Lurkers

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.

How do you deal with lurkers at work?

I am talking about the patient or family member that just wants to stand at the nurse's station and talk to you. The ones who don't get the hint when you don't look up from your computer. The ones who will still stand there and wait for you to return even after you've been called away to care for a patient.

With the healthcare field's attitude of "customer satisfaction is number ONE!", it can be difficult telling people to bug off. Even if you do it super-sweet in your best Barbie from Toy Story voice.. "Gosh, I would love to sit and chat, but I really do have to call a doctor and blah blah blah." They still get offended.

I have a family on our unit. Mom is discharged. Baby was in the NICU but is now a well-baby and is rooming in with mom and dad. They are young. Dad admits to a history or drugs and alcoholism. And he roams the halls all stinkin' day and night. Talking talking talking. Talking to other family members as they try to make haste and exit. Talking to the nurses to let us all know that he REALLY loves his baby. Really, really, really loves his baby. If he doesn't get enough attention by standing at the nurses' station, he will find a reason. "This blanket has a spot on it." "I took my baby's temperature with my thermometer and it was 99.0. Will you come take it?" "Could I get another pillow?"

How do you tell these people (who technically AREN'T patients) to bug off?

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

Telling clingy visitors that you've got work to do is a form of art that I have not yet perfected. Unfortunately, I just allow them to waste my precious time because I'm trying to ensure that upper management doesn't receive any complaints about me.

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Specializes in chemical dependency detox/psych.

"I'm sorry, but I'll need to have you move away from the nurses' station, as we have private information on other patients that you aren't supposed to see. " We also have signs posted on the counter saying essentially the same thing.

And for the people that just want to chat and don't get the non-verbal cues that you're busy--we co-workers have an unwritten rule to "save" each other, "Fellow Nurse, could you please come into the chart room and look at this, I need your opinion." I've also just been direct with the people, "I'm sorry, but I need to complete my work on the computer, and I can't talk anymore. Thanks for understanding." (Give sweet smile and then turn away.) I don't worry if they get offended, as my patient care is what is important and my patients almost always think I'm super-nice.

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Specializes in FNP.

Call security, have them tell him to stay in his baby's room or he will have to leave.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Smile and wave and ignore.

I mean--IGNORE.

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.

It's too bad you can't say.... "Hey, I have an obese lady just finished on the bedpan and need an extra pair of hands to wipe her butt, I see you've got some free time, follow me please..." ...and see how fast they disappear.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I have physically moved to a different computer, when possible. I also tend to wrap up conversations with a patient's visitors in the patient's room on a kinda *final note* -- politely, but with some phrase like, "I will be back to check on you later."

Some people's baseline personality includes attention seeking, and it's highly unlikely that any redirection from any one nurse in the short term is going to change that. But you can most definitely set your own limits on your own time so that the impact of their behavior on you is minimized.

I strongly suspect it's in the delivery -- choice of words, physical demeanor, etc.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
how do you deal with lurkers at work?

i am talking about the patient or family member that just wants to stand at the nurse's station and talk to you. the ones who don't get the hint when you don't look up from your computer. the ones who will still stand there and wait for you to return even after you've been called away to care for a patient.

with the healthcare field's attitude of "customer satisfaction is number one!", it can be difficult telling people to bug off. even if you do it super-sweet in your best barbie from toy story voice.. "gosh, i would love to sit and chat, but i really do have to call a doctor and blah blah blah." they still get offended.

i have a family on our unit. mom is discharged. baby was in the nicu but is now a well-baby and is rooming in with mom and dad. they are young. dad admits to a history or drugs and alcoholism. and he roams the halls all stinkin' day and night. talking talking talking. talking to other family members as they try to make haste and exit. talking to the nurses to let us all know that he really loves his baby. really, really, really loves his baby. if he doesn't get enough attention by standing at the nurses' station, he will find a reason. "this blanket has a spot on it." "i took my baby's temperature with my thermometer and it was 99.0. will you come take it?" "could i get another pillow?"

how do you tell these people (who technically aren't patients) to bug off?

i just tell them that for the sake of the privacy of our other patients, they cannot be in the hall. if they wish to be in our unit, they can be at the desk long enough to ask if it's ok to visit, or they can be in the patient's room with the patient. if they're out in the hall, they go out of the unit. unfortunately, our newer nurses can't seem to understand the issues involved and allow folks to sit at the nurse's station . . .

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Let your manager know about the situation, and ask her (or him) to deal with this directly. Then they can 'ding' the manager on her unpleasant behaviour.

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I kindly go over the HIPPA reasons why they can't be out in the nurse station, I guide them back to the room, I hand them the call light, show them how to use it, tell them to use it if they need me/have any questions, and leave. If the behavior persists I get more stern and motherly. Depends on the situation, but at last resort I get security to reinforce teaching or escort them out.

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Specializes in Plastics. General Surgery. ITU. Oncology.

We have a strategy for this. If a visitor is glued to the nursing station and displays all the understanding of a developmentally-delayed ameoba to all the body language that is yelling "GO AWAY ALREADY" you merely say to any passing colleague "Could you please bleep VCB (verbal code brown)?" Your colleague then goes to a phone well away from the nursing station, calls your number at the nursing station and thereby furnishes you with an excuse to get up and walk away.

"Oh excuse Me Mrs Tedious but Matron just called about the annual Theatre Gown Design prize, DO excuse me"

;) Works every time.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology.

Does your hospital have patient care reps/patient advocates? This sounds like attention seeking behavior and they are very schooled in dealing with psych issues very delicately. They often steer these patients away with "I'm Ms. So and So from the patient rep dept. Let's talk about your hospital experience", etc. There is some reason behind this behavior. They help get to the root of the problem.

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