Nasty and mean patients

MochaRN424, ASN · Jan 26, 2010

I work on the MIU at a hospital where the patient population is low income but regardless this is is not an excuse for rudeness. I have found that this population feels they are entitled to free diapers, free formula etc. I just provided care to a African American patient (you'll see why I specified race later) and there were issues in trying to get her pain level controlled.

Don't you know this patient had the nerve to suggest that I had an issue with her getting her pain controlled. She went on to say "I was irritating the hell out of her." She was requesting high levels of a narcotic med back to back.

When I informed her that I wanted to call the doctor to see if there was something else we could get for her...as I walked out of the room the patient says "Its always the black nurses that don't know nothing." I could not believe that she had the nerve to say this. This irritated me initially but I needed to remember that by the Grace of God I worked hard and did well in nursing school and it was also I who had to pass a very extensive NCLEX exam and I am sorry she is not worth my license. It is always my prayer that I never cause harm...I am new to this unit so if I am not sure of something I have no problems in getting help or finding out an answer.

And do you know to add insult to injury she had the nerve to ask me to get her strawberry ice cream? Inspite of her nasty demeanor I did give her the ice cream why? Because of Proverbs 25:21-22 it works!!! :lol2:

NM nurse to be · Jan 27, 2010

Oh boy does this thread ring some bells!!! I've had the 'was this person always this mean' discussion with my nurse over a few residents. Some of them probably were. Like the lady who is totally with it but the stroke took out her speech abilities and she can only go 'ninininini' and point. She is a very angry person. She beat up 2 aides last week, cornered one in her room with her chair and wouldn't let her out. She scratched the next one pretty bad, who came to save the first girl. She spits and pinches at the nurses all the time, a nursing student got it a few weeks ago when she grabbed her by the hair.

I know she is angry and frustrated. I also know she DOES know how to behave appropriately, when she wants to. I get along with her fine. I am one of the few she will allow to shower her. It took a long time getting here and I ducked the wet briefs she threw when she was ****** for awhile. But we eventually made peace and can communicate ok and it was only by perseverence on my part that we got there. We are fairly sure she's always been an angry, mean soul and current circumstances don't help.

I have others who I totally adore. One calls me her angel all the time and it totally warms my heart to hear 'oh I'm glad it's YOU on tonight' I was talking to another favorite man the other day. When he first came to us, he was just out of hip surgery and still pretty gorked out on pain meds. He was angry and disoriented a lot. But now, he's just pretty much always cheerful. I asked him about that last week and if he's always happy. He said he has always been, he's had a good life and is just happy to be every day. Not be anywhere in particular, just be. I really liked that.

I absolutely hate it when some other aides go into rooms at night and with no warning, turn all the lights on and whip back the covers and just start rolling people around. That makes me so angry! I would hate that so much and I know many of them do, the ones who can talk tell me they like how I wake them. I always talk to them first and get a response before I pull back the covers and mostly I make do with the bathroom light. The agitated ones in particular, do better like that and don't wake up fully for the most part. Which is always good because then I don't have a hall full of crazies to watch at 2am.

I am actually suprised how much I enjoy my old folkz. I'd never done a job like this and when I started, I was scared to even talk to people. I had no idea how to relate to them and it was stressful in so many ways. But now, I'm comfortable and it's enjoyable most of the time. At least the people part is enjoyable, the politics and some other 'stuff' are the same as any other job I've had.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2010

I work on the MIU at a hospital where the patient population is low income but regardless this is is not an excuse for rudeness. I have found that this population feels they are entitled to free diapers, free formula etc. I just provided care to a African American patient (you'll see why I specified race later) and there were issues in trying to get her pain level controlled.
Don't you know this patient had the nerve to suggest that I had an issue with her getting her pain controlled. She went on to say "I was irritating the hell out of her." She was requesting high levels of a narcotic med back to back.
When I informed her that I wanted to call the doctor to see if there was something else we could get for her...as I walked out of the room the patient says "Its always the black nurses that don't know nothing." I could not believe that she had the nerve to say this. This irritated me initially but I needed to remember that by the Grace of God I worked hard and did well in nursing school and it was also I who had to pass a very extensive NCLEX exam and I am sorry she is not worth my license. It is always my prayer that I never cause harm...I am new to this unit so if I am not sure of something I have no problems in getting help or finding out an answer.
And do you know to add insult to injury she had the nerve to ask me to get her strawberry ice cream? Inspite of her nasty demeanor I did give her the ice cream why? Because of Proverbs 25:21-22 it works!!!

