Visitors with no common sense!!

Brownms46 · Jun 13, 2002

Yeahhhh ...like the call from the room "My mother has to go to the bathroom REAL BAD..and she needs HELP NOW!!! Go to the room and husband and daughter sitting there looking at ya!!GRRRR !!

When MY mother had to go to the bathroom...I would have to be comatose not to help her!!!

allnurses Guide · Jun 13, 2002

I very quickly got dubbed 'The Dragon Lady at the front desk' when I ran off an unruly group of young men who were gallivanting around our unit reeking of booze and disturbing everyone. The nickname stuck---all 7 years at that hospital I was 'The Dragon Lady' to the nursing and medical staff. :) [/b]

Well, this is somewhat better than "machete woman". When I was on federal jury duty, the Public Defender was going through questioning everyone on their gun ownership. I told him I preferred archery, so he snickered that if someone came after my kids would I go get my little bow and arrow? I (being under oath) replied, no I'd just use my machete. They put me on the (murder trial) jury ANYWAY! and I was the Machete Woman from then on.

I once had a mother of an teen, (who was under arrest for stabbing the guy in my trauma room), start screaming at the officer who let her in to see her son, and then start screaming at my staff nurse who went to check it out. I ended up putting her in a full nelson hold, and frog marching her out the door.

sandstormsdust · Jun 13, 2002

alrighty I am in total shock... I was raised where u are calm in hospitals... don't bring children... except to the post-partum floor with complete supervision or to see a family member grandparent for a short time.... to me a hospital is for the sick... unless it has a delivary department and everyone there, docs, nurses, patients are to be respected.... If a nurse says no... it means just that... and if in doubt ask... and if they say no, respect it... they know what is going on and if you can't listen to them... then why the heck are u there

?????

mattsmom81 · Jun 13, 2002

Sandstormsdust, I was raised this way too....but people today are so spoiled and 'entitled' they think nurses should be all things to all people. Makes my blood curdle.

Gee, I thought I was a 'professional'...but administration claims I am a service worker with a "How can I help? I have time." attitude. GRRRR.....

The family members that camp out at the bedside and want to snap their fingers to see the nurse jump to attention very quickly earn my disdain. They may refuse to leave, but I don't have to pretend I'm glad they are there, and I make it clear they are in my way and wasting my precious time if their attitudes and demands are out of line in any way.

I have, of course, been reported to administration MANY MANY times.....but I REFUSE to be a servant to these rude, inconsiderate visitors who make a nuisance of themselves on our busy unit.

Jas honey · Jun 13, 2002

is frog marching?? LOL i have this vision......maybe it's correct haha!!!!

:roll

xoxo

nancy

shay · Jun 14, 2002

Originally posted by JBudd
I ended up putting her in a full nelson hold, and frog marching her out the door.

YOU GO, GIRL!!! :smokin: :rotfl:

Sandstormdust, you're right....we were almost ALL raised that way. But what Mattsmom said is unfortunately true...todays visitors feel they are 'entitled' and to be waited upon by the nurse. Nurses aren't there to take care of the sick, we're only there to fluff pillows and warm bedpans....LOL!! :rolleyes:

fedupnurse · Jun 14, 2002

I coulndn't agree with Mattsmom more about the total lack of support. I have had visitors make comments to me about the total lack of security in the main lobby at night. I raised this issue at a general staff meeting with the suits. The COO told me I was wrong, that security is in the main lobby until the front doors are locked at midnight. I said to him "I work 2 to 4 night shifts a week. I have NEVER seen the likes of you in the lobby or anywhere else in this place after about 7 pm w(which is when my shift starts). I am telling you that when I get the 2 seconds I have during my shift for a break, I go to the coffee shop to pick something up to eat later on and there are NEVER any people other than visitors in the lobby and that patients families comment on this and well they should. We are not located in a crime free community here." Nothing changed. Doors are still unlocked without any employees there after about 9 pm.

Forget about getting back up from mgmt or suits regarding visitors. Again we have this hotel environment, this customer service mentality. We have lost control of the hospitals and look at where we are now!!!!! SCARY!!!!!

I too have no problem kicking people out of the unit but you'd be amazed at how sneaky people are. When we are short staffed and no one is at the desk most of the time because we are all in patients rooms, an axe murderer could come in and we wouldn't have a clue about it until it was too late. I have also tried the "what if we have to evacuate" line too and they didn't buy that either. Scary thing is I work in a facility that had a guy come in and shoot his brother in the head (Movie;An act of Love), 2 big fires where we did have to evacuate to other areas of the hospital, black outs with generator failures, floods due to lousy construction. You'd think with all that in our history they'd be a little more careful......

kahann · Jun 14, 2002

I had a pt. scheduled for a cardiac cath the next morning. We usually do the teaching the eve before, including watching the cath video, and answereing questions. Pts family hovered over her, every time I came in the room family members were sitting on the bed, on both sides. Repeatedly had to ask family members to move to get access to IV site and give meds. Then family member comes out-he accidentally bumped her salilne lock and knocked it out! (perhaps if we weren't smothering this poor lady this may not of happened!) Of course, pt is a difficult stick and terrified of needles to boot! When I started the video, the daughter asks "Do you really want to see this? Does she really have to watch this video?" I explained that it was advantageous for her to know what to expect and to be informed before signing the consest. It took an ex-IV therapy nurse to restart this IV on the 3rd attempt. Pt. went home the next day after cath with no major issues found.

Brownms46 · Jun 18, 2002

I guess that is one of the few things I can say about my last assignment. NO ONE came into the hopital after hours...without going thru the ER! If you were a family member and wanted to visit after hours...or anyone for that matter...security would call the unit and ASK if it was ok for so and so to come up. If you said no....they didn't come up! If you ordered food to be delivered you had to go down to the ER and go outside the door to get it! They could NOT come inside after hours EVER! :cool:

nursejws · Jun 18, 2002

Brownie,

I think that's really how it should be for so many reasons.

jayna, RN · Jun 18, 2002

I used to have a dragon lady last year. And I don't like the name because, She scared the Visitors which is good but she scared the nurses as well. She has fire coming outta her mouth at all times. I can't stand this dragon lady.

Sleepyeyes · Jun 18, 2002

Originally posted by JBudd
I very quickly got dubbed 'The Dragon Lady at the front desk' when I ran off an unruly group of young men who were gallivanting around our unit reeking of booze and disturbing everyone. The nickname stuck---all 7 years at that hospital I was 'The Dragon Lady' to the nursing and medical staff. :)

Well, this is somewhat better than "machete woman". When I was on federal jury duty, the Public Defender was going through questioning everyone on their gun ownership. I told him I preferred archery, so he snickered that if someone came after my kids would I go get my little bow and arrow? I (being under oath) replied, no I'd just use my machete. They put me on the (murder trial) jury ANYWAY! and I was the Machete Woman from then on.

:rotfl: MACHETE WOMAN!!! :rotfl:

BWAAAAHAHAHAHA!!! That's precious!!