First patient complaint...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I came into work yesterday and the day shift nurses were talking about how our director came up and chewed everyone for complaints from a patient...no one introducing themselves when they walked into the room, pt complained about some hair left in her bed after being prepped for a cath, nurses telling the pt it was policy that the pt couldn't take their home meds back home with them...etc.

...Then I realized it was the patient that my preceptor and myself prepped for cath! I was still orienting and I have never prepped someone before, so I brought my preceptor along to make sure I was doing it right. She was showing me how to do it on one side and as she was shaving, I kept grabbing the clumps of hair off the bed and putting them in the trash. Then she had me shave the other side, and same thing. There were still some hairs left in the bed and the patient complained about it. I tried to clean off those hairs as best as I could...and I realize it was my fault for 1) not putting down a chux pad beforehand and 2) failing to do a linen change afterwards (and not delegating it as I should have, I had a VERY heavy load that night!) but from what I have heard from other employees, the pt made it sound like there were clumps and clumps of hair left in the bed! Linen change was done at around 0715...pt got up to the bathroom so the new nurse & I changed it while they were up. Shave prep was done at I don't know, 0500-0530? Then a pt was complaining of chest pain so I had to order a stat EKG and get the doc on the phone...and still trying to get caught up with charting everything including meds, initating orders, etc...it was busy for me! And I don't know if they were prepped some more downstairs or what and left more hairs in the bed...but frankly I'm pretty worried!

I had this patient the night before, too, and I was told I was the very first person to introduce myself when I came into the room. Not sure what was going on with the discharge. I'm still on probation (about half-way through now), just had my evaluation last week and was told how I am doing such an outstanding job...that night I worked was by far one of the worst nights I have ever had...and during my evaluation I was commended for handling it professionally and not having a negative attitude about anything, etc....and now this! I haven't heard anything yet, but yesterday our director took our schedule book because she was trying to figure out who was working that night and working when the pt left.

A similar situation happened in the past...Another patient wasn't happy with the care the were receiving and complained that no one came in the entire shift. Obviously with documentation including med documentation, that is not the case. I did not work that night, but everyone who worked that night got talked to...

I have never had a patient complain about me before! And I know this is bound to happen at some point in my career (and it probably hasn't because I'm still so new) but I have not made any med errors and have never had any safety issues with patients. If I need to call the doc, I call. If I'm unsure about calling, I asked my coworkers for a second opinion. I always try to advocate for my patients in the best way possible. I am always polite to my patients - I never talk back to them or be rude to them. I have perfect attendance and always show up early to work...and I'm still worried what will be said to me if anything at all. Day shift nurses were again talking about it at shift change. Came home and couldn't sleep...finally slept for 2 hours...and now I'm awake again and I'm back tonight!

Any advice/reassurance/let me have it? Please...

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Some people you just cant please. Learn that and you will be golden. As long as you know you did the right thing dont sweat it. As long as there is not a pattern of complaints against you, I dont think you have anything to worry about.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

No matter how hard you try. You will never be able to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. It is ok to try but you will always have that one patient that can't be pleased. So chin up.....but......you really should have either used a chux or another draw sheet under the patient. That loose hair ITCHES like the devil and when someone is anxious it even worse. I usually fold another sheet with chux's and then get rid of it all when I am done. Saves time and frustration for everyone.

Accept that not everyone can't be pleased and that you did your best. Forgive yourself for not being perfect.....:hug:

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Oh. Dear. Lord. Hairs in the bed? Ridiculous. This does not deserve ANY of your precious energy.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
Oh. Dear. Lord. Hairs in the bed? Ridiculous. This does not deserve ANY of your precious energy.

Apparently our director was talked to by someone higher up (not sure who) and then our director chewed out everyone on day shift...according to them she was very upset about it...but of course this is just what I have been hearing, and it is over different events, not just this one. Regardless, I'm still on edge of my seat... :/

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I tried to clean off those hairs as best as I could...and I realize it was my fault for 1) not putting down a chux pad beforehand and 2) failing to do a linen change afterwards (and not delegating it as I should have). Linen change was done at around 0715...pt got up to the bathroom so the new nurse & I changed it while they were up. Shave prep was done at I don't know, 0500-0530?

FYI...I deleted some stuff from this quote.

If the NM talks to you about it, I would say just what you said here: you tried to get the hairs out of the bed during prep, you changed the linens approximately 2 hours later, and now you know to use a chux or do a linen change immediately after prep.

I had this patient the night before, too, and I was told I was the very first person to introduce myself when I came into the room.

If you've made it a habit of introducing yourself at shift change and reminding the patient who you are when you walk into a room, say so.

Really that's the best you can do. Know that and rest easy. And, try to not let the "chatter" among the other nurses increase your anxiety level. :heartbeat

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
some people you just cant please. learn that and you will be golden. as long as you know you did the right thing dont sweat it. as long as there is not a pattern of complaints against you, i dont think you have anything to worry about.

thank you, i hope so...

no matter how hard you try. you will never be able to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. it is ok to try but you will always have that one patient that can't be pleased. so chin up.....but......you really should have either used a chux or another draw sheet under the patient. that loose hair itches like the devil and when someone is anxious it even worse. i usually fold another sheet with chux's and then get rid of it all when i am done. saves time and frustration for everyone.

accept that not everyone can't be pleased and that you did your best. forgive yourself for not being perfect.....:hug:

that was what i was thinking after we started shaving! and as i mentioned i kept picking up the clumps of hair and cleaned everything off the best i could. i appreciate your comment, thank you.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
FYI...I deleted some stuff from this quote.

If the NM talks to you about it, I would say just what you said here: you tried to get the hairs out of the bed during prep, you changed the linens approximately 2 hours later, and now you know to use a chux or do a linen change immediately after prep.

If you've made it a habit of introducing yourself at shift change and reminding the patient who you are when you walk into a room, say so.

Really that's the best you can do. Know that and rest easy. And, try to not let the "chatter" among the other nurses increase your anxiety level. :heartbeat

Thank you. It's just so hard; since I'm still so new, a lot of people (on days, that is) do not really know me that well. One day nurse knows it was me, because I gave report to her...and then of course she was talking about it this morning but didn't mention names. She said the same thing...linen was changed, not sure if she was shaved some more when she went down and then left with more hairs in the bed. I just don't want people to think I'm lazy or a bad nurse or say things like "I can't believe she did that!" because some hairs were left in the bed after a prep... :(

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Specializes in ICU.

Welcome to the world of nursing. You can save a life, give tons of meds without making any mistakes, intervene before anything bad happens to your patients, but if you leave a hair or two in a patient's bed, you are the sorriest nurse they've ever seen. Strange that this patient did not mention the hairs earlier, apparently he/she waited until someone came around asking "well how are they treating you today?" With hospitals having to attain high "happiness" scores for reimbursement now, the patient complaints get sillier and sillier. Do not let this one incident kill your joy. You sound like a great nurse to me.

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Oh my God! You left some hairs in the bed! You are a horrible nurse and should be fired immediately!!!!!

j/k.

You sound like you're doing fine, and again, I think you're worrying a tad too much. Some people are impossible to please and will complain about anything they can think of. The patient should have said something at the time if the hairs were bothering her.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Let it roll off your back. At the prevailing staffing levels there is no way you can make everybody happy.....

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surge, Ortho.

I can not believe after all the things you have to do as a nurse, redundant charting, meds, orderings tests, talking to MDs, family members and sooooo much more, the Director of nursing is worried about a complaint of hair left in the patients' bed, this is sooooo petty and ridiculous.

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