If you could speak your mind...

Nurses Relations

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There are situations that arise at work when I respond professionally, but there is often things running through my head that I want to say but I don't. I'm only thinking it! I want to start this thread to express some things that I wanted to say at work, whether it be to a patient, doctor, visitor, or other person. Some of the things are funny and some are passionate! Please share :)

I am a new nurse on the unit, not familiar with the residents, and not familiar with their family members. The family members are also not familiar with me! A visitor that I have never seen in my life came up to me while I was passing medications to a patient and said: "How much did Mom eat today?"

What I wanted to say: "We don't have any patient here named Mom."

Specializes in Hospice.

Has anyone seen the movie The Purge? I would like to have a Nurses Talk Back Day and we could say exactly what we wanted without any consequences. How refreshing that would be.

1 Votes
Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

Well, yesterday I did say what was on my mind and sent a belligerent visitor to the lobby with strict instructions to security to not let him back.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I had a family ask if they could bring their obese family member a couple of Big Macs for supper. I said " does he look like he needs 2 burgers? He's on a weight loss diet".

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
I had a family ask if they could bring their obese family member a couple of Big Macs for supper. I said " does he look like he needs 2 burgers? He's on a weight loss diet".

Same vein: 500+ pound man was 'found face down in a bowl of KFC cole slaw'. Sister brings him a bucket of chicken and 4-5 sides to the hospital because he 'doesn't like your food'. Nearly got fired for telling her 'too bad'.

Specializes in Telemetry.
Well, yesterday I did say what was on my mind and sent a belligerent visitor to the lobby with strict instructions to security to not let him back.

What did you say? Kudos

Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
What did you say? Kudos

I will not put up with this behavior and you need to leave.

He stormed out declaring he will talk to administration while I consoled his embarrassed spouse.

I was (NOT) shaking in my Danskos.

I once had a patient who was very cooperative in taking her meds crushed in applesauce. Just swallowed them on down without any hesitation except when her son was present. He would say, My mom doesn't like her meds in applesauce, only strawberry jelly, whereupon she would begin to cough and gag and spit the stuff all over the place, including the front of my uniform. I wanted to say Man you are nothing but a Troublemaker!

1 Votes
Specializes in QA, ID/DD, Correctional, Education.

So many things at so many times :). When I was working the intake unit at the county jail one of the screening questions was how much alcohol did you drink tonight. The inevitable answer was "just two beers". Sure buddy that is why the cops found you passed out in a puddle of vomit or you blew 0.2 on the breathalyzer. Man those two beers pack a punch. Good thing you didn't really drink tonight...not.

Upon being handed another checklist to complete each shift "It only takes a couple of minutes. Work smarter not harder." One time I couldn't stop myself and fired back the way to work smarter is to have less checklists and forms.

One of the silliest was the sister of a I/DD client age aged 50. This client was fairly low functioning and showed the normal changes of aging, had gained some weight, bit of a pot belly and her skin was dry and sagged a little on her face. The sister always showed us a picture of the client when she was 15. The sister was always wanting plastic surgery (tummy tuck, lap band, face lift) so her sister could resemble how she looked at age 15. One day after hearing this "wish" for the hundredth time I said we all want to look like we did when we 15. Not happening for any of us. Sister never showed that photo again. I mean denial is not the word...delusional is more apt.

Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

I have absolutely no tolerance for "status dramaticus" and game-playing manipulative drug seeking frequent flyers.

After several nights in a row with a non-compliant drug-seeking slob of a frequent flyer in my assignment, I was somewhat fed up. This person was ambulatory with a walker (he had his Rollator from home there in the room), but now "needed" a wheelchair. As I was handing him off to the next shift that morning with bedside report, he was commenting about how he'd need a wheelchair to be provided for home in order to discharge that day.

I may or may not have actually said, out loud and to his face, "What, you've been sitting in that hospital bed for so long now that you can't walk anymore?" Mind you, I would never have said that if he actually NEEDED the wheelchair.

The day shift nurse managed to make it out into the hallway before busting up laughing.

Mind you I work Inpt Hospice- ' normal pulse, respirations, appetite and LOC are NOT a normal part of the dying process".

Specializes in Unit Nurse.

I had a patient report they were allergic to benzodiazepine's but they could take Ativan because it was a benzodiopiate and needed something, because they thought they was fixing to have a panic attack. I replied I have never heard of benzodiopiates. They replied you must not be a very smart nurse then, do you want me to "google" it for you, in a smartallic tone. I replied please do. They took there phone out and googled it and went oh. Then goes well you need to call the doctor then.

I replied, "I will call the doctor if the need warrants it, but until then we will just monitor you." They wasn't to found of me the rest of their visit and needless to say they didn't get no Ativan.

have wanted to say but never did, Would your mother be fine with you talking to her that way? what makes you think it's fine talking to me that way then?? Have also considered saying I am old enough to be your mother but I get no benefit for cleaning up after you like she would. Pick up the stuff you've draped all over the room!!!

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