just venting!

The mother of this particular patient was just extremely rude. From first day post op (I worked that night as well) to this am at the end of my shift, she was very passive aggressive, complaining about me to any other nurse that entered the room, on how I let the machine alarm all night, and that I had a different excuse every time the IV machine alarmed. I heard her on the phone screaming at someone, also saw her being rude to a visitor. In this situation there was not much I could do, but I did explain to the mother regarding the IV pump that it will alrm when the medications were complete, that it will alarm when it detects an air bubble in the line, and that it will alarm when it needs to reset the amount of fluid after a certain hour. All this explanation to the mother with no avail. I could see the situation escalating, therefore I informed the charge nurse, and I asked other co-workers to help me handle the situation. Since there was no threat of violence on the mother's side, except of complaint, I felt that security did not need to be called. During report, I introduced the mother and patient to the day RN, when doing so, the patient started complaining of pain, pain medications were offered, and when the day RN and myself went to the medication room to witness the morphine, and scan the medication on the medication computer, the mother calls again and starts complaining to another nurse that the child is in pain, and nothing is done. I felt so glad when I left the hospital this morning. Sometimes I feel that the parents have no respect for us RN's. I am a parent myself, so I know what it is like to be concerned regarding a child who is sick. But disrespect is disrespect. This mother could of had a consealed weapon on her and possibly could of hurt me if she was angry. I had parents be mad at me for machines alarming but never this bad.