Accept and Adapt or Warning Sign: Attention-Needy Patients Burning Me Out

Published

I am a later in life RN (46 yo.) Nurse for 2 years. 1 yr hospice, 1 yr skilled/rehab unit in LTC. Hospice: too many HOURS so i switched to 3-12hrs on a rehab unit. I dont like what its doing to my PERSONALITY. Since its an ltc, a LOT of our pts are more "attention needy" than medically needy. Ex: call lights to "empty garbage" or "pick my lettuce off the floor" kinds of bs. Pts ringing like crazy for DUMB stuff or coming to nur station 30+ times a SHIFT. Not to mention the faaaamily members expecting 1 on 1 specialty treatment. Lots of pts are more hospice/LTC approp than "rehab"...Ive tried setting boundaries, pts acknowledge,apologize and then just REPEAT behaviors. Feel like im growing to HATE ppl and dont want to turn into that nasty burnt out nurse we all dread. Feel like Im dealing with a bunch of needy self absorbed, tantruming toddlers all screaming at the same time!

Coworkers tell me "its just nursing, it does that to you". Thinking about switching to hospital setting but afraid of the unknown. Any advice?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
9 minutes ago, 2018RNat44 said:

Coworkers tell me "its just nursing, it does that to you". Thinking about switching to hospital setting but afraid of the unknown. Any advice?

You'll find the same behaviors in the hospital but the patients turn over more frequently. Did you like hospice nursing?

PS. I know where you're coming from. It's why I left the ED.

7
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Consider ambulatory care? I mean...people still whine. But I care a lot less about it.

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, ER, Home Health, Corrections, School Nurse.

So far, the ONLY complaint you have mentioned is the whiny patients. Which can be annoying. How about the rest of the work...do you like your job? coworkers? schedule? If everything else is good, I wouldn't jump from the frying pan into the fire. If you read enough of these posts you will find a lot of nurses overwhemed and overworked with very little support at the bedside.

On a side note, the most appreciative patients I ever had was in corrections..every day I heard "Thank you ma'm," "Appreciate you ma'm," it was a very rewarding experience. There were other challenges, however. I'm in school nursing now, and absolutely love it.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

People are whiny everywhere. I’m in ICU and we still have people on their call lights all day and I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of crazy families we deal with.

I always start my day in a good mood, but usually by 1400, I’m worn down from it all. Some days, I just immerse myself in the crazy.

7
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Some people just can't cope when they are sick. Some of them can't handle life even when everything is going well either and really regress when sick. That is part of nursing unless you work with well clients, and even then there will always be those few.

I work in ICU, the patients are usually too sick to get overly dramatic. A small but memorable minority of patient families are the ones who wear you down. Open visitation has not improved this. ICU does have the advantage over rehab in the rate of patient turnover.

7
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
4 hours ago, Wuzzie said:

You'll find the same behaviors in the hospital but the patients turn over more frequently.

Agree. I felt like she was describing my unit in the hospital.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I DID enjoy outpatient hospice...it just became a 24 hr job. Way too invasive, up to 70 hrs a week at times with oncall and administrative responsibilities, charting all night at home etc. Ive always enjoyed my coworkers, that has never been an issue. Mngmt has not been an issue either.

Hospice: i just didnt have TIME for my fam (husband, teens and aging parents).

LTC: Im fried out to even BE with my PARENTS most times bc they are JUST LIKE MY PATIENTS...(dementia mom and denial dad). ?

I guess i just wonder if the INTENSITY of BS in hospital would be a little less onslaught than LTC rehab where i get yelled at for laundry, housekeeping and even kitchen problems by pts AND fams. Ppl forget our priority is their meddddical needs.

LTC rehab.....has been ACUTE rapid fire in intensity with 24 tantrumming ppl on the unit and their 'lovely' fam members in ur face nonstop..

Hospice....... was chronic intensity at a lower, evened out pace/level.

Sometimes I just wonder if I can "do more, learn more, BE better, medically and personally speaking, with... hospital precepting and experience and a lot less trivial nonstop distraction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
4 hours ago, RNperdiem said:

Some people just can't cope when they are sick. Some of them can't handle life even when everything is going well either and really regress when sick. That is part of nursing unless you work with well clients, and even then there will always be those few.

I work in ICU, the patients are usually too sick to get overly dramatic. A small but memorable minority of patient families are the ones who wear you down. Open visitation has not improved this. ICU does have the advantage over rehab in the rate of patient turnover.

I agree, but then we get them better and sometimes they are in that limbo, of not quite being ready for the floor but not truly ICU sick. I always say if you can hit your call light 8 times in an hour, you aren’t sick enough for icu.

I see a lot of crazy family. And maybe it’s just my patient population. Tragedy can do strange things to people.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I’m so glad I switched to IR and Cath Lab to get away from situations like this. I did ICU 5 years (still do it per diem) and enough was enough, in part because of situations like the OP described.

OP, maybe try to escape to a procedural area. It’s been great for my workplace sanity.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
18 hours ago, 2018RNat44 said:

I guess i just wonder if the INTENSITY of BS in hospital would be a little less onslaught than LTC rehab where i get yelled at for laundry, housekeeping and even kitchen problems by pts AND fams. Ppl forget our priority is their meddddical needs.

I think the BS may even be worse honestly. Not saying the job is harder but there are just so many more players in the hospital.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ortho, CMSRN.

People that are sick are often expierencing a lack of control in their lives: a lack of control over their health, their obligations, their time, their finances. I don't take it personally. It seems to me that they're trying to get control where they can find it. If it's me, then... so be it. If I've brought their requested pain medications to the room, and then answered a second request, I have to move on to my next patient; then I'll kindly state that I can come back to them in 20 minutes after I've taken care of the next patient on my list who is waiting (hopefully) patiently for pain medications, or they can hit the water button on their call light and maybe the tech can beat me to bringing their glass of water and fresh pillow case. I don't mind one (quick) trip back after the initial request, but I have to move on to my next patient and put their next request to the back of the list after that. I think that's reasonable and respectful of my other patients.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion