annoying family members

Specialties Geriatric

Published

family member came to nurses station wanting to know why mothers hand is bruised. (Quick explanation due to the fact that my bladder is full, just barely finished my rounds, dealt with crazy family members, not to mention i am supper hungry and cant believe i have to start my rounds as soon as i finish my notes) me:your moms hand is bruised because she takes coumadin for ..... and they do venipunctures q week to see if the therapy is effective. The side effect of the med is bruising but there is no associated pain and assessment of your mom reveal no pain, its a bruise and its usually gone in a week" Her: well i don't want her to get "coudamin" stop giving it to her.

R U SERIOUS, had to take another 15 mins to explain why her mom needs it, how i cant just stop it at her request, and why the doctor wont probably dc the med even if i call him, might switch it to a different 1 with the same side effects eg aggrenox. after all that explaining, off course in a gentle manner, her reply " this facility has gone to the dogs, it used to be nice but nowadays its just rude nurses" RREEAALLYY??

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Too bad, not much you can do about people like this. Sounds like to tried to provide some good customer service without avail. Try to let it roll off...

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

my ideal patient is a comatose orphan with no friends :devil:

Im trying to work on my compassion, but I totally can get where you are coming from when a family just grinds your gears.

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Specializes in OR, OB, EM, Flight, ICU, PACU.......

This woman's daughter sounds like a Poster Child for Birth Control.

Just saying.........

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Ah. I hate it when family members just tell us to start or stop giving different drugs without any thought or consult.

I suppose she thinks you're a rude nurse because you didn't just say "Yes Ma'am, we'll stop the coudamin right away!"

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

yeah I had one family member give his mother meds from home (not prescribed by the md) right in front of me just after I had told him absolutely not. I was infuriated!

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I had one family member walk up to the desk and say I was a terrible nurse for letting the resident in room 6 watch t.v. with closed caption on....she was deaf!

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
I had one family member walk up to the desk and say I was a terrible nurse for letting the resident in room 6 watch t.v. with closed caption on....she was deaf!

...because the status of the television is a nursing issue...

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I feel you even though I've only been working for a little while EVERYTHING is an issue for the nurse....including every aspect of everyone else's job, its always your fault, even if a cushion is dirty...

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
I feel you even though I've only been working for a little while EVERYTHING is an issue for the nurse....including every aspect of everyone else's job, its always your fault, even if a cushion is dirty...

Pretty much. If the food sucks, yell at the nurse. Don't like the housekeeper? Yell at the nurse. You're account is in collections? Yell at the nurse. Nurse saved your loved one's life? Swoon all over the doctor.

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