Angry Nurse

[goldilocksrn]

I am wondering if this has happened to any of you.... I got "talked to" by my Assistant Nurse Manager (charge nurse) because of an incident with a patient. My patient asked for some water, and I went to get it, but on the way to the kitchen, got stopped by another family member stating my one of my other patients had CP. After 30 minutes, I took my patient her water, only to find out her son called community relations saying that his mother was ignored. I apologized, saying that we were short staffed that day, that I had an emergency to attend to. He said there was no excuse for his mother not getting water. Anyway, I got "talked to" because I was not supposed to tell patients and family members that we are short staffed. What am I supposed to tell them, that I a retard? Why do they think that nurses should take all the blame? What do you think?

[Motivated, SN]

Wow! What a wonderful thread! All very valid points. It has prompted me to want to start asking the general public in my area what their perceptions are of being in the hospital; and their feelings about the shortage. I understand administrations point about not wanting to give patients ammunition for potential lawsuits, by using the shortage to blame for things which may not be related; but I also feel they have a right to know. Nothing

says we can't talk to people and educate them before they are

patients "customers" ugggh. So much politics and BS makes me

sick. But not sick enough to want to be in a hospital. Florence

Nightengale is probably turning over in her grave.

[K O'Malley]

3rd shift guy, I can't tell you how many times I have had to deal with families or patients who demanded immediate attention during a code situation. Explaining to them what is going on just doesn't seem to cut any ice. I have had a family member jump all over me after I had been tied up with an admission who was circling the drain. Just recently I received a pt. back from a cardiac procedure in critical condition. One of my other pt's reported me for neglecting her, even after explaining to her what was going on. She had wanted crackers and coke and noone brought them. Our manager fell all over herself apologizing for the neglect.

[l.rae]

once, on a particularly manic shift in ER, l was in triage. l was asked by a co-worker to hang a iv fluid for her...so o go and get lambasted about how its been 30 min, mom has to use the BR, the BR is in the exam room about 7ft away, mom is weak but ambulatory....full code and a Care Flight has just occurred. Dgt state, "yes, l know there was a code and blah blah blah...but that is no excuse."..Mom of course is very nice and understanding but dgtr just rales on and on..."uncaring nurses, unorganized"...more blah blah blah..so l say, l am sorry this happened, but at the time your mom had to go to the BR, there was a life threatening situation and unfortunately it just took priority."...then dgtr says, " know all about life threatening priorities, I AM A NURSE IN ICU!".....in fact, she worked at our main site hospital a few miles down the road. She proceeded to ask for the supervisor and told her under no circumstances was that "blond bytch" to enter her mom's room again....hey fine with me....ok and so dgtr is a nurse and can't walk mom to the BR?...give me a break.......LR

[sanakruz, ADN]

Amen Tiara! Sanshin 99- why would asking for water make the pt (or their family) a PIA? This is after all a legitimate reguest; And hollykate- lying to the patient is a better solution than stating a fact? Please tell me why it would be "unprofessional" to tell someone you a short staffed?

[abrenrn]

Wow, another great thread. I apologize for only reading some of the posts before posting myself but I did scan a lot.

With patients, I find myself in a double bind. I really believe the patient needs to trust me, the physician and the hospital in order to heal. When I find myself blaming the physician or the hospital for something the patient should have recieved (e.g. a glass of water), I feel I have broken the patients trust.

Problem is, hospitals and doctors don't seem to feel that about nurses. Something goes wrong? Quickest answer - blame the nurse. But it's a bad answer as the patient loses trust in the nurse. Best answer is always to validate patients concerns, damn right patient should have gotten the water, without blaming. This hospital let the patient blame the nurse.

It goes on everywhere and I don't know how to stop it. I'm tired of being blamed yet I can't blame the hospital - not to the patient. So, I am on sabbatical. In the meantime I pass things on to people who are not sick in the hospital. Things like, "You hear about that shortage? Can't be too bad. I've spent four months applying for jobs and I still don't have one. You'd think they would take anyone with a license that's still breathing. I think they are too busy complaining about the nursing shortage to do anything about it."

So far, best I can do because nobody seems to want to say it out loud. Not many people hear me, only a few, but, hey, you have to start somewhere.

[Q.]

Holy crap I didn't realize this thread was started nearly 2 years ago!!!

[abrenrn]

Susy - I started from the beginning but I didn't notice the date. Thanks for pointing it out. Things don't change fast, do they?

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by K O'Malley

3rd shift guy, I can't tell you how many times I have had to deal with families or patients who demanded immediate attention during a code situation. Explaining to them what is going on just doesn't seem to cut any ice. I have had a family member jump all over me after I had been tied up with an admission who was circling the drain. Just recently I received a pt. back from a cardiac procedure in critical condition. One of my other pt's reported me for neglecting her, even after explaining to her what was going on. She had wanted crackers and coke and noone brought them. Our manager fell all over herself apologizing for the neglect.

It's getting a bit absurd the "patient is the customer" and the demands. It's a bad situation sometimes of sicker patients, less staff, a sue-happy demanding selfish society. Something's gotta give.

[bravegirlamy]

It looks like Nurse managers & DONs would wake up! With this nursing shortage, a nurse can find a job ANYWHERE. If they want to keep the nurses that they do have, they should start "backing them" when it's needed.

[sanakruz, ADN]

No wonder I cant find any thing about "million nurse"- somebody clue me in, please

[Flo1216]

If I were you, I woud have showed them where the water was so they could get it themselves. Some people are just not happy unless they are getting someone in trouble. If you want, I will pray to God to send a plague of flies to eat their faces.

[abrenrn]

Interesting that family complained rather than patient. You think it would have taken them less time to get water for themselves. Problem is, management does not stand up for nurses.

Good response I came up with. Hand such family members a list of agencies that provide private duty nursing. We are not there to meet every need. In fact, patient and family need to learn to do things themselves.