I just wanted to pick your brains on this subject. I work on a very busy medical unit. Our patient population is comprised of many elderly and noncompliant patients. It seems that family members and patients are becoming increasingly more difficult to please as each year passes. It seems the more noncompliant a patient is, the more they expect us to "fix" them with very little effort on their part. The family members are sometimes the worst to deal with. They can be so demanding and inconsiderate of the nurses' time. They are very critical of the nursing staff and that we "aren't doing enough." We try our hardest. Recently one of nurses answered her patient's call bell and the family member stated " you need to get off of your butt and take care of my family member." That statement was totally out of line. Our butts see very little chair time. I wonder what these people think we are doing when they can see us running our tails off.
Another nurse was told by a family member that having a 6 patient assignment (on a day shift) was not a lot. Most of these patients are either complete care or confused and need constant redirection. We have only one nurse's aid (if we're lucky, two) for the entire 27 bed unit.
It's ironic that the public is becoming more informed about medical care and their rights but are less compliant and so oblivious to what nurses need to do in the course of the day.
Does anyone else see this happening in their facility?
I am so so sick of the nasty family members. There are some that are so sweet and I never mind anyone asking me for anything. But the another night I had back to back cardiac arrests (there was only myself and an aide on the floor for 20 patients great staffing huh)? And a visitor of another patient starting screaming ****** at us because we didn't answer her call light right away to get mum a blanket. This is getting to be everyday stuff. Administration understaffs the wards to save money. Then they cram in as many patients as they can. Then the patients don't get the attention that they want because their nurse is tied up with another patient or multiple patients who are critical... and we get slammed by everyone.
this is when a good DON would be worth his/her weight in gold. just a brief interjection from the DON to the offensive parties would and could take an enormous amt. of undue pressure off of nsg staff. if only.............
Noahm
127 Posts
I am so so sick of the nasty family members. There are some that are so sweet and I never mind anyone asking me for anything. But the another night I had back to back cardiac arrests (there was only myself and an aide on the floor for 20 patients great staffing huh)? And a visitor of another patient starting screaming ****** at us because we didn't answer her call light right away to get mum a blanket. This is getting to be everyday stuff. Administration understaffs the wards to save money. Then they cram in as many patients as they can. Then the patients don't get the attention that they want because their nurse is tied up with another patient or multiple patients who are critical... and we get slammed by everyone.
I am so so sick of working like this.