I guess I'm a florist now too....

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey all,

The other morning, I was in the hallway at work when I noticed a family member coming down the hall looking puzzled. I right away asked her if I could help her with something and she said "yeah, where's room 210"...I politely told her where the room was and she said "oh, by the way, cut off the ends of these flower stems and then find a vase for the flowers and put them in it and bring it down to 210". She then proceeded to practically hit me with the bundle of flowers. I was actually speechless.... Some people are so rude...I'm so sick of being treated like a servant...geesh. Anywho..just had to vent that...thanks

luv,

snoop'

Ya'll are so nice to do those things! I think I would have been the new owner of a bouquet of flowers:chuckle

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So, is it just up to you individually to decide what to do in a situation like this? I personally would have gone after her, and handed them back, and advised her to take care of that herself, as I am a care provider, and have other patients to attend to.

Or, do some hospitals administration EXPECT you to provide that kind of service? Yikes!

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I also just don't understand why you didn't politely tell her that "I'm sorry, I have patients to care for and won't have time to do this today". It is not realistic to expect the cashier at the supermarket to wash your car, it is not realistic to expect a police officer to teach your child Math, and it is not realistic to expect a nurse to take care of your floral arrangements. NOT because it is a menial job- nurses can and do perform menial jobs that fall within the scope of patient care all the time- but because it isn't the service you're there to provide for them. What's next? "Come over to my house and scrub out the toilet, would you? I haven't had time"...

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Specializes in Medical.
Ya'll are so nice to do those things! I think I would have been the new owner of a bouquet of flowers:chuckle

Oh, I like that!

I've become adept at explaining where the flower room (which holds our 'vases' aka glass bottles) is. I'm happy to do it when I've got time and the family/patient are pleasant, but in the absence of either of those factors, I don't think so.

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I hate to be blunt about this, but rude people will take advantage of us as far as they can, and no further. No one gets "treated like a servant," except with their permission. I'm not saying that we shouldn't help people out who need something IF we have time, and IF we are so inclined, but a nurse who goes along with someone who barks out orders like this in the end deserves the treatment given.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Specializes in Urgent Care.
I also just don't understand why you didn't politely tell her that "I'm sorry, I have patients to care for and won't have time to do this today". It is not realistic to expect the cashier at the supermarket to wash your car, it is not realistic to expect a police officer to teach your child Math, and it is not realistic to expect a nurse to take care of your floral arrangements. NOT because it is a menial job- nurses can and do perform menial jobs that fall within the scope of patient care all the time- but because it isn't the service you're there to provide for them. What's next? "Come over to my house and scrub out the toilet, would you? I haven't had time"...

:yeahthat: :yeahthat:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I agree w/those who would have politely handed them back and told this entitled family member, "sorry I don't have time for floral arranging; I have patients to care for, several of them."

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
When I saw the title of your post, I had to stop for a minute and try to remember if I wrote it. The EXACT same thing happened to me this weekend at work, except I had to do it for the family members mother AND the roommate, since she brought flowers in for both of them. Oh, and don't forget to add the little packet of flower food. Then she was upset because I cut the one bouquet too short. Well, that might be because I'm a NURSE, not a florist. I don't mind doing little things like that for family members, but it was a 12 hour shift that I never got a break for.....didn't eat the whole time.....plus an emergency transfer to the ER, admissions, etc etc.

So, I know how you feel, my dear......makes you shake your head sometimes what people think of us.

Geez, actually I would mind. If it is not part of my job description and you are treating me like a florist/servant you aren't gonna get me to budge. Sorry to sound this way but come on. Please don't tell me this is something I should be looking forward to after graduation. :uhoh3:

Glad you have patience. God bless you every day with it. :)

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
I work in a busy L and D unit. I remember one time we had this gal... (who felt like she needed to be a pampered princess) ask that we shave her legs. She actually expected us to do it, and was quite miffed when we did not ( as if we had time) Her comment to us was, "humph! the service her is lousy!

Response to her in my head: Yeah, well I wasn't expecting a tip either. :chuckle

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
I also just don't understand why you didn't politely tell her that "I'm sorry, I have patients to care for and won't have time to do this today". It is not realistic to expect the cashier at the supermarket to wash your car, it is not realistic to expect a police officer to teach your child Math, and it is not realistic to expect a nurse to take care of your floral arrangements. NOT because it is a menial job- nurses can and do perform menial jobs that fall within the scope of patient care all the time- but because it isn't the service you're there to provide for them. What's next? "Come over to my house and scrub out the toilet, would you? I haven't had time"...

Awsome response and point ;)

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Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Geez, actually I would mind. If it is not part of my job description and you are treating me like a florist/servant you aren't gonna get me to budge. Sorry to sound this way but come on. Please don't tell me this is something I should be looking forward to after graduation. :uhoh3:

Glad you have patience. God bless you every day with it. :)

Acutally, sometimes I think you make more of a mountain out of a molehill if you don't do something like that once and a while. No, we're not florists, and no, I wouldn't do it if I absolutely couldn't get to it....but sometimes taking that extra 5 minutes or so to do something like that makes a world of difference with a family member who's on the edge of a breakdown, so to speak....or someone who is just having a really hard time dealing with everything that's happening.

In my case, it was a 70 ish woman who was coming in to visit her 93 year old mother. A lot of history, and a lot of histrionics. Doing that for her, while I was busy and didn't get a chance to eat yet, did a lot for her and gave us a chance to chat a bit about mom's condition and history....seeing if we could come up with a way to solve mom's "problem" (which we did, in an amazing feat of theraputic communication on my part, if I do say so myself....:chuckle ). Sometimes, these little "servant" requests can open the door to something else. Sometimes it helps build a relationship. But that's just my opinion.

Of course, I work in acute rehab, so it's a different ballpark when compared with L&D and an ICU setting. So I agree with what nurses say when working in those fields.

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Wow...I didn't mean to create such a stir with everyone..lol. Yeah...in retrospect....I was wishing I would have handed the flowers back to her and told her that I had patients to tend to..... I think part of me was so shocked she would ask me something like that so rudely....I was literally speechless. I don't really think I ever said that I would do it...she just threw em' at me and walked off..lol. I in turn...handed the flowers off to a CNA that was sitting at the desk talking and not doing anything...lol...and asked her if she would do it. I do agree that I tend to be a little too soft hearted sometimes....and in turn....you set yourself up for letting people walk all over you. I'm getting better at it....but it's a hard thing for me. I have stepped it up with some of my patients though.... It's so funny how they can come from home...were cooking, cleaning, driving,etc, etc....and then they get to the hospital and can't move their arm over 12 inches to reach a kleenex for themselves. I have been nicely reminding them that if they wish to return home (which all of them do) that they need to stay strong by doing those types of things for themselves. :)

snoop'

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