Biting my lip.

Published

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

A few weeks ago we had the patient from H*L! on our floor. You know a patient is bad when the attending comes to the floor to apologize to the staff about this patient he had to admit.

This patient knew it all -- argued with the attending, consult physiciants, PT/OT, nurses, because he knew exactly what treatments we should be providing him based on his Google Scholar Degree. He monopolized the time of any staff that entered his room, even the poor phleb was in there for 20 minutes listening to him loudly drone on and on about his "prostrate" troubles (which wasn't even the reason he was admitted). Very particular about his meds, got very irate if they were administered even one minute later than when he took him at home. No one would take care of him more than one shift.

This patient, in his infinite wisdom, refused his compression stockings and heparin shots. It interfered with his ability to urinate (prostrate problems, yanoo?). Also wouldn't ambulate. What, get out of bed? Didn't we know that he was SICK and needed his REST?

Sooo...a few days ago, I was waiting to checkout at my doctor's office, and ahead of me was a loud, obnoxious, rambling man blathering on and on to the poor receptionist about how he was just dx'd with a DVT, and how OUTRAGEOUS it was that HE was going to have to pay for the HOSPITAL's error! And he was going to contact the hospital and tell them where they could stick his bill because it wasn't right that now he was suffering from complications of being hospitalized!

Yep, same guy! Oh man, it took all my strength not to say something. Anything.

Instead I did this :banghead:

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Specializes in med/surg.

Ah.. the know it all pt. that we call the one shift wonder (because one shift is all you can take). We have all had them. The guy sounds like a "victim". And I have a hard time having any sympathy for self annointed "victims". Thanks for the post.

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I love it - The Google Scholar Degree -. Sorry I know how bad thoose scholars can be. Too bad you couldn't have printed him his diploma to take with him when he was discharged. :D

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Sooo...a few days ago, I was waiting to checkout at my doctor's office, and ahead of me was a loud, obnoxious, rambling man blathering on and on to the poor receptionist about how he was just dx'd with a DVT, and how OUTRAGEOUS it was that HE was going to have to pay for the HOSPITAL's error!

now, when i read this, i kind of smirked and shook my head.

talk about karma coming to bite you in the leg.

heh.

leslie

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Google Scholar Degree...that's awesome. BWAWAWA

That was nice of the attending to apologize and it was smart of all of you to only take the patient for one shift. He's one of those patients you have to document document document on. If they refuse something they are asked to do let them know the consequencs and document it. As many things aren't covered now it's so important to do that.

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Specializes in CVICU, Burns, Trauma, BMT, Infection control.

Karma :monkeydance:

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I would be so thankful that I am not that man's wife or daughter or next of kin.

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Specializes in Psych.

What really drives me crazy is the amount of documentation I feel obliged to do on these patients. If they swear of abuse me, I quote them verbatim. Same with family. I also write down meds or treatments refused and the teaching I did to explain the consequences (ie, no heparin, no TEDs, no activity may result in DVT). All this has resulted in alot of missed breaks. Wish they could charge the pt for that!

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Same here, I chart word for word, so if it ever goes to court, I can read from the chart, "Well, your honor, I told the pt they needed lovenox, and they told me to 'bite me, b****.' Since the pt was a/o, I held the med and explained the consequences, including DVT formation, PE, CVA, MI possible loss of limb, and possible loss of life. Pt. then proceeded to thrown a full urinal at me."

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

To all the posters on this thread today ... :yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah: I acould NOT imagine living with this man. Just COULD NOT do it.

Anne, RNC :D

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

sounds like a "lovely gentleman" and the dvt could not have happened to a more deserving soul! i, too chart verbatim. and not just about the swearing. i charted the other day that "patient refuses to use incentive spirometer, claiming "i did it just before you got here, honest! i'll do it again in a little while." incentive spirometer on nurse server across the room from non-ambulatory patient." it's really fun to quote them verbatim when they come up with a truly clever or funny way to tell you to go to the devil!"

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I have a couple of male relatives like that.

No wait, I take that back....they're worse. :(

One of them consistently brings his notebook and his camera with him to any hospital stay and he directs his own care and he's continuously berating and humiliating the nurses about every. single. thing. Believe me, with this guy you cannot even pour a cup of water correctly.

All I can say is, all those nurses deserve a big fat raise for having to put up with it. Kudos to you all from very far away.

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