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
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.
Whoa...that poor baby. Sounds like mama needs some help to me. Hopefully baby won't need to be fed or held while her nails are drying. Geez...
Gack, I hate that. We had a family the other day that brought their literally 10 grandkids not just to see Grandpa in the ICU (which is a request we accomodate, but not the norm) but stay all day in the hallways, running up and down with no shoes on. I told them to stop running in the halls (this kids were 8-10 years old, old enough to know better) and they dissappeared. Then when I transfered a patient to the 4th floor, I found them up their, riding on the dirty linens carts like scooter. I mentioned it to the charge nurse, who told me later she had already spoke to them about the complaint and they told her "They were bored so we let them play on the elevators!" Holy crap, I think Carlos Mencia is right...
We have this one particular patient who EVERY nurse hates being assigned to. He is just plain mean and is never happy about anything. I actually said to him the other night... Being mean to me is NOT going to make me bring you your meds any faster.
Gack, I hate that. We had a family the other day that brought their literally 10 grandkids not just to see Grandpa in the ICU (which is a request we accomodate, but not the norm) but stay all day in the hallways, running up and down with no shoes on. I told them to stop running in the halls (this kids were 8-10 years old, old enough to know better) and they dissappeared. Then when I transfered a patient to the 4th floor, I found them up their, riding on the dirty linens carts like scooter. I mentioned it to the charge nurse, who told me later she had already spoke to them about the complaint and they told her "They were bored so we let them play on the elevators!" Holy crap, I think Carlos Mencia is right...
This is one of my pet peeves, pts or visitors who refuse to wear shoes. :angryfire
Yes, I know this is Oklahoma and you may not need to wear shoes in the sticks, but if you come to our big city hospital you're going to have to worry about who/what/whatever has been on the floor where you and/or your darling angels have been walking and/or playing. We had a 17 y.o. leave our triage area w/o shoes. No matter what we said (you might run into a needle - very unlikely, the concrete is VERY hot outside - it was over 100F that day) we could not get her to put on her shoes. It wasn't a matter of her not having shoes... they were in her pt belongings bag.
One other time I was coming in to work on the elevator. There was a horrible two year old having a tantrum. This was no ordinary two year old tantrum, this was a Tantrum. The kid threw himself on the floor of the elevator. I said to the mom, "You may want to get him off the floor. People use this elevator to come into labor and delivery. Who knows what has been on this floor, someone could have had a baby in here (not likely), someone's water could have broken and they could have been carrying something." She asked the kid to get up, but kid refused. She did listen to me and she picked him up. I'm surprised that she let him lay on the floor for that 30 seconds to begin with.
Well, today is my day to go in... they usually assign the doulas to the "high maintenance" pts. I don't mind, they keep me busy and they stay off the call lights so the nurses can do their jobs.
Gack, I hate that. We had a family the other day that brought their literally 10 grandkids not just to see Grandpa in the ICU (which is a request we accomodate, but not the norm) but stay all day in the hallways, running up and down with no shoes on. I told them to stop running in the halls (this kids were 8-10 years old, old enough to know better) and they dissappeared. Then when I transfered a patient to the 4th floor, I found them up their, riding on the dirty linens carts like scooter. I mentioned it to the charge nurse, who told me later she had already spoke to them about the complaint and they told her "They were bored so we let them play on the elevators!" Holy crap, I think Carlos Mencia is right...
Many years ago, when I was working in derm clinic, I had to actually tell a parent:
1. Do not play tag in the exam room with your child. One of you may slip and hit your head against the exam bed or wall.
2. Do not allow your child to put his hand in the bio hazard needle box, you might actually get a needle stick and get sick.
Mom got mad at me and sulked throughout the office visit.
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?
Unfortunately, we've raised a generation of 20 and 30 somethings, who believe they are the center of the Universe and everything revolves around their needs and wants. They seem to pass on this attitude to their own kids also.
It's amazing how much child like behavior, I have to deal with so called adults.
I have had them scream, yell, cry and threaten to get me fired, because they couldn't have their own way. The only thing missing was the holding of their breath till they turn blue or throwing themselves on the floor.
Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.
I discussed these same gripes with my manager and asked for non-nursing staff to accomodate families and friends. I was informed that if she were to hire someone in this capacity, it would take away one full-time nurse!
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?
Shannon
Not really sure, that wasn't discussed in the post. What was described in the post was a woman who wanted to get her hair nails done and decorate her room pink before her baby came. I have been in labor 4 times and can't imagine being in true labor and being concerned about my hair nails room decor or anything as frivolous as what this woman was concerned with. My comment was actually meant to be a form of light humor. Maybe you should try it. :lol_hitti
Not really sure, that wasn't discussed in the post. What was described in the post was a woman who wanted to get her hair nails done and decorate her room pink before her baby came. I have been in labor 4 times and can't imagine being in true labor and being concerned about my hair nails room decor or anything as frivolous as what this woman was concerned with. My comment was actually meant to be a form of light humor. Maybe you should try it. :lol_hitti
Geesh, that was a little harsh. I was asking a perfectly reasonable question--it wasn't clear that your post was meant to be light humor. And I dilated to a 5 without feeling a thing, so yes, it was true labor, and although I can't imagine being so shallow as to risk your baby's life to get your hair and nails done, it is entirely possible that someone could be in true labor but not understand the seriousness of the situation. Of course her behaviour was ridiculous, but my question was legitimate.
[ 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."
Please tell me that she did not take her poor baby home with her! What a nightmare! People like her should be sterilized.
ShannonB25
186 Posts
Whoa...that poor baby. Sounds like mama needs some help to me. Hopefully baby won't need to be fed or held while her nails are drying. Geez...