Is this rude or is it just me?

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Where I work, techs and other nurses will often come find me while I'm in one patient's room providing care to tell me that another patient needs something. One time I was giving a patient meds and the tech came in and said "the patient in X room wants their meds". I just said "I'm working on it." And the patient I was with said "I'm pulling you away from your work." I just feel like this sort of thing is rude because it makes the patient you're with feel like they're a burden. I can understand if another patient is having an emergency, but to barge into a patient's room just to tell me something trivial like another patient wants me to hurry up with their meds? Thoughts?

When another nurse's patient needs something and I am not available to help, I just call the nurse on his or her assigned phone (that way I don't forget and keep the information private from the patient he or she is with). The only time that I tend to go find a nurse in another patient's room about the need of different patient is if I think he or she would want me to (or asked me to). Every now and then, we all need the opportunity for a graceful exit... for instance, when a patient has been chattering on about his or her life story for the last 20 minutes and doesn't seem to pause or take a breath between sentences... and doesn't seem to recognize any of the obvious hints that you need to leave the room (i.e. each of the ten times he or she heard the noise of the automated hand sanitizer). I have seen a lot of grateful faces emerging from rooms where I conveyed either real or fake patient requests.

I guess what I am saying is, these nurses and techs may not realize that you are offended or annoyed by their interruptions. Have you ever mentioned to them how this makes you feel or asked them not to interrupt? When I am interrupted for a non-urgent need during a time when I am providing care to another patient, I tend to either ask the person to find someone else to assist with the patient's need (depending on what it is) or just ask that the person inform the patient that I will be there as soon as I am next available. As nurses, we don't all intuitively know each other's sources of frustration; it is up to us to provide feedback on how this makes us feel and / or what we would prefer.

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Maybe they “barged in” and tell you another patient needs something because you’ve been in that particular patients room way too long and they think they were doing you a favor By making an excuse for you to get out of that room.

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Specializes in NICU, L&D, Public Health.
On 2/2/2020 at 11:35 AM, klone said:

That escalated quickly.

This can't be a real nurse. Has to be a troll.

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I don't think it is rude at all. If I answer a call light, and the patient says "I'm looking for my meds," I'm not going to assume the patient is talking about their regular scheduled meds and that they are just being impatient.

Example: I walk out of my patient's room stating "I'll be back with your meds." In my mind I know I mean that I am starting my med pass and will eventually get to that patient. In that patient's mind, he might assume I meant that I am returning immediately. 40 minutes later the patient may understandably assume I forgot. So he puts on his call light then tells the other nurse or CNA that he was looking for his meds. If Im the one answering that call light, Im not assuming anything and will notify the nurse of the patient's request. And as that person answering that call light, Im not waiting around til I see you outside a patients room.

I don't see anything wrong with knocking on a door and saying excuse me. I would assuage any idea that my current patient is holding me up by both telling them and showing them by my actions that they are my immediate priority.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Okay so, if their heart is in the right place in letting you know that stuff, I say it's ok. But at the same time, I'd rather be told once I'm out of a patient's room unless of course it's urgent. The patient comes first, if it can wait until I'm out of the room, I think it should. There's so much going on in the floor it's nice to have a minute without having another thing added to your to do list. Slap a post it on my computer screen or leave a note if you gotta go somewhere and don't want to forget to tell me! Although sometimes those kind of messages work wonders for getting me out of a chatty patient's room ?.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

Citing the example you gave, I would never have said to that patient that I will "let your nurse know", thus obligating myself to interrupt you for something trivial. My response to the complaining patient would have been more along the lines of " I think your nurse is in the process of administering meds now. I'm sure she will be with you as soon as she possibly can".

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16 hours ago, Katie82 said:

Citing the example you gave, I would never have said to that patient that I will "let your nurse know", thus obligating myself to interrupt you for something trivial. My response to the complaining patient would have been more along the lines of " I think your nurse is in the process of administering meds now. I'm sure she will be with you as soon as she possibly can".

I find THAT rude. "I'm sure your nurse knows, peace!"

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Specializes in Outpatient Cardiology, CVRU, Intermediate.
On 2/2/2020 at 10:46 AM, FacultyRN said:

On units where phones are used, I think communication with patients early in the shift is important; otherwise answering phones in their room can seem rude. ie "If you need anything today, please call this number on the white board. I carry a phone with me so patients and staff can reach me at any time. Sometimes while I'm in your room, I may need to take a call, but I want you to know your care matters to me when I'm in here."

This is brilliant! We have phones on my unit that text and call, so many of these communications are via text message. It's a huge improvement over the near-constant interruptions of phone calls that "so-and-so wants their meds/wants more water/wants to see you/has meds at the desk." ? But I haven't yet heard a good way to politely explain the interruptions, etc. Thank you!! I will be using this going forward!

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Specializes in Stepdown . Telemetry.

I find it annoying a little annoying when a cna says “patient is waiting for meds”. I appreciate when they gather a little more info by a simple polite inquiry: “i believe she is in the next room giving meds and should be out in a few min. Is there something specific u are waiting for? I can run a message to her.”

Then the general meds inquiry can wait but if its like a pain med or something then the cna can let me know that while im in the room just so i know to get that right after.

most reasonable patients would be like, “oh ok, sounds good”.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Two yrs ago, I was in the rehab/SNF/NH from Hades. NO ONE ever really answered call bells timely (if at all). When somebody did respond, the stock answer would ALWAYS be "I'll tell your nurse" or "I'll tell your CNA". They never responded.

Everyone in the place knew they COULD NOT say "you're NOT my pt". So this was their way around responding/NOT responding. EVERBODY in the place answered that way. 

Now I could never figure out if respondent #1 ever DID convey the message or just conveniently ignored it or forgot me. Then I couldn't tell if needed respondent #2 ever chose to ignore the message or not (IF they ever DID receive the msg in the first place).

Didn't matter. I NEVER want to hear that phrase ever again.

I'll keep it brief, but just don't pass on me.

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