It's a Hospital, Not a Hotel (Gripe)

[daisybaby]

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

[TweetiePieRN]

At the Hospital I work at, we are to respond quickly to patient call lights, then before we leave we are to tell them we have time if they need to talk about or have any other concerns. I don't know about you, but I don't have time, not if I am to answer the next call light immediately. The NM makes rounds on the patients daily to see if there is anything that the nurses are not doing for them or could do better. Give me a break!!, we do the best we can with the limited time we have.But managers have to do something to justify thier existence, except attend meetings. Meetings, I don't even want to go there!!!!

OMG! We must work at the same hospital seriously~! Another wonderful idea from those brainchildren writing up this crap!

Our NM got our shift together to discuss the Press Ganey results. Nursing was doing a great job and she said there was only one thing we had to improve on....The patients rated "Time Dr spent with me" as being low! WTH! How exactly am I supposed to affect the amount of time a dr decides to spend with a patient. I am lucky If I even see the doc...they are in and out sooo fast!

So her (or whoever's) brilliant idea was to go into the patient's room, sit on the bed (No thanks!) and say "Dr. Smith (or whoever their doc is) spends a lot of time with his patients!"....NO one in our unit says any of these lame catchphrases. I am not willing paint a fake pic for my patients and put my reputation (and ultimately the trust-relationship we have with pts.) on the line. There is maybe 2 drs that I can honestly say this about.

Another lame catchphrase..."Call, dont fall!" so that pts will use the callbell for help rather than falling out of bed!

[FossilRN]

I work in ICU and had one that struck me funny, it was on Christmas day. I came in to an assignment of two vent patients, one had just coded and I started my shift with the crash cart and defib next to the bed. As the day went on we did change code status and family members grew to huge numbers. At one point I was writing on the chart at the monitors and was approached by the patient's daughter, she had a request. While her father was there could we, maybe one of the nurses, trim his toenals for him. Many times I am really glad that people can't read my mind, I did handle it with a diplomatic no.

[FossilRN]

I work in ICU and had one that struck me funny, it was on Christmas day. I came in to an assignment of two vent patients, one had just coded and I started my shift with the crash cart and defib next to the bed. As the day went on we did change code status and family members grew to huge numbers. At one point I was writing on the chart at the monitors and was approached by the patient's daughter, she had a request. While her father was there could we, maybe one of the nurses, trim his toenails for him. Many times I am really glad that people can't read my mind, I did handle it with a diplomatic no.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Some administrator came up with this idea that the nurses on each unit would send little cards....personally signed by all of us...to each and every discharge.

So everyday, we are signing a bunch of cards for people, many of whom we never had contact with.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

We sign those cards in the OR.

There's been times where a pt. though the staff was great, etc. but they don't know the names, since we typically don't have our badges on. And some have written a thank you card, listing the specific names of the nurse sthat cared for them, in their thank you.

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

Originally Posted by RN@34 : Once I returned to his room he asked me if he could ask a personal question. That personal question was "Are you a racist?" I simply answered no and left it at that."

How about, "I'm sorry, did you say 'racist' or 'waitress'?

ROFL!!! :roll :roll :roll

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

I am a CNA working on my BSN.

While working on a med/surg unit a few years ago, I had a "tiff" with a patient's family member and fortunately my manager backed me up. Our small galley kitchen/supply closet had two entrances. Each entrance had a big, engraved sign that said, "UNIT STAFF ONLY. SUPPLIES ARE FOR PATIENTS ONLY." You'd think that would be enough communication to get the point across, but noooooooooo, some people don't think the rules apply to them.

I was in the kitchen preparing snacks for diabetic patients and pulling supplies a nurse had asked me for, when the door opens and a burley man (patient family) starts to walk in. "Excuse me, sir, this area is for personnel only; however, if you'll give me a minute, I'll get your mother what she needs." He proceeds to tell me (while continuing to walk in) that his mother is fine, but he is starving, and that so many of his family members had been patients at our hospital that they probably paid for the food in there anyway." :angryfire I proceed to tell him, apologetically, that the sign is posted on the door due to hospital policy......we also have medical supplies in the area.....prevention of theft.....too crowded if everyone comes in there...cafeteria downstairs...McDonalds down the street, yada yada yada. Well, the dork squeezed in between myself and the refridgerator and starts pulling out ice cream cups and soda and proceeds to prepare and ice cream float! Totally ignores me! Instead of arguing with him, I opted to deliver the needed 4x4s to the nurse and answer several bells. At the end of the shift, I let the charge nurse know about what had happened. The "jerk" was still in with his mother, with several more items from our kitchenette, when the charge nurse went in and let him know that he was not to go in there again. He gave her a hard time also. Two days later, combination locks were being installed! It was a wonderful deterrent; however, we would occasionally have people try to dart in while the door was closing/opening. Rude! Rude! Rude!

[RoxanRN]

the sign is posted on the door due to hospital policy......we also have medical supplies in the area.....prevention of theft.....(snip)........It was a wonderful deterrent; however, we would occasionally have people try to dart in while the door was closing/opening. Rude! Rude! Rude!

If you have medical supplies in this area, it needs protected just as a medication room should be.... open the door enough to get in/out and stand in the doorway until it closed and secure.

PS.... I don't know that I would have waited until the end of shift to report the 'jerk.' It needed to be dealt with immediately, either by the charge nurse or security or both!

[ShifraPuah]

I had a patient look up at me after I returned her to her room after an US and she said, "I'd like a decaf coffee with Splenda or Nutrasweet."

[happthearts]

Hey you handled it perfect they couldn't get mad when said that way.

My philosophy: Just say no! You don't need to be rude or anything, just be firm. "I can't get your boyfriend a sandwich. The hospital doesn't provide food for visitors, but he can go down to the cafeteria and buy whatever he would like". "No I can't get 8 chairs in here, the extra people are free to sit in the comfortable visitor's lounge. Would you like me to show you where that is?". "No we don't have a petty cash fund. Would you still like the voucher?". (All said with a smile while gritting my teeth).