How often do your pts thank you?

[cmonkey]

I had surgery 12/28 and spent four days on med-surg afterwards. I literally spent 3/4 of my time sleeping (bliss! oh rapture unforseen!), but *every single time* anyone came into my room for any reason (meds, IV change, turn off the freaking IV alarm, phlebotomist, housekeeping, whatever), I said "thank you." I got the feeling I was abnormal.

Also, and just because it's funny to me, apparently I'm the only person who's ever requested prune juice, let alone TWO servings. I heard the young CNA in the hallway marveling that anyone would actually ask for the stuff. :huh: I actually like it.

So. How often do your pts say thank you, and does it come as a surprise when they do? Am I a rock star?

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Nothing better than working Home Health to hear those heart felt THANK YOU's. :)

At least here in my neck of the woods. Sweet and genuine. Makes your day !

[S.Gettes]

When I am lucky enough to get shifts where my patients are actually awake i do usually get thanked. But mostly i work when they sleep so they don't thank me. If they are being discharged when i am on shift they always thank me. I am so happy when i get to see a patient going home after a long and hard battle with illness and injury. I feel that their thanks to me is their speedy recovery, it's what makes me feel so great inside.

[rachelgeorgina]

As a relative of a patient, I always make a point to say thank you to the nursing staff that care for my grandma.

[plumiegirl]

Rarely, as a school nurse in a low income district, speaking in a 2nd language that I learned (no compensation for that), I cringe when parents fuss over cost of care when I find free services, then get disgruntled as to the loss of their time to help their child. Talking about feeling the love!!. You stop waiting for thank you's since most are not grateful. Makes me value my good family more so I am more thankful.

[Frederique-NL]

I had surgery 12/28 and spent four days on med-surg afterwards. I literally spent 3/4 of my time sleeping (bliss! oh rapture unforseen!), but *every single time* anyone came into my room for any reason (meds, IV change, turn off the freaking IV alarm, phlebotomist, housekeeping, whatever), I said "thank you." I got the feeling I was abnormal.

Also, and just because it's funny to me, apparently I'm the only person who's ever requested prune juice, let alone TWO servings. I heard the young CNA in the hallway marveling that anyone would actually ask for the stuff. :huh: I actually like it.

So. How often do your pts say thank you, and does it come as a surprise when they do? Am I a rock star?

I'm a recovery/ PACU nurse and almost all my patients thank me for me caring for them. When they are discharged to the nursing ward I say; 'take care' or something in that order. Always get a positive response.

Good for you to be so kind and thankful. I haven't been on a regular nursing ward for 11 years, so I have no clue how patients are now a days...

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

In LTC many do but they all have their own way.:)

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

I'm also a PACU nurse and most of my patients/families give me a genuine thank you when I transfer them to the floor or discharge them home. I think their gratitude is less about the meds I've passed and more about the genuine care and concern I've shown them.

[Frederique-NL]

I'm also a PACU nurse and most of my patients/families give me a genuine thank you when I transfer them to the floor or discharge them home. I think their gratitude is less about the meds I've passed and more about the genuine care and concern I've shown them.

I agree, but good pain management is, in my experience, half the gratitude!

[Code_VSA]

Just about never.

Canadians think they are the most polite people in the world. I don't think so.

I was venting just the other night how we spend 12 hours with the patient, wiping their hiney's, cleaning up their spilled ginger ale, taking their visitors BP (they asked), getting an extra chair for the visitor, getting the patient sandwhich/drink (they're not admitted, just takes a long time to be in the ER....Lord forbid a family member goes to the cafeteria or vending machine), updating them frequently where they are at in the line up to be seen, updating how much longer for blood tests to come back, giving directions to the nearest coffee shop after hours, getting vaseline for their dry lips (nobody owns chapstick), not to mention, they never think that we're giving them the right medicine, right dose, right amount, or we've spend 6 years in colleges/universities, extra credentialing to know that their vital signs are taking a turn for the worse......I could go on and on and on. But, they ALWAYS say "Thank You" to the Paramedic who was with them for 30 minutes at the house and the ride in.

Because I AM from the South, I pour on the charm, "Bless your heart" "You poor thing", etc. The Canadians get a big kick out of it and usually come to me more than the other nurses. But, "Thank you"? Nope.

After 34 years, I think Nursing is a very thankless job. I think because it's always been mostly a women's profession and women have never had much value in society.

[camoflower]

:) Thank you for asking!! lol I work post surg/pre surg (moaners/groaners) It is so rare!! When it does happen I almost get whiplash from turning my ears in the right direction as to catch and savior the sweetness. :redbeatheYes:up:, you rock!! :redpinkheI even had a woman, that hit that call light every 20 minutes, of course not knowing we spend 30 minutes charting every hour, say to meeeee "I KNOW YOU ARE BUSY BUT WOULD YOU RUB MY BACK FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES?".."my husband does that for me when I can not sleep...(her hubby went home because she was so spoiled rotten by him and sooo demanding!!) ---is what I was doing inside my skin...did I do it? OF COURSE I DID..not for 20, it wasn't even 5 minutes...but I did it and tucked her in and said please get some rest..good night.

[Beijos]

I love everyone's perception of the south and southern hospitality. I used to live in the north but now I am in the south. Where I lived up north, my patients often did not say please, thank you, etc... after each time I was in the room but when they did which was at least once a shift and I knew they meant it. People from the north I feel are less about the people pleasing and more about just being real. If a patient was upset about something, nurses didn't have to find out in a round about way like we do in the south. Get to the point southerners. I hate people minding their p's and q's each time your in the room because it is a reflex that you have created by living in the south. You don't mean it. Save them for situations where you mean it. I am not saying that I don't appreciate people being polite but there are ways to be polite without saying generic words. That's how I feel every day in the south. Everyone is just full of it. I have never seen more talking behind peoples backs than I do down here. If living in the south has taught me anything, southern hospitality does exist...until you walk away and after that those southerners sure can talk. The north may have some blunt-rude people but isn't it better than never knowing how people truly feel? I am not just applying this to patients. Anyway, I hate to generalize but that's what I see from my prospective. After all, everyone else is generalizing on this board. I will say there are exceptions to everything.

[soozabel]

I get thanked daily. I work in a dialysis clinic and have gotten to know some the patients really well. I try to give everyone the same amount of respect and courtesy and I do the best I can to show interest in them. I act quickly when they yell "I'm cramping!" or "I don't feel well", as their BP drops to 85/50, I give them a comforting pat or listen to what's bothering them and I don't discount their feelings. When I show them I genuinely care about them, I get the "thank you"s.