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
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
there are no volunteers on night shift. TOO Bad. There are TONS on day shift and they are a TRUE blessing. AND during the summer, we have quite a few teens doing the job.
Our kids will not volunteer, if we don't lead them to it by doing it OURSELVES. something to think about. The old "do as I say, not as I do" thing does not float with teenagers.
When I was a volunteer working in the hospital, I learned more from working in the pharmacy and the central supply unit than I did in the nursing units. On the nursing floors all I could do was fill ice pitchers, check the fax machines and organize the kitchen pantry. BORING. I would have enjoyed organizing the patient records at the nurses' station but I knew they wouldn't let me do it.
I tried to teach myself how to program the bar code machine in Central Supply so I could make more labels when I ran out. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. Ah well.
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.
I am so sick of any push for CUSTOMER SERVICE ..while I am not a nurse, I am in school to become one. My other job is in retail at a fine establishment who shoves customer service training down our throats. I have been with the company for 12 years and I still wonder "when are they gonna offer politeness seminars to the customers" there are so many nasty people out there....i need my PhD in psych to figure out what the heck is wrong with some of these people :angryfire
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.
weird ..i have more trouble with the 40 somethings and up !
It's not bad enough people think they are in hotels... my hospital is now renovating all nurses stations. Now it looks like a hotel. I think we should get tips everytime we wipe their loved ones behind, change a dressing and help feed them. Don't you agree. After all bellhops get tips all the time. The transporter should also. Instead of caring luggage they get stuck pushing these people all over the hospital.
It gets even better...I just read in Reader's Digest that some hospitals will start providing people to do manicures and other luxury services during their stay. (What are you willing to bet that eventually nurses will be expected to provide these services themselves because it's too expensive to hire someone?)
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
It gets even better...I just read in Reader's Digest that some hospitals will start providing people to do manicures and other luxury services during their stay. (What are you willing to bet that eventually nurses will be expected to provide these services themselves because it's too expensive to hire someone?)
It gets even better...I just read in Reader's Digest that some hospitals will start providing people to do manicures and other luxury services during their stay. (What are you willing to bet that eventually nurses will be expected to provide these services themselves because it's too expensive to hire someone?)
ummmmmmmmmm exCUSE me ? that is wrong
if i wanted to be an esthetician and do hair,skin , nails I could have saved a bunch o money by NOT going to nursing school and focusing on esthetician school. that is so ridiculous..i will have to find that article
You have got to be kidding me with the towel and wanting his clothes cleaned? At our hospital we have to attend mandatory customer service meetings annually. They are two hours long and if we don't go, we are suspended. I can see being respectful and just plain nice to all of our "guests", but if they are unhappy like some of the people you have just mentioned, if they don't come back trust me we'll get people in those beds who look just like them. We seem to never have a shortage of patients these days.
I think I met that guys brother a few weeks ago. After jumping out of bed with his wife he proceded to parade around the room in his underwear. Like I wanted to look at that first thing in the morning.I would think he could wear some pants to bed since he wasn't at the Hilton!
Sorry about that.I believe it is time people undrestood our job description.
Problem is we are our own enemies and if the complaints get to the nurse in charge,they don't really talk for the nurse but will reprimand you instead.
This thread is so funny because I have heard so many of the same comments. We used to give large scrumptious gourmet cheesecakes to pts at discharge asr a gift from the hospital. They were kept in the freezer by the pt snack fridge. One night when we did a check on a labor pt every "SUPPORT" person in the room had a slice and a fork telling us how good it was. They just opened up the freezer and helped themselves!! :angryfire So we decided she chose her gift early and did not get one at discharge. We also had a dad tell (or actually yell) that we must not want dads to be at the hospital and be involved in their child's birth since the pull out beds we have were so uncomfortable for him! :uhoh21:
This thread is so funny because I have heard so many of the same comments. We used to give large scrumptious gourmet cheesecakes to pts at discharge asr a gift from the hospital. They were kept in the freezer by the pt snack fridge. One night when we did a check on a labor pt every "SUPPORT" person in the room had a slice and a fork telling us how good it was. They just opened up the freezer and helped themselves!! :angryfire So we decided she chose her gift early and did not get one at discharge. We also had a dad tell (or actually yell) that we must not want dads to be at the hospital and be involved in their child's birth since the pull out beds we have were so uncomfortable for him! :uhoh21:
It would be tempting to reply "Well they advertise those Sleep Number beds on TV all the time, give 'em a call".
Like I wanted to look at that first thing in the morning.I would think he could wear some pants to bed since he wasn't at the Hilton!
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
there are no volunteers on night shift. TOO Bad. There are TONS on day shift and they are a TRUE blessing. AND during the summer, we have quite a few teens doing the job.
Our kids will not volunteer, if we don't lead them to it by doing it OURSELVES. something to think about. The old "do as I say, not as I do" thing does not float with teenagers.