Ever had to take care of someone you knew and/or didn't like?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Case Manager.

Right now, I'm a nursing student and I will soon be doing clinicals at the hospital near me. I know a lot of people and I think that I might come across someone that I know/are friends with OR someone that I DON'T like.

Has this ever happened to you guys and how do you deal with it?

**Can someone edit the title to "Ever had to take care of someone you KNEW or didn't like?" Darn typos!

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You do your job and there will be no problems.

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Or, you can request not to be assigned to care for a person that would cause problems for you.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

If I have a patient assigned to me that I think might cause a conflict, I go to the charge before report is done and ask that this pt be switched off my assignment.

Usually they are glad to do this, and in all actuality, I have never had to do it. (I have seen others ask this and it was never a problem.)

Although I DO have a list in my head of people I would refuse to care for, mostly because I do not like them (and the feeling is mutual). Not because I don't think I could give them good care, I know I could, just afraid if they died under my care, their family might say, 'THAT nurse didn't like him/her!!!!' Only half kidding here.

So far as knowing people, just act professionally, don't act embarrassed at seeing this person in less than full clothing and in their full social face, and treat them like anyone else. This will help them feel better, and will in turn, help you feel better about taking care of them.

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Since you usually work in the community that you live in, you occasionally will see patients that are friends, acquaintances or even family. If you feel that emotional ties will interfere with doing your job, then you can request a change of assignment.

As far as people you don't like . . . you just deal with it.

Sometimes the patient will request a different nurse themselves . . . problem solved.

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Specializes in Case Manager.
Since you usually work in the community that you live in, you occasionally will see patients that are friends, acquaintances or even family. If you feel that emotional ties will interfere with doing your job, then you can request a change of assignment.

As far as people you don't like . . . you just deal with it.

What if it's mutual? Or what if it will have ramifications outside the work place... (these are just hypotheticals).

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What would you do if you were a server and someone you didn't like came in to have dinner? What if you were a mechanic and someone you didn't like brought their car in? What if you were a teacher and someone you didn't like was in your class?

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What if it's mutual? Or what if it will have ramifications outside the work place... (these are just hypotheticals).

Many times in nursing, you will have patients that you would never want as a friend, in a million years . . . but, you just tuck those feeling away, and you do your job. Realize that when people are in the hospital, they are "not at their best" . . . very scared, vulnerable, feeling like crap . . . so many times, patients will not be polite to you . . . you will learn to ignore the delirious and deal with the demanding . . .

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

This may come up less often than you think -- I did most of my clinicals as a nursing student at the hospital 5 blocks from where I live, and then in my first nursing job, worked 1.5 years at a pediatric hospital 1 mile from where I live. I never once had a patient that I knew, or whose parents I knew. The closest I came to this was seeing a friend in the hospital cafeteria -- she was there for an MD appointment, and I was taking a break from my peds clinical.

Anyway, I had already decided that if I was assigned to someone I knew, I would ask for the assignment to be switched. This included people I like as well as dislike -- although I feel capable of giving the same level of care, I would not want there to be even an appearance of me being influenced one way or another by a personal relationship with a patient or their parents.

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Specializes in Case Manager.
What would you do if you were a server and someone you didn't like came in to have dinner? What if you were a mechanic and someone you didn't like brought their car in? What if you were a teacher and someone you didn't like was in your class?

I don't know. Because frankly, I just ignore people that I don't like completely... and if we happen to be in a situaiton where I HAVE to interact with them, I try to do so as little as possible. I'm not gonna pretend to like someone when I do not. You'll know if I like you or not based off how I interact with you.

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I was working in a psych hospital many many years ago. Imagine my surprise:eek: when I saw this new female psych patient. I recognized this woman who had stolen my boyfriend from high school so many years ago!!!!! I immediately felt anger when I recognized her.:mad: I do not believe that she recognized me. Anyway, I was upset but was able to calm myself down. I was able to treat her kindly and with respect.

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I don't know. Because frankly, I just ignore people that I don't like completely... and if we happen to be in a situaiton where I HAVE to interact with them, I try to do so as little as possible. I'm not gonna pretend to like someone when I do not. You'll know if I like you or not based off how I interact with you.

You don't have to "like" your patient. You treat them as you would wish to be treated if you were the patient.

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