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.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I googled it. (Sounds legit)

Me: "So tell me what is happening with you" Semi-frequent patient: "WELL, you KNOW how I am--My friend, you know, the one who came and visited me last time with the cookies that were too chewy? Overbaked, right?!?!?! ANYWAYS she is the one whose son's common law brother-in-laws second cousin is a certified natural food practitioner, had me try yoga and new moon meditation first. Cause it worked for his grandmother's boyfriend's first wife's cousin by marriage. And natural is the way to go. I just am so USED to medicine. And you know MY kids and their "blah, blah go to a real doctor, Ma" stuff. Remember, from my last admission. You were my nurse. I had that thing...what was it again...you know, that night...."

Really needy patient that has to have everything perfect I hold the key to the PG survey...."I know that you fluffed my pillows, put the blanket the right way I like it, got me a cold compress, pulled my shade and got me sooooo comfortable, but I have to pee. Again.

[MaudKennedy]

God! Some people are really entiled and obnoxious!

[Ann.E]

My favorite is when the narc seekers get admitted and then when I don't give them the big D right away because the doctor hasn't ordered it, they say things like "wow I thought nurses could just do this stuff. I didn't know you had to get a doctor's order for every little thing".

[shaneb9]

"Will this hurt?"

I always just say no it won't hurt me at all

[MaudKennedy]

"Will this hurt?"

I always just say no it won't hurt me at all

Why don't you like to be asked if it hurts? That seems a pretty reasonable question.

[shaneb9]

Why don't you like to be asked if it hurts? That seems a pretty reasonable question.

I don't actually hate being asked that. Just like being snarky. Of course I don't just leave them at that

[SassyTachyRN]

"I just don't know, but something doesn't feel/seem right." You know, that feeling of impending doom. That patient you watch constantly because you feel like they might crash at any given moment.

[shaneb9]

"I just don't know, but something doesn't feel/seem right." You know, that feeling of impending doom. That patient you watch constantly because you feel like they might crash at any given moment.

And then they fart and feel 1000 times better

[shaneb9]

God! Some people are really entiled and obnoxious!

Yeah like those people who go on nursing websites to troll nurses

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

"I just don't know, but something doesn't feel/seem right." You know, that feeling of impending doom. That patient you watch constantly because you feel like they might crash at any given moment.

Or when the patient who needs emergency (and I do mean absolute emergency) surgery insists on waiting until his/her family arrives because they feel they won't make it through the surgery. Sadly, every patient I've had who said that was right.

[Callisonanne]

"You can't make me take my medicine." - from a psychotic patient on med against will protocol