It's always the nurses fault

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Been a nurse 15 years and one thing I know for sure and it's getting worse. The nurse gets the blame for everything and management believes others perceptions before the nurse. Never any emotional support from management! The environment at bedside is the worst I have ever seen.:o

Specializes in trauma/ m.s..

I think the problem has come in where management isn't sticking up for nurses. If nurses have a problem with family or patients, i.e. attitude, disposition, expectations seems like management goes in and kisses butt instead of explaining things thoroughly to the families and patients. Example A: your nurse has 6-7 pts and when someone is not breathing your cup of ice is not a priority, B: we are sorry if the fire laws stop you from having 10 people spend the night in a room when the rule is only 1, C: we are really sorry you were shot while in the middle of a drug deal and now your homies can't come up because the police have you chained to the bed and under arrest. No, I'm not exaggerating! Instead management goes in and apologizes for the service = the nurse and techs. Family and pts realize that they can pretty much do and say what they want. A doctor told me not to long ago "we aren't practicing medicine anymore we are practicing to prevent lawsuits". He is right because how fast does management jump when someone yells " I'm going to sue". The truth they probably don't even have the money to hire a lawyer!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I think over the years we all come up with certain phrases towards patients and families that gets us put into perspective again with the role of a nurse vs other staff! You have to, or you get chewed right out of the facility in tears!

Lately...pain has been a large issue in my facility. We have had a lot of meth addicts come in lately, and they get one heck of a bad rap from the start. These folks don't react to medications for pain as well as others...so it takes more care for withdrawl/anxiety/pain! Sadly the stigma hurts them from square one, and most often I see nothing being done or little being done for comfort at all! SOOOOOO I have been yelled at daily from painful patients or very angry friends/family!

I basically let them know first off..."I am on your side, and I don't have the authority to prescribe anything for you, but I am the eyes and ears for the MD and I will most certainly let them know what is going on. Now in the mean time, what other things do you think that we can do to help? (notice getting them involved!)." After that you have to rationalize things of course because they will say just about anything like walking out AMA, or going out to smoke, or etc.....

One time last week I actually walked into a room and had a elderly woman SCREAM at me because her toast was cold! I said "hold on"....walked out of the room, came back in and said "Let's start all over, my name is...and I am your NURSE. I will be happy to let our dietary team know about your cold toast because that is their department...mine is to help you medically under physicians orders...I don't make toast, I don't do the laundry, I don't make the diagnosis or prescribe your medications. I am the one that follows doctor prescribed treatments for you as written and provide care within my scope of practice. Any questions before we begin with your initial assessment?" I said this calmly and with a smile...more informative than anything and it worked great! She didn't scream at me all day!

I also keep family and patient in the loop of what I am doing...even ad nauseum! I let them know when I have called the MD, written a report, given them anything...I am talking a blow by blow of what I am doing! That usually gets them thinking wow..she does a lot~! That is helpful too, and I always make things patient centered like "I called the doctor to discuss the items you and I discussed and they should call me as soon as they are able, and if you have anymore suggestions on your care, please let me know, or write them down so you don't forget to ask the MD once they are here. I am sure the MD would like to hear this all from you, but for now I will be your voice till they arrive to speak to you personally". (puts me back in place for being on their side and helping...not the blame!).

Also explaining that MD's have clinics and come usually during non clinic hours to see their patients is helpful too. When asked when the doctor will arrive I remind them of this fact, and let them know I can leave a message at anytime for them...and my hopes the answers will come quickly, but not a guarentee because I don't know what that MD has on their plate that day.

I have tried many things..and simply getting the patient or family to realize a nurses role and that you are trying to work with the system of things to get things done is the best. I tell them it is like jumping through 15 hoops with a single probelm...then if more come add another 15 flaming hoops! LOL! But I let them know I will jump through those flames to help, and to work with me!

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I completely understand. My grandmother was in the hospital and she's a very very patient woman and having had worked in the hospital she understand what people are like. THe people that were in the bed next to her were treating the nurse so badly it wasn't funny. I guess there were test results that couldn't be found or even rpoof that she had the test done at all. They took it out on the nurse and she tried to explain but they wouldn't listen. Then they blamed it on the hospital and they started sayin that they were gonna have her discharged and go to some other hospital that can actually treat her and not lose her records and they were still screaming at the nurse. But I guess that's part of the job also...as long as you don't lose it in front of the patient/family your ok iguess or at least that's what she told me, just go to the bathroom or walk somewhere else and let it all out!!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh my Heaven...I had something just like that happen to me this week! The patient was in so much pain and nothing was being ordered that even I was upset! However they didn't have a doc to yell at..they yelled at me!

They got on the phone to call their PCP, and asked to be transfered to another hospital. I shocked the heck out of them by saying "if the MD needs to talk to me, here is the desk number and I will let them know what has happened". They were shocked...and I said "I am doing what I can for your daughter, if that means going to another hospital, I want them to know as much as I do so she is treated correctly! It is within your rights to ask for this, and to switch facilities if you so deem necessary. I am 100% with you, as long as it helps your daughter.".

They wound up staying, that got the ball rolling (the PCP called the hospitilist, hospitalist finally listened to me about the importance of the situation...and she was rushed to ICU...her liver enzymes skyrocked all the sudden (which I told him!!!) and she got the help she needed...of course she was an ex-meth user...so I guess the stereotype of 'drug seeker' downplayed the seirousness of her situation...even if I told the doc!!!).

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I love this!!!! Rock on!!!

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Yeah, I agree with that to some degree it does depend where you work. Those facilities with a strong union like in California probably have a better working environment. Family and some doctors expections are so unrealistic now days.

I'm in California and not in a union. And as I said, we don't hear "it is always the nurse's fault" from management and if a patient complains unrealistically and unfairly, management backs the nurse.

Do not put up with being treated disrespectfully.

steph

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That is the main reason I left bedside after just 8 months, I'm responsible for everything, yet I have no control of anything. At least that's how I felt!!

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At our facility, our DON and supervisors stand behind the nursing staff 110%. It's nice to know they have our backs. I know some places aren't like that, if I were you I would find one. It stinks being blamed for everything yet having control over nothing.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
Yeah, I agree with that to some degree it does depend where you work. Those facilities with a strong union like in California probably have a better working environment. Family and some doctors expections are so unrealistic now days. Not to long ago while eating out some women sitting behide me was bad mouthing nursing. Talking about how mean the nurses were and how they didn't do such and such, lazy etc..I was not in uniform so there was no way she could know I am a nurse. And took all my self control not to turn around and let her have it. Then some weeks later at a different restaurant some other women was bad mouthing nurses too.

Now see, I would have said something. Very politely, but there would have been no room for doubt. I have done this before, and it's almost amusing to watch people try to backpedal. It's worth it for the sheer entertainment value.

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