We are all supposed to love our jobs and most of us do! But we are all supposed to over look just danged annoying behaviors.
My pet peeve, I do not care for drama patients. You walk out in the hall and they are laughing and having fun with a visitor, they take one look at YOU looking at them and they are hanging on to the walls to help them walk and moaning in pain. I sometimes think my mere presence causes them harm... ;o)
Me: "Great! Your temp is normal!" Patient: "Oh, if it is normal I am SICK! My usual is 72(F).
Me: "Great! Your b/p is 120/70!" Patient: "Oh, if it is normal I am SICK! My usual is 50/10."
I work in LTC. I dislike the continual and endless c/o of being constipated and of diarrhea. They refuse to take Senna and Colace and then c/o being constipated. Then 3 days later they incessantly ring the call bell and tell every single person they come in contact with to tell the nurse they are constipated and demand MOM and a suppository. Then they complain its not working fast enough and what am I going to do about it" and I say try TAKING your stool softeners and laxatives when they are ordered! Oh and I hate it when the aid comes to me and says Mrs. X is sitting on the toilet and can't poop. Its right there but she can't push it out. She wants you to come and do something!
Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
I work in LTC. I dislike the continual and endless c/o of being constipated and of diarrhea. They refuse to take Senna and Colace and then c/o being constipated. Then 3 days later they incessantly ring the call bell and tell every single person they come in contact with to tell the nurse they are constipated and demand MOM and a suppository. Then they complain its not working fast enough and what am I going to do about it" and I say try TAKING your stool softeners and laxatives when they are ordered! Oh and I hate it when the aid comes to me and says Mrs. X is sitting on the toilet and can't poop. Its right there but she can't push it out. She wants you to come and do something!
Do they think we have some vacuum to suck poop out? Or have some secret move that only we know to make them poop RIGHT NOW?? Had a home Heath patient call with complaints of constipation. Her stomach was hurting soooo bad!! Went out to see her and turns out she had taken an entire bottle of mag citrate. No wonder your belly hurts and no I can't do a thing now that you've already drank the stuff. Should have called me before you downed the whole thing...
"I gotta pee! I gotta pee!! I gotta pee!!!" Followed by: "I gotta stand up! Can't you just take me to the bathroom? I can't go in that thing; I need to get up RIGHT NOW!"
All this about 30 seconds after first opening his eyes.
I hate patients with elitist attitudes who speak to nursing and supportive staff as if they are indentured slaves.
I also hate masochistic patients -- they have no mental illness but are physically/emotionally/psychologically abusive and take great pleasure in torturing hardworking nurses just trying to help them be healthy, safe, alive; but, I especially hate that facilities let them get away with it.
In our LTC facility we have a patient who (apart form being racist, attention-seeking, whiny, obese, and incontinent of everything), she has an elitist attitude and speaks to nursing staff pejoratively and is abusive. Example: she corrects our grammar, has referred to a few of my colleagues using racial slurs and referenced slavery, she throws things, kicks, bites, spits and swears. She's not demented or suffering form any mental disorder -- we've had her assessed. She's just a 96 year old witch who appears as if she might live forever on some agreement with Satan and she contributes nothing but filth to the world. We've charted her behaviour enough to write a novel. (I wish I knew when I was in nursing school that tolerating this kind of abuse was Nursing. I never would have become a nurse). But I digress, on the odd occasion this pt. says "thank you" and myself or my colleagues reply "you're welcome" she commands: "That is not what you say! You should be saying: 'It's my pleasure'. I've got the other nurses saying this, and so will you! You'll have to learn!" To which I always reply, "you're welcome". I really wish her family would take her home.
I work in LTC. I dislike the continual and endless c/o of being constipated and of diarrhea. They refuse to take Senna and Colace and then c/o being constipated. Then 3 days later they incessantly ring the call bell and tell every single person they come in contact with to tell the nurse they are constipated and demand MOM and a suppository. Then they complain its not working fast enough and what am I going to do about it" and I say try TAKING your stool softeners and laxatives when they are ordered! Oh and I hate it when the aid comes to me and says Mrs. X is sitting on the toilet and can't poop. Its right there but she can't push it out. She wants you to come and do something!
I work in HELL (opps, I mean LTC, too) and I can't tell you how many SOBs we've either had to dis-impact or send to the ER for impaction because they were non-compliant with stool softeners/bowel routine.
I hate patients with elitist attitudes who speak to nursing and supportive staff as if they are indentured slaves.
I also hate masochistic patients -- they have no mental illness but are physically/emotionally/psychologically abusive and take great pleasure in torturing hardworking nurses just trying to help them be healthy, safe, alive; but, I especially hate that facilities let them get away with it.
In our LTC facility we have a patient who (apart form being racist, attention-seeking, whiny, obese, and incontinent of everything), she has an elitist attitude and speaks to nursing staff pejoratively and is abusive. Example: she corrects our grammar, has referred to a few of my colleagues using racial slurs and referenced slavery, she throws things, kicks, bites, spits and swears. She's not demented or suffering form any mental disorder -- we've had her assessed. She's just a 96 year old witch who appears as if she might live forever on some agreement with Satan and she contributes nothing but filth to the world. We've charted her behaviour enough to write a novel. (I wish I knew when I was in nursing school that tolerating this kind of abuse was Nursing. I never would have become a nurse). But I digress, on the odd occasion this pt. says "thank you" and myself or my colleagues reply "you're welcome" she commands: "That is not what you say! You should be saying: 'It's my pleasure'. I've got the other nurses saying this, and so will you! You'll have to learn!" To which I always reply, "you're welcome". I really wish her family would take her home.
