Attention med/surg/floor nurses

loshie08 · Feb 9, 2015

I haven't worked in a pediatric setting besides for clinicals so I can't really compare, but I have to say some family members are SO annoying! It seems like Pt's act out way more with family around, and then there's your family who don't understand/bring Meds/foods that aren't allowed/get angry over everything/etc. when I meet good family members who take care of their parents especially I make sure to look them in the eye and thank them. :)

loshie08 · Feb 9, 2015

Also, significant others very often never leave and constantly ask for cokes/linens/etc. so I'm thinking it's not just parents of babies that never leave.

lilnursey'15 · Feb 9, 2015

I've seen 30 yr old men with their mothers hovering at the bedside. Difficult/annoying parents never really go away, the patients just get older.

Just my $.02

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hayleyh31 · Feb 9, 2015

Having worked Med-Surg and getting ready to go into NICU, I've had so many people say that they couldn't deal with the families in NICU, but that makes no sense because we have some of the nuttiest families. I figure that the families in NICU can't be that much worse than some of the ones I've dealt with on my current floor.

MA Nurse · Feb 9, 2015

That's what I was wondering....I am sure adult floor patients get hovering family members. The NICU parents might be more overwhelmed. The NICU has become very family oriented. That's good, but bad. Sometimes the parents are in the way. Maybe it's harder in the NICU because our babies tend to stay longer than a typical adult patient?

VANurse2010 · Feb 9, 2015

Most of the time, with alert and oriented patients (the majority of floor patients, though perhaps a small majority on some floors) who are not in danger of dying, the adult family members have no actual authority or standing in the medical decisions. While they may be annoying, that by itself dials down the drama compared to minor child/parent situations.

VANurse2010 · Feb 9, 2015

Also, significant others very often never leave and constantly ask for cokes/linens/etc. so I'm thinking it's not just parents of babies that never leave.

See, this isn't allowed anywhere I've ever worked. If you want a coke, I'll happily direct you down to the cafeteria.

AJJKRN · Feb 9, 2015

As a parent, I can tell you that I would be a fierce and if scared for the life of my child, probably unstable cougar protecting my cubs. I would still fiercly want to protect my husband, my parents, etc but I would probably be way more labile and irrational if my children's lives or longevity were in question...so I totally get it and this is why I chose not to work in our ED or SICU because they both see peds patients (and their parents).

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Feb 9, 2015

I work in LTC. Some families are great, others not so much. The hovering I understand, I would want to be sure my parent was getting the best care possible myself. It's the fighting over which kid gets control of mom or dad that I don't get. Sad when the dementia residents decline to the point that they need an oriented, responsible adult to make decisions for them. Sad when the spouse is that responsible party and you see their decline as well and know there is just no way that they should be responsible for these decisions anymore. Even sadder when the adult children may be oriented, but are anything but responsible.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2015

Can you explain what the difference is between difficult family members of adult patients vs. babies/kids? Is it because the parents sometimes never leave?

In the previous thread to which you are referring, I am one of the people who responded that I disliked areas of nursing where infants and kids comprised the patient populations. While I don't particularly enjoy the company of children, their parents can become outright irrational and abusive to staff when they feel upset over the kid's condition.

What's the difference between difficult parents of children versus difficult family members of adults? There are plenty of differences.

1. In some instances the parent is responsible for the child's predicament due to fetal alcohol syndrome, heavy cigarette smoking during pregnancy, prenatal drug abuse, exposure to parental secondhand smoke resulting in chronic asthmatic attacks and chronic ear infections, diets that result in overnutrition or malnutrition, etc. Some parents are too obtuse to see this, yet they want medical and nursing staff to wave a magic wand and fix the problem.

2. The maternal instinct can go into overdrive when someone's child is sick, which results in the most irrational behavior I've ever seen. Since I am not a mother (and have no plans to be one), I'll never have firsthand experience or understand it, but I'd rather not be on the receiving end of the mother's verbal lashings and irrationality.

3. Most crazy family members of adults eventually go home after spending all day at the bedside. Some spend the night, but the vast majority go home and catch up on their sleep, which is why I prefer working night shift. However, parents of pediatric patients are encouraged to sleep over every night. No thanks. Not for me.

MA Nurse · Feb 9, 2015

I hear you Commuter! I am looking at all the reasons why I am leaving NICU. Parents can be very stressful. I think I've ignored a lot of the stress i've been experiencing. Although, I have had really good experiences with parents who are grateful to the nurses and doctors from the beginning, even though their baby is sick. I used to see a lot of drug babies in the early 90's. Not so much anymore. We mostly see congenital birth defects that the parents didn't cause. Or we see premies due to mom having hypertension, pre-eclampsia, etc. I guess it is a different kind of stress regarding parents vs visitors of adult patients. I did my time on nights for 7 years. I know what you mean...it's less chaos usually...but I had to stop working nights after I had my kids. I am just happy to be starting a new job as an advice nurse next month.