Wow! You're a nicer person than I am lol :)

MochaRN424, ASN · Jan 27, 2010

Believe me it was hard but I did it:uhoh3:

asun21ta · Jan 28, 2010

Actually, I have noticed that the elderly patients are pretty nice (unless they have some kind of mental health issue) and the younger ones seem to be a bit more demanding. I have more of an issue with overbearing family members as another person stated. Some of their demands can be completely unreasonable and they can be down right nasty. I understand that most times it is the guilt that causes them to lash out. It still does not make it right. Just my opinion. :)

christina9779 · Jul 20, 2010

You know, I'm never racist about anybody....... but I'm half chinese and half american.... born out of the U.S.

I currently and have been working with the same clinic for 5 years..... I've noticed that our patients have been meaner and meaner by the day they make another appointment.

I don't understand why they have to be so mean!!!!!!!

I have to mention the title of the clinic and say goodmorning and stuff...... they won't even let me finish.... they call me "HEY!!!!!"...... I'm not a freakin horse.... they don't even say goodmorning.... they yell at you until you can't take it anymore.....

I mean, Americans don't do this.... well some of them do, but at least they say "Goodmorning" before yelling at you. The Chinese and Cantonese people are the meanest ones in our clinic.....

How do I deal with people like this... then they turn around and tell your manager that you're being rude to them, when they started the whole entire thing....

1) Do you all have problems with your patients running their mouths off when they've been late to their appointments?

2) Do your patients have no patience to wait 5 minutes when they get into the door of your clinic or hospital

3) My patients can't even wait longer than 2 minutes before barking their heads off.....

4) We have a sign on our door..... Authorized personnel only...... even in chinese..... they don't read it and they just walk on through the door like it doesn't exist...

How do I deal with people like these.... My blood pressure is so high all the time.... I'm going to get a heart attack or stroke due to them..... I try to ignore these but ignoring this matter doesn't work, because they all continue to act like JA

Any suggestions?????????

Vegemite · Jul 21, 2010

From my experience in clinicals, most residents and patients have been really nice.

From time to time you get the mean ones. But you have to look at it from their point of view. Understand that they miss home, they miss being able to do the things they were able to do, they miss their family. They have no way of letting frustrations out so they take it out on the CNAs.

Just don't take it personally. If anything it makes for good stories :).

Residents say the darnest things haha

christina9779 · Jul 21, 2010

I work at a clinic different from a hospital..... patients don't stay at our place... they just come and go we have three different locations hayward, and 2 locations in fremont...

I book appointments, sit in front and they can't even begin to be nice.

I mean, I'm sorry, you don't feel well enough to have to go to the doctors and you're having to wait in the office.

I don't even like to wait, but I'm patient

1) When they go to the larger hospitals they don't bark at the front receptionist, they sit down quietly. If they have to wait, they wait without making noise

2) When they come to the our office, they bark like dogs.... bark, bark, bark, bark, bark. And continue to bark and don't sit down.... they hover over you to see what you're doing in the front office

3) It's actually starting to annoy me and I'm sick of it. Our doctors even put up with it. Why do I have to put up with it.

4) They scream at me because the doctors make a mistake on their prescriptions, they scream at me because they don't speak english and demand that I make them the appointments, when they are supposed to be calling the specialist, they scream at me because they want to complain about the doctors, they scream at me on the phone without being polite, they scream all the time.

5) When they are late to their appointment they want to cut the other ones off from finishing with the doctors, they scream about it, sometimes they lie to get you into trouble.

6) They scream at every single thing.... Makes it unbearable to work in this place.....

7) I try not to take it personally, but they can't even begin to be nice at all. You say, "goodmorning" when they walk in through the door.... they say, "What's so good about it" so so so nasty

8) Then when you say "goodbye" do you need to return for appointment, they say no only come once then yell at you about what the doctor did and didn't do

9) How much can a person take on a daily basis and for five years, I've been working there????? Five years... I've put up with patients being nasty towards me, every day from monday through saturday. I don't need to put up with this. That's the reason why I quit the first time in this clinic..... Then because the other front receptionsts couldn't do the job properly and couldn't handle the nasty patients anymore, they got laid off or terminated, and quit. They rehired me...... I should've said, "No" to returning because this is how miserable I felt.

10) This place doesn't pay much...... it's depressing working in this office plus the owner owes me money won't pay it to me keeps telling me I'm still holding on to your check, give the damn thing to me already....

11) A few months ago, I had my temper adjusted to where I won't yell at them anymore, and my temper is starting to wear thin on this again. I get high blood pressure and don't feel good sometimes and they are complaining that I'm rude because I don't want to deal with them. It's not that I don't want to deal with them. The main doctor (Same owner) doesn't want me to help them out at all. She says, "My job is only to answer phone calls and distribute the information to the correct location". I've been helping with interpretations, making other appointments, explaining, all different things to the patients, but she slowly told me that's not my job. So, I've been ignoring the patients because she doesn't want me to do this anymore. She took my duties away, so I'm so bored that I'm taking classes to get somewhere in my life.

12) I'd like to become a doctor myself, but it's too late for me, plus I don't know where to go to get classes.