Family Members With Nothing Better To Do.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Telemetry, Neuro, Renal, Ortho.

I had this really nice 40 something year old patient who was admitted for a cardiolite stress test. He was completely independant, walked to the bathroom by himself and really didn't need any assistance. I would check on him periodically and told him to let me know if he needed anything.

Then his wife comes in and first thing she says when I meet her is why we have a sign posted at the bedside that says we are going to check on the patient every hour and toilet them and assess needs, if I am not really doing what the sign says. She was very fixated on that. Meanwhile the patient was very nice and never had any complaints and even agreed with his friend who had been in our hospital, that we gave great care. However, he must have been afraid of his wife because he did not stand up for me at all.

Then his wife wrote a letter and complained about me. Please tell me people have better things to do with themselves. Yes, I should have checked on the patient every hour like the sign said to do, but sometimes that is really not possible and I didn't neglect him since he was capable of toileting and doing everything himself. Some family members really need to look at themselves and evaluate what is wrong with them instead of picking on others. :mad:

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

THese are the same people that think visiting hours and visitor behavior codes of conduct don't apply to them too. You just can't fix stupid.

Specializes in ED Nursing, Critical Care Nursing.

In my short amount of experience, I've come to the conclusion that family members are a gigantic pain in the orifice at least 75 % of the time. I'm certain they don't see it that way, but it's sort of like a person with bad hygiene/BO...aren't they the last people on earth to realize that they smell? LOL Same with stupid/toxic/annoying family...poor creatures have no idea they are stupid/toxic/annoying. I'd feel sorry for them...if I had time, but one of them just asked me for a coke with no ice while I was trying to get a critical patient admitted to the ICU. I'm sure someone will respond negatively to this...they're prolly a family member of one of my patients. LMAO

PS..I was being facetious about the coke with no ice. I'm not at work as I write this in case anyone was wondering, but that very thing DID happen about a month ago while I was actually on duty.

Never mind, I've had family complain that the Crash Team made too much noise responding to a Code Blue.

Darwin was wrong. The stupid survive.

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

I think it should be stipulated on that little sign in the room that a patient who requires total care or partial care gets priority. I hope you manager didn't or won't fire you for a customer complaint as happened to me one time. That patient's wife needs to get a life and not knock down pillars of healthcare!

Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Annoying buggers aren't they?

I generally ignore their idiosyncracies and go on with my day.

I'm confused? Why in the world is there a sign by patients beds stating that? To me that is the problem. Families do get fixated on little things when they are worried about their loved ones, but the wife was way over the top. Really, explain the sign to me??????? That sign need to go!

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
Annoying buggers aren't they?

I generally ignore their idiosyncracies and go on with my day.

I wish we could just ignore them, but these situations can get us fired. Remember, some of us work for corporate buggers who make it a point to fire folks for customer complaints and poor customer service.

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
I'm confused? Why in the world is there a sign by patients beds stating that? To me that is the problem. Families do get fixated on little things when they are worried about their loved ones, but the wife was way over the top. Really, explain the sign to me??????? That sign need to go!

A lot of hospitals practice this sign off sheet business. Get you to to go in the room, as if you wouldn't anyway, every one or two hours. I don't know if it is mandated by joint commission, but it sure is a pain in the @ss.

Specializes in Orientation hahahaha.

What about my husbands peritoneal dialysis. Ummm I am not a dialysis nurse mam. Have you asked the Dr. about it? Whats the last he told you? Ok then thats all I know. "Patient has

Specializes in Pediatrics.

respiratory rate of 30 staturation of 87% and is tachycardic, asked the daughter about patients POLST/DNR and daughter replied that she wanted moms jpeg tubing changed before we did anything else?!?!?????

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
respiratory rate of 30 staturation of 87% and is tachycardic, asked the daughter about patients POLST/DNR and daughter replied that she wanted moms jpeg tubing changed before we did anything else?!?!?????

This is why a nurses value should NOT be based on the value judgement of the patient's family. Our customer service bent, brought on by corporate interests, just needs to be overhauled.

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