i swear, visitors have gotten dumber and nastier over the years! used to be the majority of them were pleasant and grateful to you for helping mom, dad or whoever. now those pleasant folks seem to be vastly outnumbered!
yesterday, i was caring for a very sick man with multiple infected wounds which were getting wet to dry dressings. our practice is to open a bottle of sterile saline, date and time it, and then use it for 24 hours. yesterday afternoon, i happened to be standing outside the room talking to the resident when i noticed the patient's wife take an oral swab out of his mouth, open up the bottle of sterile saline, dip the swab in, and then stick it back in his wife. i stood there with my jaw hanging on the floor, wondering how many times she'd done that, and whether we'd just figured out why every wound was infected and none of them were getting better.
when i went into the room, i explained to her about sterile dressing changes, and how the bottle was sterile saline, the consequences of using contaminated saline for a wet to dry dressing change, etc. her response was to swear up and down she hadn't dipped the oral swab into the bottle. "i poured the water over the swab," she said.
"that's not water," i explained.
"yes it is," she said. "it looks just like water and i don't want to use dirty old faucet water in his mouth."
you'd think people would be more cautious about putting something in their loved one's mouth if they don't even know what it is! you'd think if you explained the consequences of contaminated saline, they'd be quick to admit that it was contaminated rather than risk you using it on their loved one. you'd think they'd believe you when you tell them what's in the bottle.
The more of these posts I read, the luckier I feel to be working in the OR. We have little family contact and when we do, it's usually to go out to the waiting room(thank the Lord for waiting rooms!) and give them a heads up. Most of them are pleasant at that point because they're grateful that you kept them in the loop. Hospitals truly need to fix the whole "family knows best" problem because it speeds up burnout. I also hate how they want you to call patients "clients" or even worse, "customers". I refuse to do it because it plays into the whole problem. What's next, a "money back guarantee" if your loved one doesn't pull through?
Hookers have clients and customers - I have patients.
About the only smart thing my facility has done - put numeric locks on the kitchen, breakroom and medroom doors. You want in? You'll have to ask us; we'll get it for you. (Unless of course you're one of the visitors early on that were told the code by one of the NA's. I reamed that former staff members butt out big time when a MRSA/VRE patient (caught in the process of digging through the kitchen fridge for a snack) ratted out the person who gave her the code number).
I honestly don't think of these people as nasty, so much as oblivious, ignorant and moronic. I long for the days when visiting hours were 11am to 9pm (strictly enforced) and no one under 14 was allowed under any circumstances. If I have to explain why lil' Kaitluyn shouldn't be crawling on the floor and rooting through Meemaw's trash can one more time, I'm going to lose it.
LMAO at Kaitlyn in Meemaw's trash!!! That is hilarious!!
I love that comment that "she is not a waitress". This brings to mind the time I was visiting my friend in the hospital a couple of years ago after she had had a hysterectomy. She had said she was hungry so her nurse asked her if she wanted to try some toast. I immediately jumped up and said I would make it for her and asked for directions to the kitchen. The nurse seemed shocked that I offered to do this for my friend. I did not understand the reaction at the time but after reading these posts I now realize how rude people can be to nurses. I don't know why more people would not want to help a friend or a loved one themselves. I felt she was my friend and wanted to help take care of her.
This site is great and really lets me see the reality of nursing. I start nursing school this Fall and look forward to gaining more insights from all the seasoned nurses on this site.
Peace and Grace
Nurse wannabee
Okay, I've had some nasty family members but night before last a man's family started asking him, as I was leaving the room, "Dad, do you want something to eat or drink?" after I'd already explained that a snack would be forthcoming. The patient said, "no, that's okay, besides she's not a waitress!"
I believe I would have said to her, Now we must pour this out and charge you with another bottle and this is not cheap, you must not use it for anything please, and then noted on the bottle NURSES ONLY....
Had a mom bring a newly symptomatic youngster with schizophrenia a gold plated double edged razor blade on a chain, and then get real nasty when she had to take it home with her. "What do you mean,'innapropriate? I'm his mother!!!":confused:
I'm not too fond of the terms client or customer in reference to pts., but the hooker reference was a little uncalled for.
I better one would be that sales people and fast food joints have clients and customers... I am caring for a patient. It needs to be obvious that we are in a medical situation, and the word patient makes that clear.
i swear, visitors have gotten dumber and nastier over the years! used to be the majority of them were pleasant and grateful to you for helping mom, dad or whoever. now those pleasant folks seem to be vastly outnumbered!
yesterday, i was caring for a very sick man with multiple infected wounds which were getting wet to dry dressings. our practice is to open a bottle of sterile saline, date and time it, and then use it for 24 hours. yesterday afternoon, i happened to be standing outside the room talking to the resident when i noticed the patient's wife take an oral swab out of his mouth, open up the bottle of sterile saline, dip the swab in, and then stick it back in his wife. i stood there with my jaw hanging on the floor, wondering how many times she'd done that,
LMAO at Kaitlyn in Meemaw's trash!!! That is hilarious!!
I thought it was an excellent example!
:yeah:
subee, MSN, CRNA
1 Article; 6,140 Posts
Hookers have clients and customers - I have patients.