Least Favorite Things Patients Say

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What are some of your least favorite things that you hear from your pts? Of course we are all nurses to help people, but some responses from pts make for an instant eye roll. My least favorite thing is when pts ask to take their morning medications when they "wake up". I work nights, and I hear that ALL the time. This is one of the few times that I can be firm with a pt, especially if they are on something like vanco and need specific blood levels or I will usually just tell them that I can come back in 15-20 min, and if they don't want it at that time then I will "pass it to day shift" which usually means it won't get done. (Not knocking day shift. It just happens that day shift wont pass meds for a couple of hours after report and the med might be do again. So they just ask me to document against it./say they refused it.)

There are plenty of instances where the pt gets to make decisions like when they take their meds, but I'm not staying late to pass meds because a pt not wanting to wake up at 0630.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

"The service here was very good."

I know that to some degree, nursing is a service profession, but that's something you say about a restaurant. Although, come to think of it, nurses are turning into waitresses with this push for "customer service."

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"Can I go smoke?"

When the patient has denied pain all shift and then the doc walks in and patient is having pain.

Look who's over on Yellow!

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

BTW, I do not like that it is depended on reaching "always" or "extremely satisfied." Why isn't simply satisfied not good enough?

We are told that there is no reason we can't get all 5's (on a scale of 1-5) on our patient surveys. Yet, when it comes to our own employee evaluations, a 5 is beyond reach because "there is always room for improvement". :banghead:

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"The service here was very good."

I know that to some degree, nursing is a service profession, but that's something you say about a restaurant. Although, come to think of it, nurses are turning into waitresses with this push for "customer service."

You know administration would just LOVE that sentence. Grrrrr.....No, the CARE we provided was good

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

When I worked NOC

Patients asking me if "I had a good nap" on my shift.

Ummmm nope.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Patient says nothing about having discomfort or problems when I do their shift assessment.

Doctor comes in:

"OHHHH MY GAWWWD I have had pain all dayyyyy and they didn't do anything about it"!

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
When I worked NOC

Patients asking me if "I had a good nap" on my shift.

Ummmm nope.

Or apologizing for interrupting my game of solitaire at the desk & then truly looked shocked to hear I wasn't actually playing cards but had things to do!

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Specializes in Stepdown, PCCN.

Refuses bath all day. Family shows up, complains that no one has bathed them all day.

Where are my meds. They're late with meds, at 0740.

Oh, while you're in here I need you to...

When they want me to contact someone or gather something, keep in the room for 20-30 minutes and gripe that it's taking sooooo long for whatever the errand was. "Well you haven't let me leave the room, so..."

Patients that compete with each other. One has to toilet, the other has to as well. One has pain so the other has pain.

From the PCTs- I'm done with

so-and-so, I'm not going in there anymore today.

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

"I need to see the doctor now!" What's wrong, I ask. "I don't feel good". What's wrong I ask again. "I don't know, I just don't feel good". I check vital signs, all good. Can you be more specific? "No, I just don't feel good" - and then goes back to munching on a sandwich and texting.

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I've posted this before:

Patient: Haha...I'm not vey good patient.

Me: That's okay. I'm not a very good nurse.

Shuts them right up. Try it.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I cannot stand patients who make passive-aggressive comments about nursing staff's income: "I'm sure you make bank!" "That paycheck must be pretty good!"

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I love the one --- "Well, I pay your salary!!!".

Uh, can I have a raise?

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