An Enemy As A Patient

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Some nursing school friends and I were wondering what do you do as a nurse if you have a patient whom you have had friction with outside the clinical setting. Do you set your differences aside or do you ask another nurse to care for them? I would be afraid he/she might try to get you into trouble.

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You speak to your charge nurse and let her decided about reassigning the patient.

If such a situation comes up, you don't need to go into all kinds of detail. It should be enough to say that you and the patient know each other and have had a negative history that might make the interaction uncomfortable.

I can't stress enough that you should work through the charge nurse any time anything unusual comes up. That's what she's there for.

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Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.

I agree. In fact, in our school, if you know someone at all (friend or foe), that person is taken off your assignment.

This is especially true if it's in the psych setting!

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I was once given a patient that had previously worked under me as a CNA. We had friction between us in the workplace.

I explained the situation to my instructor and she was fine with changing my assignment.

Good Luck to you!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Not a good idea to take care of them. I would refuse the assignment. Fortunately I don't have any enemies, but if I did, I wouldn't trust them not to try to get me in trouble by lying.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

This just happened with one of my fellow classmates in my clinical rotation for Psych ( a little different venue). We were at the state mental health hospital and a lady that was a patient there was someone my friend had had as a roommate some years ago. They had parted in a friendly manner but the instructor kept my classmate completely off the patient's unit to avoid any set backs or non therapeutic environment. So I suppose communication is the key if the situation arises. Ultimately,keeping the best environment for the patient is what is important.

Mrsalby

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Specializes in Education, Medical/Surgical.

I had a woman who had lived across the road from me and she or her husband shot a bullet through my front window. My boss thought that was not a sufficient reason. I took it up the food chain and eventually got out of it.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Ok shot a bullet through your window! And that was not enough of a reaason. What did they have to do? Actually hit you with the bullet first? Were they mad at you? Crazy world we live in!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.

enemy or not, I would not want to give my neighbor or friend an enema or stick them for a blood draw. I think that as long as you are willing to pick up another patient in exchange for the one you shouldn't take, then why would the charge nurse have a problem with it? Especially from a risk management standpoint - if you are taking care of your personal friend in Bed A, and Bed B thinks that you are neglecting them since you got Bed A the better pudding cup or were perceived to be faster with the pain meds...etc. it would put you and the hospital at risk for litigation.

As for the boss who didn't think that a person shooting at a nurse's home was an inappropriate assignment... I am beyond speechless!!

Blee

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Specializes in Medical Telemetry, LTC,AlF, Skilled care.

Simple, when you go in the room to greet your patient/enemy explain it's perfectly normal procedure to place the blood pressure cuff around the neck :devil: I'm kidding of course, just like the previous posters said just talk to your charge nurse about the situation without going into great detail and she/he shouldn't have a problem with giving you a different patient.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I would advise speaking with the charge nurse. I wouldn't think it would be a problem to assign that patient to someone else.It's pretty simple in the ER; we just ask someone else to trade a room with us. We work together pretty well when this comes up; and, it does sooner or later.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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I thought it was pretty standard procedure to not take care of people you know personally. Not only is it awkward, as before mentioned, to have to do procedures on them (imagine having someone you know empty out your urine or collect a stool sample from you), but it also violates the patient's privacy. Sure, you may not do anything that is technically against HIPAA, but I personally feel that it's unnecessary disclosure, unless that patient specifically asked for you to be the nurse.

Just my feeling, anyway.

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