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Discussion

Irritated how nurses rip into each other..

So a couple of days ago I worked at my contingent job. If any of you look at my posts from that day, I talked about my patient who had a seizure. Anyhow, I had another patient that night who I knew would eventually be going to dialysis but didn't know if it was that day because her blood pressure was labile.

So morning comes, I had already taken my seizure patient to ICU. And transport arrives for my dialysis patient. Her glucose is about 60 so I had the aide give her some juice. I should has specified apple and not orange but forgot cuz I was in a hurry to get this patient ready. Patient drinks her juice and I escort her to dialysis. I explained to the dialysis nurse that her glucose was low and I gave her orange juice...Instead of ok, fine whatever I get..

"You should know better, orange juice is high in potassium!!! Her blood glucose isn't even that low!!!!!"

She was very rude and condescending and unprofessional. I mean, she could have pulled me to the side and said next time make sure you give apple juice instead of orange. But no, she ripped me a new butt in front of the patient which I felt very offended by.

I wanted to snap back and say "Does it really matter at this point, she IS getting her dialysis today, is she not?"

Just ranting and venting. Thanks.

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i don't know if this is common amongst nurses who work in specialties, but i begrudgingly admit, i do the same thing.

i've been known to snap at others, "what do you mean you did/didn't do this????"

i have been, and continue to work on these 'outbursts'.

sorry you were her target.

try not to take it personally.

'you' could have been anybody.

leslie

  • Experts

I was thinking the same thing.... the patient's getting dialyzed ANYWAY!!!

  • Author
i don't know if this is common amongst nurses who work in specialties, but i begrudgingly admit, i do the same thing.

i've been known to snap at others, "what do you mean you did/didn't do this????"

i have been, and continue to work on these 'outbursts'.

sorry you were her target.

try not to take it personally.

'you' could have been anybody.

leslie

Thanks. I probably was a bit over sensitive. I'm glad I bit my tongue and walked away because I was gonna have an outburst of my own after that. I think we all do the same thing at some point. I'm just mad because she did it infront of my patient.

I'm just mad because she did it infront of my patient.

yeah, well who looks like the jerk?

gentle noogies...:)

leslie

I'm just mad because she did it infront of my patient.

She was wrong to begin with but in front of a patient makes it even worse. That's very unprofessional.

I'd give her a pass this time because I always give everyone a slide as we all have bad days. If it happens again I would talk with her about it privately. Sometimes people need to have their bad behavior pointed out to them.

And a single orange juice is hardly going to make that big of a difference, and as stated the pt was getting dialyzed.

60 Blood glucose prior to being dialyzed could make a big deal IMO. Apple juice would not last as long vs. orange juice unless I am mistaken you want complex carb to have a longer duration.

  • Author

Thank you everyone for the responses. I feel a lot better now. I still would have liked to snap right back at her. I'll save that for another time.

I always thought that the reason they used OJ for protocol beside it being a long carb it also has potassium. Which someone with hypoglycemia they tend to be on the low side of the potassium because when insulin goes into the cell to use glucose it also takes potassium with it leaving serum potassium levels low. Thats why you see in medical for hyperkalemia, they will have you push an amp d50 and give 10 units of regular insulin.

  • Author

Now that I think about it, her potassium level was only 3.8. I don't think that orange juice made that big of a difference in my opinion.

Now that I think about it, her potassium level was only 3.8. I don't think that orange juice made that big of a difference in my opinion.

no, certainly not enough to make her hyperkalemic...

wonder if the dialysis nurse knew this?

leslie

correct me if i am wrong, but dean't apple juice have potaasium in it too!

last year when i had salmonella and bacterimia the infection control doc told me to drink apple juice cause i needed to keep my k+ levels up after being d/c'd from the hospital.

just my thoughts !

Now that I think about it, her potassium level was only 3.8. I don't think that orange juice made that big of a difference in my opinion.

yeah gee whiz nurses need to know all the facts before they get catty. Like we all haven't ever given a renal pt. OJ...lol...especially when that pt. didn't know that 6 pack of soda yesterday wasn't such a good idea..lol:yeah:

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