I am always gracious and try to accomodate reasonable patient/family requests, but my name tag yesterday must have read 'Handmaid' instead of RN. I was instructed (not asked) by several different patients/family members the following:
"Go get us about eight or ten chairs so everybody can sit down in here."
"The baby's father hasn't had anything to eat today, can you make him something?" (This was 1930 and FOB who missed the 0915 delivery had just shown up).
"Can't you get the kids sandwiches?" (I was happy to bring graham crackers and juice, but was met with "Well, that's not enough for dinner.")
"I can't use a taxi voucher because that way I have to go right home. Don't you have a petty cash fund? I need to stop at my friend's house and the store first."
"My boyfriend wants a set of the baby's footprints, a copy of the baby's picture, and that test to make sure he's the father."
This, of course, all in addition to the usual "The baby's diaper needs to be changed," "Bring me another Percocet. Somebody here (a visitor, not the patient) has a headache," "Take his (another visitor's) blood pressure," and "He needs some scrubs to wear."
Sorry for the rant. Yesterday was a long 14-hour day and I just needed to get it out. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
the last facility in which i worked had a mandatory in-service called (and i'm not kidding) "why healthcare should use disneyworld as a model." :barf01:all nursing staff had to go to it (all 5 hours of it) - and thank goodness i was already slated to be leaving in 2 months. i'm astounded that anyone could come up with this sort of customer service crap and apply it to healthcare as it is today.
and as for the "i'm paying for this" excuse: pardon me, but only 10% of our "customers" write a check for their healthcare, and precious few will ever know exactly what healthcare costs. i work in what is arguably the most expensive place in the hospital (or), and i deliver 1:1 care, sometimes 2:1 care (nurse: pt), not to mention the crna/md anesthesia team. i see $10,000 pieces of disposable sterile equipment dropped, seemingly without a thought (except for mine!) i am constantly trying to balance the costs ("should i open another $90 stapler reload yet?") vs. the md screaming at me for a 10 second delay when he finally makes up his mind that he really does want it. :smackingf and the technology that pts expect costs that much! if they had to write the check, i often wonder if they'd think twice.
i am grateful that i have my job, and i love it. but i work where i work because a) i love the or environment, b) i love procedure and technology, and c) 90% of families drive me bonkers. i love my patients and i advocate for them like a lioness with her cubs. but catering to families that haven't got a clue...ugh...i just don't have that kind of patience.
i've come to the conclusion that many hospitals are run by goofy!!!!
the hospitals that are not run like disneyworld are actually run like looneytoons with daffy duck as ceo!!!
We recently had an especially "high-needs" patient on antepartum.
She put a sign on her door stating she is not to be disturbed by visitors or staff, so dietary didn't deliver her tray. She calls out in a rage because she didn't get dinner. Says they should have known that the sign was only for the nurses and techs who were always in and out of her room bothering her with vitals signs and fetal monitoring.
States she needs a free corificeat. When she is told the hospital doesn't provide free corificeats, she throws a fit and says we "damn well better find her one". We are all wondering if she would like the hospital to provide her with a matching stoller, crib and changing table to go with the corificeat?
Decides she needs pink decorations for her room. I suggest her family can bring her some next time they visit. No, she wants me to get her some decorations right now. And while I'm at it, she also wants some chocolate bars and cookies as the snacks we have on the floor are too healthy and don't taste good.
She finally left AMA because she needed to get her hair and nails done before she delivered, so she would look good in the pictures.
i will be doing much tongue biting in my future career. i hope i dont bit it clean off!
lol
i am with you sunnyjohn: i am thinking that i need to start digging through my junk to find my mouthguard that i used in basketball ... so i don't bite my tongue off!
gee whiz, i cannot believe some people have the guts to order this kind of crap! asking for permission to get one or two more chairs (and the husband goes to get the chairs) is one thing, but ordering 10 of them from your nurse --- that is just incredible!!!!!
We recently had an especially "high-needs" patient on antepartum.
She put a sign on her door stating she is not to be disturbed by visitors or staff, so dietary didn't deliver her tray. She calls out in a rage because she didn't get dinner. Says they should have known that the sign was only for the nurses and techs who were always in and out of her room bothering her with vitals signs and fetal monitoring.
States she needs a free corificeat. When she is told the hospital doesn't provide free corificeats, she throws a fit and says we "damn well better find her one". We are all wondering if she would like the hospital to provide her with a matching stoller, crib and changing table to go with the corificeat?
Decides she needs pink decorations for her room. I suggest her family can bring her some next time they visit. No, she wants me to get her some decorations right now. And while I'm at it, she also wants some chocolate bars and cookies as the snacks we have on the floor are too healthy and don't taste good.
She finally left AMA because she needed to get her hair and nails done before she delivered, so she would look good in the pictures.
Probably just as well. Sounds like Braxton-Hicks to me!
We recently had an especially "high-needs" patient on antepartum.
She put a sign on her door stating she is not to be disturbed by visitors or staff, so dietary didn't deliver her tray. She calls out in a rage because she didn't get dinner. Says they should have known that the sign was only for the nurses and techs who were always in and out of her room bothering her with vitals signs and fetal monitoring.
States she needs a free corificeat. When she is told the hospital doesn't provide free corificeats, she throws a fit and says we "damn well better find her one". We are all wondering if she would like the hospital to provide her with a matching stoller, crib and changing table to go with the corificeat?
Decides she needs pink decorations for her room. I suggest her family can bring her some next time they visit. No, she wants me to get her some decorations right now. And while I'm at it, she also wants some chocolate bars and cookies as the snacks we have on the floor are too healthy and don't taste good.