I have mentioned previously that I am a US nurse living and working in Mexico. I do not work for the hospital, I am the surgeon' US RN. Patients come here for weight loss surgery.
Now, please understand, we do things the right way. We certainly are not the cheapest place in Mexico but that is because do things absolutely the right way including very nice hospitals. Not fleabag Tijuana danger zone places, but upscale hospitals.
99% of the time patients are wonderful, they are sweet, appreciative of anything you do for them, they are excited to get on with their new skinny lives, life is good! But, every now and again...pftpftpft....
One day I went to the hospital to visit our patients and one of the nurses took me by the arm, put her finger to her lips saying, "Shhhhh" and asked me to just sit and listen. OMG! I was mortified by what I was hearing! A 2nd year medical student/our patient, was laying in her bed screaming, "HEY (insert HORRIBLE name here)! I need water! Bring it to me." At first I wanted to die of embarrassment due to the behaviors of my fellow American and then instantly I was angry. I walked into her room, shut the door, and we had a chat.
I do not work for the hospital, those poor nurses are under the impression they have to put up with it. I did not realize, they HAD been complaining to my boss about this and he never said a word to me or the patient. That was wrong. It's an uncomfortable situation, it's a cultural thing. Well, it's not uncomfortable for ME!
I basically told her this was unacceptable and if it happened one more time she's be finishing her stay in Mexico at a hotel. We also chatted about what happens to doctors when they treat nurses that way. She kept trying to talk and I didn't let her get a word in edgewise, in my whole life I don't think I have ever been serious when I made the gesture to talk to the hand but I did that day. There was no excuse, she had nothing to say that I wanted to hear.
I am told she apologized to one of the nurses for any misunderstanding. Misunderstanding my butt!
We had another lady that each time anyone would go into her room she would scream at them and throw her phone at them. That time my boss did call me and ask me if there was anything I could do. It is easier if I do it, otherwise they go home and say the Mexican nurses were mean to them. For whatever reason, they don't do that with me.
When the nurses would go into her room they would crack the door so the phone would hit the door instead of them. Then they felt safe is walking in. I was ready for it. I knocked on her door and opened it wide, she took her phone and of course, threw it at me. I caught it and then we had a chat. Then I told her I was keeping the phone until discharge and if she kept up those behaviors I would throw it away. Period.
Never had another problem with her.
I've done my time, I've paid my dues, I'm not putting up with that ever again. Nor is anyone around me.
This doesn't always annoy me, but more times than not, it does:
When patients have every medication they take written down in a book next to their bed.
More often than not, they have things written down wrong (or it's written down from when they were hospitalized somewhere else.)
I appreciate the fact that a well-meaning family member wants to ensure their loved one is getting all their medication. However, medication orders can change daily.
Accusing staff of committing med errors is serious offense and if you're going to do it, at least make sure you're correct!
I hate patients with elitist attitudes who speak to nursing and supportive staff as if they are indentured slaves.
I also hate masochistic patients -- they have no mental illness but are physically/emotionally/psychologically abusive and take great pleasure in torturing hardworking nurses just trying to help them be healthy, safe, alive; but, I especially hate that facilities let them get away with it.
In our LTC facility we have a patient who (apart form being racist, attention-seeking, whiny, obese, and incontinent of everything), she has an elitist attitude and speaks to nursing staff pejoratively and is abusive. Example: she corrects our grammar, has referred to a few of my colleagues using racial slurs and referenced slavery, she throws things, kicks, bites, spits and swears. She's not demented or suffering form any mental disorder -- we've had her assessed. She's just a 96 year old witch who appears as if she might live forever on some agreement with Satan and she contributes nothing but filth to the world. We've charted her behaviour enough to write a novel. (I wish I knew when I was in nursing school that tolerating this kind of abuse was Nursing. I never would have become a nurse). But I digress, on the odd occasion this pt. says "thank you" and myself or my colleagues reply "you're welcome" she commands: "That is not what you say! You should be saying: 'It's my pleasure'. I've got the other nurses saying this, and so will you! You'll have to learn!" To which I always reply, "you're welcome". I really wish her family would take her home.
Every LTC must have a clone of this lady. We have one and I sincerely feel bad for her son. He seems like a nice man and is the only member of her family that will still have anything to do with her. It's sad really, I think she's just been a miserable, mean person her whole life. At least the 2 kids that refuse to have anything to do with her anymore agree. Too bad she is a private pay and is sucking up her life savings to treat our staff like crap instead of leaving something behind for her poor kids.
"I have to go see my other patients, but the aid will be rounding in the next 15 minutes or so. Use that time to think about anything else you may need."
The ice must be chips.. not cubes.
Actually had THAT request on a bariatric surgery unit .
Patient family: When do you think they might die because I have to book a flight
Me: If it important for you to be here when they pass away then you should come now
Family: I can't come now
I can't quite "like" this because it's just too recent for me. A lovely, sweet little lady [at least to us] passed away recently, no family that I ever saw visit but after she died a daughter actually read the obit in the paper and called to ask details about her mother's death. I can't even imagine the family dynamics at work there that the POA [another daughter that by the way NEVER visited] didn't even bother to inform the rest of the family that Mom had passed away.
NJstudent2012
10 Posts
I work in LTC. I dislike the continual and endless c/o of being constipated and of diarrhea. They refuse to take Senna and Colace and then c/o being constipated. Then 3 days later they incessantly ring the call bell and tell every single person they come in contact with to tell the nurse they are constipated and demand MOM and a suppository. Then they complain its not working fast enough and what am I going to do about it" and I say try TAKING your stool softeners and laxatives when they are ordered! Oh and I hate it when the aid comes to me and says Mrs. X is sitting on the toilet and can't poop. Its right there but she can't push it out. She wants you to come and do something!