JUST WALK AWAY don't feed into Patients negativity

Published

Specializes in ER, Psych, Telephone Triage.

i was taking care of this 60 year old drunk i will call tony with a mouth that just wouldn't stop. he cussed out every one that passed him. he was so drunk he couldn't even have been able to get up off the gurney. the patient was a regular in the er and new me and other nurses and the medics by name.

drunks are great for knowing how to find peoples weak spots and how to push peoples buttons

a friend of mine joe was on duty in another section of the ed. as he walks by the drunk patient spots him and starts with curses then moves on to ethnic slurs (joe is mexican american) and instead of ignoring it and walking away (he is not even assigned to work in this section) he starts getting angry. i told joe "just walk away he curses everyone it means nothing don't get yourself worked up over this looser". but in stead the nurse engages the pt. walks up to him gets in his face, escalates and (the drunk loves it & keeps working him up) because now the drunk is in control and pulling the nurses strings like he was a puppet. at this point joe is cursing him back and threatening to kick his butt and drawing back ready to punch the pt.

so now i have to go over to joe and calm him down and get him away from the patient to take a time out before he punches the patient out and winds up in jail. if it had occurred on day shift and a supervisor or pt. saw this he could have been fired.

i got the drunk tank for 8 hrs. i am not gonna let this guy push my buttons. i will check his vitals, feed him, follow what ever doctors orders are written and that's it. after a while when he is not getting the responses he wants off me he shuts up till a new prey comes by

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

thank you for posting!! i am new to the er and i have noticed that some more experienced er nurses do not seem to understand this concept. i worked med surg prior to the ed and the same patients that come through and ed door land in med surg. some of the stuff i have seen nurses pull in the ed would get them fired on a med surg floor in a heart beat... it does not matter what shift he/she worked.

i have seen the "button pushing", verbal insults, assaults (one nurse elbowed a drunk in the face after we had him down and secure). in fact, i have had to calm patients down who had contact with other staff members because that staff member did not like the patient or family or whatever! ironically, the same patient and family members are night-and-day different with me. prior to this post, i thought that only nurses who worked the floors prior to the ed would understand the concept that you can walk away or that you need to be on your best behavior when providing care. again, thank you! :twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I am convinced that some people work in ER just so they can respond to these challenges - in other words, looking for a fight. You are right, you will never win with verbal abuse - best to ignore. Does your facility have an employee assistance program where you can call/see a counselor? That person might have other suggestions for interacting or at the least, for calming yourself after the interaction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Just Walk Away is excellent advice for all types of interpersonal conflict -- whether it involves patients, fellow staff, or both.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Some days I swear I'm doing my teeth some damage I've got them clenched so tight as not to say something to someone. Or I bite my tongue. But I don't bite the bait.

Good post.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
i was taking care of this 60 year old drunk i will call tony with a mouth that just wouldn't stop. he cussed out every one that passed him. he was so drunk he couldn't even have been able to get up off the gurney. the patient was a regular in the er and new me and other nurses and the medics by name.

drunks are great for knowing how to find peoples weak spots and how to push peoples buttons

a friend of mine joe was on duty in another section of the ed. as he walks by the drunk patient spots him and starts with curses then moves on to ethnic slurs (joe is mexican american) and instead of ignoring it and walking away (he is not even assigned to work in this section) he starts getting angry. i told joe "just walk away he curses everyone it means nothing don't get yourself worked up over this looser". but in stead the nurse engages the pt. walks up to him gets in his face, escalates and (the drunk loves it & keeps working him up) because now the drunk is in control and pulling the nurses strings like he was a puppet. at this point joe is cursing him back and threatening to kick his butt and drawing back ready to punch the pt.

so now i have to go over to joe and calm him down and get him away from the patient to take a time out before he punches the patient out and winds up in jail. if it had occurred on day shift and a supervisor or pt. saw this he could have been fired.

i got the drunk tank for 8 hrs. i am not gonna let this guy push my buttons. i will check his vitals, feed him, follow what ever doctors orders are written and that's it. after a while when he is not getting the responses he wants off me he shuts up till a new prey comes by

wow...

your coworker got riled up over a 60 year old drunk? it's unfortunate, i've been insulted at work before; however, it's the nature of the job sometimes. the ed is the place where you usually see people at their worst. is your coworker really burnt out or is he just very young? too much to lose...license, job, jail time, lawsuit...no thanks. was their a supervisor or charge there that night?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Psych, Telephone Triage.

He was a new Nurse. I am glad I calmed him down and it did not go any further!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion