Customer Service, Very Busy Day

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I recently had a very bad day at work. I am a RN but had to work as a CNA because we were short. I am fine with that because I don't mind doing different things. However my load of patients were challenging. Half of them were incontinent of stool, 2 of them kept triggering bed alarms trying to get out of bed, 7 of them required assistance transferring from bed to chair or commode, etc. (I could keep going on but Ithink you get the idea). Only one of my patients was able to walk on his own, go to the bathroom by himself, and was fairly independent. Well anyway, after making sure everyone was cleaned and settled for the morning, I spent my day cleaning behinds, turning patients, transferring patients, telling them not to get out of bed, etc.

Later in the day around 2:00pm, my one independent patient puts on the call button. So I go to his room and he is angry that no one has been chatting with him or that he didn't get his face and lips washed before lunch. I asked why he didn't put on his call light earlier and he said that he shouldn't have to. So I do what we are taught and I apologize to him, but I also try to explain my situation but he and his wife say that the nurse yesterday was in here every second! I did not go into how yesterday was Sunday and our floor is much slower on weekends. I told them that I would have my manager see them. He then says he is a big contributor to the hospital and he is friends with the CEO so he is going to make a call.

This made me so furious I could scream. Here I am working my butt off for people who really need care, and this man who has no problem with his arms or legs is angry because I didn't shoot the breeze with him or offer to wash his lips before lunch. It was very difficult for me the rest of the day to pretend to be nice to that jerk. Our floor often gets people we call "VIPs" who are nothing more than people with a lot of money who want to be pampered like they are in the Ritz. I think it is unethical to give more attention to someone who doesn't need it rather than to others who can't do much for themselves. Days like this make me want to look for a way out of nursing.

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I can definitely sympathize. It happens everywhere. :(

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Yes, that is maddening, isn't it? Try not to dwell on it, most likely in a couple weeks it will be forgotten. You can only do what you can do. I think the whole "customer service" hysteria in health care is by and large okay, but I also don't think that staff should have to grovel when people make unreasonable demands. Let it go and forgive, before it starts to eat you up. Whatever industry you're in, you're going to have difficult people to deal with.

I also think that anyone who has to advertise that they're "friends with the CEO" and brag about how much money they contribute is not as classy as they think they are.

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Specializes in ER, ICU,.

Wash his lips for him? OMG!!!

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Does anyone else take issue with the whole VIP designation? Just because someone is rich and powerful, should they be entitled to better treatment, especially if it is at the expense of others? That is just so unfair. Why is a poor little old lady who is incontinent less important than a rich man who has use of his arms and legs? When I was a brand-new grad, I had a manager pull me aside and tell me so-and-so was a "board member" so I better pull the VIP treatment- I looked at her as dumbly as I could and told her, "Don't worry- I treat ALL my patients like VIP's".

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Specializes in ER.

what-EVER!

He's just a big bed-slug. Move on with your life.

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Was he able to wash his own face and lips?

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This is your independent patient? Is he going to stay with you, or is someone from hosp going to come to his house and was his face for him? What a selfish jerk. Don't fret, just smile, say I'm sorry, and walk away.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I take issue with the VIP designation. First off, I don't care who you are, where you came from and what you do. The care I give to my patients doesn't change because of the amount of money someone has. So as far as I'm concerned, if you have to wait an extra five minutes, then you'll wait. My manager preset my assignment for me last week because we had a VIP, I was ticked off to say the least and the next morning, I told her not to do it again. I thought it was rude to begin with. Secondly, it's stressful because it makes you feel like you are walking on eggshells. And that there are unrealistic expectations of you.

That patient could wash is own lips. I don't wash a patient's lips unless they are unable to do so themselves. Reminds me of the time I got in trouble for not dialing a phone number for a patient on their phone when they were perfectly capable of doing it themselves. I made it known to the patient that they were capable of doing such a task without my help and he complained, I got pulled into the office.

Next time a patient says asks you to do something they can physically do on their own, say "We really encourage independence, if you are having a hard time caring for yourself, I can arrange for the doctor to send you to a rehab facility."...I'm sure they won't like that idea. Or you could say, "Well sir, I have 7 other patients who are bedridden and can't do anything for themselves, but I guess their care can wait while I wash your lips for you, nevermind that two of them are laying in feces as we speak."

VIPs, take your money and shove it.

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Ignore him and take care of your patients with real needs. You shouldn't even be washing the lips of someone who can wash his own. We are taught in NS that the patient should take care of their needs as they can and we should encourage independence when applicable. Don't apologize when you did nothing wrong. If he wants to call and say no one washed his lips when he is self sufficient let him. And DOCUMENT the convo.

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Next time a patient says asks you to do something they can physically do on their own, say "We really encourage independence, if you are having a hard time caring for yourself, I can arrange for the doctor to send you to a rehab facility."...I'm sure they won't like that idea.

VIPs, take your money and shove it.

I love that. It's factual and yet gets your point across.

And I don't care if you are the King of England...my care doesn't change either.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

This is the norm for most facilities. The administrators have bully patients with no lives that thrive on making us miserable.

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