She finally left AMA because she needed to get her hair and nails done before she delivered, so she would look good in the pictures.
Totally unbelievable. I am scared for her poor baby...I can't imagine what kind of mother would put getting her hair and nails done above her baby's health.
Probably just as well. Sounds like Braxton-Hicks to me!
Really? Does that really happen that pts. are hospitalized for Braxton-Hicks? I thought they would only be hospitalized if the contractions were actually causing change?
Totally unbelievable. I am scared for her poor baby...I can't imagine what kind of mother would put getting her hair and nails done above her baby's health.
Shannon
Sounds like mother of the year material to me.
I'm surprised that she didn't demand that her hairstylist and nail person come to the hospital instead of her leaving.
Maybe she'll get lost on the way back to the hospital .........
Someone at the inservice should ask "Why a 'Disneyworld model'? Is it because of all the Mickey Mouse nonsense the nurses have to put up with?"
Our facility is putting on a big push for "world class customer service". I really want to know if the CEO defines world class customer service as : on call dr's , who do not answer their pages, medical clinic dr.'s who do not order refills on meds in a timely manner or who do not return phone calls from patients, medical dr.s, who do not call their patients back regarding lab work or other tests results.
I guess if this is his definition of customer service than we should already be winning awards.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
My husband and I were just talking about this kind of attitude after I worked this weekend.....when did people become so rude and demanding? And why do they think that they are the only ones in the hospital and can demand all of our attention? It just baffles my mind the more I work. I was actually told at work this weekend that we (meaning the staff) needed to do some "major sucking up" to a demanding family member. I don't
"suck up" to anyone! Society as a whole has become a bunch of spoiled brats, in my not so humble opinion. Just like with children, if they whine and throw a fit you DON"T reward them by giving in to them and their unreasonable desires. ARRRGHHH...I can't stand it!
Reading all of these replies reminds me of one of my "favorite" patients. G4 P3, all previous children in foster care. Pt presents in labor and when she walks in she says "you need to know something right off, I will not have anything forced on me." I could tell it was going to be a great night. Patient ended up delivering before the doctor could get there, I delivered the baby, went to place in on her abdomen and she yelled at me "Get that away from me until it is clean." She was a pain for her whole post partum stay!! She continually complained about how awful the food was (most patients acutally compliment our hospital's food) and had her family bring her Burger King. I got a wild hair and decided to cater to her. The hospital was having a big open house the second night of her stay so I went down and got her two huge plates of everything on the buffet table from shrimp cocktail, veggies, fruit, desserts, buffalo wings, you name it I thought that she must like something on the plate. At first she seemed very grateful but ten minutes later she called out and said "There is no way I can eat this crap, this cocktail sauce is terrible." And wanted the nurses to go to BK for her. Man oh man were we glad to see her go!!!!!!!
Sounds to me like you are a wonderful Nurse! Bless you for being the person you are, I too have had patients like that, unfortunately for them I was/am not quite the patient person you are. I quickly informed the patient and the family members that the ONLY people I would take care of in the room were my patients (Mother and Child) everyone else had to fend for him/her self. As far as FEEDING family members ...That's why there is a cafeteria and break room downstairs (use it!) I cannot believe your floor Supervisor did not step in and explain that, 1. There were too many visitors in the room and some should leave ( use the excuse of exposure to germs and lack of immune system could cause the newborn to get sick) 2. that it is NOT the hospitals policy to treat or check (Bp) anyone who is NOT a patient in the hospital or is not showing s/sx of being in immediate danger or distress.
Your Floor supervisor should have stepped in on your behalf.
I am terribly sorry you had this experience, but some people have no manners.
I am always gracious and try to accomodate reasonable patient/family requests, but my name tag yesterday must have read 'Handmaid' instead of RN. I was instructed (not asked) by several different patients/family members the following:
"Go get us about eight or ten chairs so everybody can sit down in here."
"The baby's father hasn't had anything to eat today, can you make him something?" (This was 1930 and FOB who missed the 0915 delivery had just shown up).
"Can't you get the kids sandwiches?" (I was happy to bring graham crackers and juice, but was met with "Well, that's not enough for dinner.")
"I can't use a taxi voucher because that way I have to go right home. Don't you have a petty cash fund? I need to stop at my friend's house and the store first."
"My boyfriend wants a set of the baby's footprints, a copy of the baby's picture, and that test to make sure he's the father."
This, of course, all in addition to the usual "The baby's diaper needs to be changed," "Bring me another Percocet. Somebody here (a visitor, not the patient) has a headache," "Take his (another visitor's) blood pressure," and "He needs some scrubs to wear."
Sorry for the rant. Yesterday was a long 14-hour day and I just needed to get it out. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sick and tired of hearing a child laughing and giggling throughout the E.D. just because Mommy or daddy didnot want to miss their favorite TV show in order to take the kid to a M.D.'s office, or they "couldn't get an appointment to mee my schedule" For Heavens sake! Make the dang appointment and then re arrange your schedule.
Un fortunately I think my ALL TIME pet peeve is the Med-Tech where I work at states " Well I don't want to get health insurance and by going to the hospital E.D. I can file as not having money and the State will pay for it"
:angryfire Any one ever heard that one before>
I I had a dollar for everytime an ER patient told me they had not eaten all day I would be rich!!!!!!! They are hungry because they sat in the waiting room for six hours on monday afternoon for the sore throat they had had for a week, this could have been taken care of at there doctors office and there would have been plenty of time for a meal!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DusktilDawn
1,119 Posts
i've come to the conclusion that many hospitals are run by goofy!!!!
the hospitals that are not run like disneyworld are actually run like looneytoons with daffy duck as ceo!!!