Comments from the peanut gallery....

Specialties Emergency

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Gotta love the comments from the families...

pt is 80something female brought in by family (all live together) for diff breathing/sob. pt is satting 100% on ra (put her on lowflow o2 nc anyway), other vs also normal, talking in complete sentences, lungs clear, no labor in breathing but has a cardiac & asthma hx. So, line & labs are called for and I hear....

son: "she's a hard stick boy, you better get it the first time."

mmm, that helped. :uhoh3: It was pretty much like that for the rest of their stay, snide comments and complaints about the temperature of the room, availability of food, etc. And oh yeah, they're here about every other week. NOTE: while she actually is a hard stick, the pt herself is pleasant.

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
Maybe there is more behind their lives than we know. Who's to judge? People don't become like that for no reason.

You are probably right. BUT, I'm sorry, if you have been shot twice in a year and you have gang tattoos all over your arms and you are throwing gang signs to your friends, there is nothing more to that story. Their stupidity is our job security.

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Specializes in er,cvicu,icu.
Maybe there is more behind their lives than we know. Who's to judge? People don't become like that for no reason.

I know that this is not exactly in line with the original topic started here but....it never ceases to amaze me how just about everytime a topic is started that contains the LEAST bit of normal venting someone has to make some deep profound remark that essentially points out how mean and uncaring nurses are (and yes I know that was a run on sentence but I don't care).

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.
Maybe there is more behind their lives than we know. Who's to judge? People don't become like that for no reason.

It's possible to be a competent, professional nurse without loving all our patients - or even respecting the choices they've made for themselves. Michigan and others come here to vent because it's hard to constantly put yourself out and there is no support from upper management when patients and families leave their manners at the door if they even have them. Please don't take offense, but I suggest you withhold judgement until you've experienced this without a preceptor or clinical instructor as your backup. Seriously - it's a completely different experience.

I applaud Michigan and other nurses that stand up for themselves and don't allow themselves to be a doormat for others.

Blee

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I never said to lay down and be a doormat.. Just have known people who have dropped into that sad (and, I agree.. ridiculous) gang road.

Nor did I ever say that anyone here is a mean or uncaring nurse. Some of the nurses who posted (especially MichiganRN) have posted some things that I have found quite helpful.

Just asking for people to look on the other side. I know a teacher from Camden.. The stories she hears.. It's sad. It's no wonder these kids turn to gangs to have a family. But I also applaud the ones who rise above.

I understand you think I'm judging your vent. I was not. Was simply asking to see life from another's eyes.

And never would I suggest someone I don't know to be an uncaring nurse. I know I already said that. But it bothers me that anyone would put words in my mouth that I did not.. in this instance.. type. :D

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Specializes in Emergency.

As a nurse, I think that it is important that we treat all of our patients with respect, no matter their background or history. Hate to state the obvious, but when you are treating patients, you are also treating their family members as well, and this can be difficult and frustrating.

It is very hard for us to look at the heroin addict here for an OD or infection the same as the nice man who has CHF next door, but we have to do it no matter what we say in private to our colleagues. Yes we have to set limits on what is acceptable behavior, but we need to try to help too.

I try to meet a new patient and their family with an open mind no matter what I have been told by the previous nurse. Lots of times it is a communication issue coupled by bad experiences with other hospitals or health care workers (unfortunate, but true). Greeting them and letting them know what is expected for my shift (procedures, labs, etc.) helps, as well as taking the time to listen to their concerns (my patients, if they can communicate, can tell me if they are a hard stick, or if they want things done a certain way). Also trying to anticipate their needs helps to decrease the callbellitis. If family is a problem, I talk to them with the patients permission about what is going on, and what the plan is for care on my shift, as well as try to get them involved in the care like helping with feeding, and ICS.

Most difficult people just need a little direction and education to make them happy, but there are those who are never satisfied, and they are the hardest to work with, and will usually misinterpret everything you do or say, so in these cases, I try to have another person in the room with me, and document everything.

Amy

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.
I know that this is not exactly in line with the original topic started here but....it never ceases to amaze me how just about everytime a topic is started that contains the LEAST bit of normal venting someone has to make some deep profound remark that essentially points out how mean and uncaring nurses are (and yes I know that was a run on sentence but I don't care).

I know what you mean. You just can NOT have a good old-fashioned vent thread anymore. I wish that sometimes there was a trigger like we wish we had for those incessant callbell-ringers that would hit them like a shock collar, only it should be wired into the keyboard. If someone comes on our vent threads with a snide remark or profound statement, the minute they hit enter...WHAM!!!!!

I can think of more than a few people on more than a few threads I'd pay money to see that work on.

Thank you, you may all jump on the "OMG, you're so MEAN" bandwagon at once.:D

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Specializes in M/S,TELE,ORTHO,ER.

You know what I like even better about the "hard stick" comments from families? When the pt is actually handling it fine but the family member is traumatized. That's right(family member), it's all about you! Sheesh!

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When I hear this I always want to say "Or what? Are YOU going to do it?"

I had a pt who's daughter was a nursing student.

They got all ***** because I would not let the daughter do the stick.

Excuse me, but this is not your clinical, and I am not your clinical instructor. It's my job to do the stick and it's my license...mmmkay?

Maybe when they had their lectures on following policies, procedures, professional responsiblilities, professional bounderies, and the law, this girl was absent.

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I know what you mean. You just can NOT have a good old-fashioned vent thread anymore. I wish that sometimes there was a trigger like we wish we had for those incessant callbell-ringers that would hit them like a shock collar, only it should be wired into the keyboard. If someone comes on our vent threads with a snide remark or profound statement, the minute they hit enter...WHAM!!!!!

I can think of more than a few people on more than a few threads I'd pay money to see that work on.

Thank you, you may all jump on the "OMG, you're so MEAN" bandwagon at once.:D

Yes- and all these threads come from brand new nurses or nursewannabes- just look.

Give it a few years, dears. You will all be posting vents, as well.

So please lay off and let the seasoned nurses have their vents without critisism and judgement!

When a student or brand new nurse actually has the gall and presumption to lecture seasoned nurses on this board I just want to throw up!:trout:

We don't want to hear it!

We will now return to your regularly scheduled thread.

Thank you.

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Specializes in acute care.

These "poor" gang members who go around stabbing, killing, shooting, slicing, raping, robbing, etc. innocent people will not get my sympathy.

I

Just asking for people to look on the other side. I know a teacher from Camden.. The stories she hears.. It's sad. It's no wonder these kids turn to gangs to have a family. But I also applaud the ones who rise above.

I

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I think I need an assignment from allnurses.com professors..

100 times handwritten..

I will not make "profound" statements during a vent.

And then, just to make it nursing school like, make sure I understand the reasons why.

Sorry!!!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

NurseWannabe, just remember, you are not a nurse yet, you don't understand that half of what we deal with. When you get out into the "real" world, you will soon realize that it is not as rosy as it seems.

It is easy to judge and say that we have no compassion because we complain about some of the patients we have to deal with. That is totally normal. EVERYONE complains about some aspect of their job. So in the future, don't judge those who vent. It doesn't make us any less of a nurse.

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