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

[IloveSnoopy]

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'

[sjrn85]

mercy: Hey! You can't have Goren...he's mine!

[hipab4hands]

That wouldnt fly where i work. We dont keep vases on the unit, I guess i could have sent her down to cafeteria for a paper cup. But i sure wouldnt have done it for her.

My response: "Gee, I would love to do it, but I'm highly allergic to flowers and can not have contact with them. " (which I am)

[RN34TX]

I, too, get very tired of this much over-used cookie cutter answer from the butt-kissers that be. Everybody is stressed, not just the family member that is throwing a fit. Why should we reward the fit? Since when (and, while we are on the subject, under what other circumstances) does being stressed make it acceptable for you to mistreat other people or behave like a spoiled child??

Since family members in hospitals have become "customers," that's when.

I hear you all complaining about it but nurses are encouraging it, every day.

I've seen so many nurses bowing to every physician and family member temper tantrum because for some reason, they seem to think that it would be the end of the world if they were pulled into administration's office and given a lecture, or possibly even fired.

So what?

Nurses will continue to be abused as long as they allow it to go on.

I've been undermined so many times by my own co-workers when I refuse to reward such behavior.

They will attempt to "rescue" the distraught family member from me, the big bad nurse, and kiss their butts left and right for the sake of damage control.

So many nurses complain about being abused yet they continue to encourage and foster the behavior every day.

The "Ineffective coping mechanisms" care plan label gets thrown around so often to make excuses for family member psychotic behavior.

It's as if anyone has a sick loved one in the hospital, they are no longer responsible for their own behavior.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately, in this "customer service" driven climate, many nurses who would refuse to do this would find themselves sitting in an admin's office being reprimanded.

I really dont think i would have. If my administrative staff felt they needed to call me in because i didnt wet down someones flowers i probly would have walked. Now if the PATIENT had ask for something to put the flowers in, then maybe i would have attempted to find a remedy for the vase situation. Thats a whole different situation. But a visitor? Nope. They had time to stop and buy them, they should have found a minute to find a vase or recepticle themselves.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

First, I am glad that no flowers are permitted in the GOOD onco/hemo units, in which I work.

Second, if I were busy, I would explain to the patient that I am not permitted to handle flowers due to the germ content and potentially contaminating other patients with the pollen.

Third, there is the, "Sorry, but I am busy with CPR/starting IVs, giving shots, keeping my patients alive instead of dead" excuse.

Enough said.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

First, I am glad that no flowers are permitted in the GOOD onco/hemo units, in which I work.

Second, if I were busy, I would explain to the patient that I am not permitted to handle flowers due to the germ content and potentially contaminating other patients with the pollen.

Third, there is the, "Sorry, but I am busy with CPR/starting IVs, giving shots, keeping my patients alive instead of dead" excuse.

Enough said.

Yeah, we don't allow flowers in the isolettes either (although I am sure there are people out there who would try).

[epiphany]

Slightly OT here, but I am starting to advocate for nurses being address with a title - Ms/Mr. or Nurse Smith, and this incident is one of the reasons why. It's not necessarily related to whether the OP was addressed by first name or not, but in GENERAL, if nurses were given that kind of respect, the public image of nurses would improve and things like that are less likely to happen. It's harder to throw bunch of flowers to a member of a profession that you have to addressed with a title.

Just had to rant about that, sorry.

[flashpoint]

I really don't think that calling me Miss or Mrs. or Mr. whatever is going to make people think that I am too busy to arrange their flowers...few teachers allow their students by their first names, yet they are expected to watch children whose parent's insist on dropping them off early or picking them up late, they get blamed when children who refuse to make an effort do poorly, and they have to put up with parents who don't give their children breakfast, who send their children to school without coats on cold days, and who think that teachers should teach their children right from wrong. Being called Mr. or Mrs. does not bring respect or take away the sense of entitlement that people expect from teachers...I doubt it would make a change for nurses.

[RN34TX]

I really don't think that calling me Miss or Mrs. or Mr. whatever is going to make people think that I am too busy to arrange their flowers...few teachers allow their students by their first names, yet they are expected to watch children whose parent's insist on dropping them off early or picking them up late, they get blamed when children who refuse to make an effort do poorly, and they have to put up with parents who don't give their children breakfast, who send their children to school without coats on cold days, and who think that teachers should teach their children right from wrong. Being called Mr. or Mrs. does not bring respect or take away the sense of entitlement that people expect from teachers...I doubt it would make a change for nurses.

I agree. I often read comments here about nurses comparing our profession to teaching such as using it to justify making the BSN the minimum as a way to gain respect from others.

Why nurses keep comparing our profession to teaching is way beyond me because as a whole, they are far from respected, and a very bad example to use in a debate about gaining respect as a professional.

Teachers are professionals all too often viewed by parents as servants and babysitters and have a sense of entitlement of what they should be doing for them and their children.

Sound familiar to nursing?

[epiphany]

It's true that teachers don't get as much respect as they should. But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't be given even less respect psychologically if they were called by their first names. We don't have a comparison of before of after. Of course a title alone doesn't change everything, but there is a reason why doctors insist on being addressed as doctors. I don't think they would quite get the same respect overall if they were called Jean or Bob.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Slightly OT here, but I am starting to advocate for nurses being address with a title - Ms/Mr. or Nurse Smith, and this incident is one of the reasons why. It's not necessarily related to whether the OP was addressed by first name or not, but in GENERAL, if nurses were given that kind of respect, the public image of nurses would improve and things like that are less likely to happen. It's harder to throw bunch of flowers to a member of a profession that you have to addressed with a title.

Just had to rant about that, sorry.

Ummm . . . . better not call me Nurse Last Name. Or Mrs. Last Name.

My name is Stephanie and I'll be your nurse today is fine with me.

Teachers are different - they are authority figures who have to deal with discipline and work with kids - they should be called by their last names.

steph

[mtnmom]

:uhoh21: gee, I feel like the odd one out on this one. I actually enjoy maintaining my patients' flowers when I have time.

If you are in a room doing some teaching, for instance, all you need to do is pull flowers out of a vase, cut the stems ever so slightly on a diagonal, and replace the water with clean. Of course discard any dead flowers, and make sure no leaves are left below the waters' surface. The whole thing takes less than a minute and a half, can be done while you are looking at your patient and talking to them, and really makes a difference to your patients.

There is no floral arranging skill required.

Of course, I do agree with the OP and others that being asked to drop what you are doing and go find a vase for someone is not cool, and would politely beg off that one.

Im sorry to be different here. I just really enjoy flowers and think they add a lot of cheer...