Comments from the peanut gallery....

[emtb2rn]

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. 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.

[psalm, RN]

Wouldn't it be nice to go to work and for a week or even 2 shifts, have NO ONE yell, scream, swear or name-call you? Maybe I'm just on the wrong floor...

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Wouldn't it be nice to go to work and for a week or even 2 shifts, have NO ONE yell, scream, swear or name-call you? Maybe I'm just on the wrong floor...

Or the wrong planet. I just landed my first NP job (yay!!!!), and my doc has a no-narc policy (not that I could write for them in my state anyway). Calling the local gendarmes, or threatening to, is a weekly occurrence there. I love, love, LOVE my job, but I grew up in this town, and to see people that I used to think highly of act like that is frankly amazing. You don't get away from it anywhere, not that it makes it any more palatable.

[ACRN06]

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).

Haha!! As I was scrolling down reading through the thread I was thinking the EXACT THING at that point! Its such BS

You know what else I've noticed... 99% of the time the people aren't nurses... seriously, it'd be like me joining an allteachers.com site and putting my 2 cents in on every vent they had... UNTIL YOU WALK IN OUR SHOES SHUT UP CUZ YOU HAVE NO IDEA..

please feel free to leave any time... there I said it....

no seriously, LEAVE

[obliviousRN]

Wow. Talk about nurses eating their young.

Now I'm a seasoned ER nurse who gets irritated by many things - even someone interrupting a vent. BUT - she explained herself and what she was really meaning wtih her post - did you guys not read that? She very clearly spelled out what she meant.

She even apologized.

And yet many people continue to attack. If this is what is happening to our younger or newer nurses coming in on a message board, imagine what it is like at work (hers or yours). Must not be pleasant working with some of you who are not able to have a "conversation" even on a message board with someone who 1. makes bad comment 2. explains what they really meant 3. apologizes for it 4. you still yell at her.

So I here I sit waiting for the attack on me now because I stuck up for someone who apologized and hopefully learned their lesson and yet some people still have to attack her. Very sad.

[psalm, RN]

What I have found where I work AND I AM NOT stereotyping: The younger nurse or NA or tech is not as open to suggestions as the older worker. There's the mentality that no one is gonna take advantage of me OR I''ll do it when I'm good and ready OR do it yourself.

Having said that, I don't know if it is the MTV attitude; the "me first" attitiude; the "situational comedy" attitude; or just plain rudeness and selfishness. And not just with co-workers but patients also! Yes, I have seen the older worker do the same but not to the same degree...and definatelty not as many.

I try to see the best in everyone and give the benefit of the doubt. But sometimes I wonder why a certain coworker is still among us...certainly not by popular demand.

[mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I]

Although I TOO have the whining patient about the blood pressure cuff....I would never take incident with someone who is so SOB they can't speak in a full sentence. I have to say this and it might not be what you want to hear.....but what flippin Univ. did you go to that didn't offer some knowldge that someone with dyspnea so bad that they cannot speak in full sentences was in the same category as ...waaaaa that blood pressure cuff is too tight. And to continue on the....let's get so and so nurse out of triage cause they.....reallly need to learn the minimal about abdominal pain or SOB....CP...shall I go on?....were you having a terrible day...if so....I'll back off here....but Abdominal pain, dyspnea....are not bogus.....and in no comparison to the BP cuff squeezing them to tight.( Not being able to sit still with abdominal pain or so dyspnic that they can't speak in full sentences is of concern, and ANY triage nurse would and should take it seriously.....That's our job.....in triage. Sorry to point the obvious out....but Triage is a skill..........and frustration with patients who present this way is our priority. I understand some frustration....perhaps though...a manual BP would be better for you. (Those electronics when they are in pain, out of their element, not wanting to be in the ER in the first place..."Just treat me know" kind of thoughts...warrants a manual BP.....Any opportunity for you to do that? Plus: Have you ever followed up with the disposition of those patients....you might be surprised how many are actually admitted to the hospital....my 2cents once again. Denise

Wow obviously struck a nerve there,

I would have to agree with the other posters that you didn't quite catch my sarcasm there. My point was that some patients even in the throws of an (insert respiratory complaint here) so bad they couldn't speak in full sentences they would still use thier dying breath to complain about the BP cuff being too tight.

It had nothing to do with auto vs manual cuff nor did it relate to my triage ability or nsg judgment. The point was some people complain about stuff even if they are in the throws of death.

And a quick question are you out in triage full time in your place of employment? Just curious.

[TraumaNurseRN]

Wow obviously struck a nerve there,

I would have to agree with the other posters that you didn't quite catch my sarcasm there. My point was that some patients even in the throws of an (insert respiratory complaint here) so bad they couldn't speak in full sentences they would still use thier dying breath to complain about the BP cuff being too tight.

It had nothing to do with auto vs manual cuff nor did it relate to my triage ability or nsg judgment. The point was some people complain about stuff even if they are in the throws of death.

And a quick question are you out in triage full time in your place of employment? Just curious.

I apologize for missing the sarcasm....I just read your post not all of the others. In answer to you question, in my ER we are scheduled through the ED on any given day. One day I could be in triage, the next in trauma...or command or on a team with an assignment. I would quit if I was triage everyday....

[TraumaNurseRN]

I hate to speak for another poster, but I feel strongly you missed the sarcasm present in the post you've referenced here.

The poster's point was about patients who complain dramatically and at length about their symptoms (including those who "can't breathe" ) but then suddenly have a brand new crisis of epic proportions because the BP cuff is uncomfortable.

I do not believe I have ever experienced 10/10 pain. (and yes, I've given birth) But I am sure that if I ever do experience 10/10 pain, an automatic BP cuff will be the least of my concerns.

I read only the one post and commented on it......and if you notice...I then apologized for not reading 10 post or so prior to it.