came into the ER clearly in pain and flat refuse to let the doctors draw any blood work, or start an IV.
She had abdominal pain but would not allow us to do anything that involves a needle. Try to figure out a diagnosis for abdominal pain without being able to do any kind of lab work or use any kind of IV contrast.
Now I'm not the first nurse involved in taking care of this patient. In fact, I actually asked to take over care for this patient because nobody else was getting anywhere. After sitting there and talking to her for 20 minutes I finally got her to agree to let me draw blood do doing finger sticks with micro tubes just like I would have a very small child. So I went to gather up the necessary supplies.
Now I am a new employee and was oriented to the ER. My preceptor took it upon himself to walk in and try to convince the lady to let him start an IV. She's already told for people know she would rather leave. She had even said she would rather go home and die then let someone stick her with a needle and she was crying when she said so.
When I got back she was signing the AMA paperwork and leaving and nothing I could do to stop her.
. I've been a nurse twice as long as he has I just happened to be new to the hospital. I think he was wrong and out of line.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
How would love to hear some of the things coworkers have done at work that just make you mad and frustrated.
I usually do not become mad unless a coworker is being outright disrespectful to me. This doesn't usually happen these days, but it occurred more often when I was a newer nurse with a noticeable air of insecurity.
If difficult or noncompliant patients want to leave A.M.A., I will not bend over backwards to make them stay. It's a free country, and if my night will be made easier by their departure, then perhaps the A.M.A. discharge is all for the best.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
How would love to hear some of the things coworkers have done at work that just make you mad and frustrated.
For example, the other day we had a lady who was clearly terrified of needles. Now we all have patience claim they're scared of needles. But this lady was a little different. She came into the ER clearly in pain and flat refuse to let the doctors draw any blood work, or start an IV.
She had abdominal pain but would not allow us to do anything that involves a needle. Try to figure out a diagnosis for abdominal pain without being able to do any kind of lab work or use any kind of IV contrast.
Now I'm not the first nurse involved in taking care of this patient. In fact, I actually asked to take over care for this patient because nobody else was getting anywhere. After sitting there and talking to her for 20 minutes I finally got her to agree to let me draw blood do doing finger sticks with micro tubes just like I would have a very small child. So I went to gather up the necessary supplies.
Now I am a new employee and was oriented to the ER. My preceptor took it upon himself to walk in and try to convince the lady to let him start an IV. She's already told for people know she would rather leave. She had even said she would rather go home and die then let someone stick her with a needle and she was crying when she said so.
When I got back she was signing the AMA paperwork and leaving and nothing I could do to stop her.
. I've been a nurse twice as long as he has I just happened to be new to the hospital. I think he was wrong and out of line.
What do you think?
Thanks for letting me vent. I really needed it.
I'm glad you feel better now.
If you're on orientation, what your preceptor says goes. Unless, of course, your preceptor is about to kill someone. That would be extremely rare. It doesn't matter that you've had twice as much experience, twice as much education or twice as many career accolades. When you're on orientation, you keep your head down and your mouth shut. The time to be effecting change is once you're off orientation.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
OP yes I would be mad as well. I wouldn't dwell on it, but I would be mad at that moment. Are readers missing the point?? It's obvious OP became upset because she spent a very long time sitting and talking to this pt to get her to trust her and do some lab work etc, that kind of progress is not easy to make! She went to get her supplies and next thing she knows pt is leaving because someone else had come into the room and was trying to talk her into it. Come on people, your telling me that if you worked hard on something for 20 minutes, left for a few minutes and came back to total destruction of what you had built/worked on, you wouldn't be even a little bit mad? Let's get real and get off our high horses. We are all human.
I feel bad for that lady. Obviously her phobia of needles is so strong it interferes with her being able to receive care. She came to the ED for help obviously, but unfortunately her fear won over.
No high horse here, but that guy was the preceptor. HE was responsible for the assignment. If the OP was on her own, it would be a different story.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Have to agree here. Whether or not you can "cajole" (as a prior poster pointed out, though I disagree as this implies the patient has been persuaded) a patient into having labs drawn or an IV placed, having worked so hard to make this patient comfortable only to have them sign out AMA is frustrating.
What's more, I don't really see a reason why the OP's co-worker even felt a need to get involved, especially if not explicitly asked for help.
TL;DR: I would be annoyed too. Maybe not enough to say anything, but enough for it to ruffle my feathers.
The coworker got involved because he was her preceptor. The OP has a right to be annoyed, but the preceptor had every reason to get involved.
Spending 20 minutes convincing an adult to do ANYTHING in a busy ER setting is overkill. I have encountered several situations where there was an obvious aversion to needles or being stuck.
One was simply she had been stuck multiple times unsuccessfully and that led to her fear, another I recall was far worse but I asked her to tell me of someone that claims " I can't wait to get to the hospital for xxxx pain, they have needles and I really enjoy getting stuck repeatedly!" She laughed nervously but allowed me to look at her arms for a potential site.
In both instances I calmly stated...You have come to the hospital today for treatment, but that may be limited when we have nothing to taylor the treatment from, such as labwork. If you need hydration or pain control, that also may be limited. If you allow me to look for a site, I can tell you the likelihood of a one and done attempt, but it is your body, and your call if we proceed further.
I then offer to leave and return when they have decided, but the verbal hypnotic makes them allow my work to start then, and they always say afterwards, it was not bad like the last time or they felt very comfortable with my approach.
I am not saying that I have the energy to constantly do this when someone gives me the "I hate/loathe/detest/am deathly afraid of/can't stand needles" spiel. I give my speech based on client presentation and need.
Brand spanking new nurse who, simply because she is older than her preceptor - who just happens to be charging that night - she is the one in charge.
It has happened more than once. I've even had them snap at me when they have no patients and I tell them to come learn this specific task. Is watching YouTube craft videos more important?
OP, that is not a fun situation to be in. But a word of advice: caring is amazing. But there is a line to be drawn so that you protect yourself. It's a hard one to find, yes, but that's just one of the many challenges of nursing. Good luck.
I see this more and more...........as nurses we need to step back and go with the pace of the patient, she initially wanted help, you were doing baby steps with her, and if the other nurse hadn't hurried up the process, she may well have gotten to the point of scans, and IV's. This is an art form that you have, I hope you keep it!!
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
If difficult or noncompliant patients want to leave A.M.A., I will not bend over backwards to make them stay. It's a free country, and if my night will be made easier by their departure, then perhaps the A.M.A. discharge is all for the best.