Least Favorite Things Patients Say

[remotefuse]

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.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

"My mother/grandmother/visitor can't go to the bathroom by herself. You'll have to help her."

This came up recently on my unit. A pt's family member needed to have her brief changed and her bp checked. They complained to our manager when the nurse refused. The bottom line is: we are not responsible for the family members and if we do something that harms the family member, we are up a creek without a paddle. I am willing to bring sheets for the murphy bed, but I will not treat the visitor. I will call a code PI though then they can go to the ED and be treated a a patient.

[DeeAngel]

When they tell the aide or the secretary answering call lights that they need to talk to their nurse right away. Then you hustle into the room only to be asked for a blanket or a glass of ice water.

[SleeepyRN]

I know it's been said dozens of times, but when you go to give meds or do a tx, and they say for whatever reason, "not right now."

Not only did I waste my precious time getting everything prepared before entering the room, but good luck trying to find that time again later at THEIR convenience.

[betterinthesun]

A patient's family member was watching me draw blood from from a central line and commented that "all the modern equipment in the hospitals these days makes nursing such an easy job".

I tried going to my happy place but even imagining The Rock serving me mimosas on the beach in the Bahamas couldn't stop me from giving her the evil eye.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

"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."

Allow me to present.... Hospital Administrators Rename RNs

And my own personal least favorite things patients say...

Is it too late to change my mind?- after we've brought the patient into the OR and have connected all of the monitors and have started pushing Versed or other drugs.

I get that patients absolutely have the right to change their minds about having surgery, but it would be nice if they did it before we made it to the OR with drugs on board.

[Farawyn]

A patient's family member was watching me draw blood from from a central line and commented that "all the modern equipment in the hospitals these days makes nursing such an easy job".

I tried going to my happy place but even imagining The Rock serving me mimosas on the beach in the Bahamas couldn't stop me from giving her the evil eye.

Hahahahahaha! The Rock!

[Nightshade1972]

My MIL was in the hospital a few years ago. Multiple times, a health professional would come into the room, talk to my inlaws for a while, then ask if they had any questions. My inlaws always said "No." As soon as the health professional left the room, however, my inlaws would look at me and say "What did they just say? We had no idea what they were talking about!"

*Facepalm*

[Nightshade1972]

Oops, didn't mean to double-post, my bad.

[Nightshade1972]

"My veins roll, no one can ever get an IV in or draw blood".

Challenge accepted.

I was doing post op instructions after an intravitreal injection on Friday, saying the same thing I say EVERY single time: "use artificial tears as often as you want, to keep your eye comfortable".

"Artificial what? No one has EVER told me about those before"

"Never? You've had 42 injections and no one has EVER mentioned using tears?" (which is a total falsehood)

"Nope, you're the first".

So I explain about formulations, etc.

"Oh, OK. Hey, are you going to give me a little purple box of eye drops before I go like I always get?"

"Um, THOSE would be the artificial tears that you've never heard any of us talk about"

My husband helps ppl file for disability. He had one claimant whose records were full of "liver damage" comments, going back many years. During her hearing, the judge mentioned "cirrhosis," which, obviously, is a term for a specific type of liver damage. The claimant freaked out and ran out of the room, screaming "Nobody ever told me I had cirrhosis!"

*Facepalm*

[rnbabyzoo]

My favorite is " I take medication for my sugar" I ask what do you take " a small white pill" do you know the name "no"

Are you having pain? "Ya" Is it sharp, sore, radiating and rate the pain level number 0-10. "I'm not sure"

Do you use tobacco? "Kind of"

[dine saw]

When I worked NOC

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

Ummmm nope.

Haha! Or my little old ladies, "I'm so sorry to wake you dear, but I have to tinkle."

[michigansapphire]

My husband helps ppl file for disability. He had one claimant whose records were full of "liver damage" comments, going back many years. During her hearing, the judge mentioned "cirrhosis," which, obviously, is a term for a specific type of liver damage. The claimant freaked out and ran out of the room, screaming "Nobody ever told me I had cirrhosis!"

*Facepalm*

That's right up there with my CHF patient's daughter. She asked about Mom's vital signs during the night; I told her about the periods of bradycardia; she freaked out. "What?! Why is that happening?!?" Educated pt's daughter that this is not uncommon with congestive heart failure. "WHAT??!? No one told me that my mom's HEART is FAILING!"