***Disclaimer*** This is a complete and total VENT most likely spurned on by fertility hormones and or possible new pregnancy :)
I won't specifically pick on the call bell sitter I have at this moment, but man men age 30-40 seem to be the weeniest of patients! ("weenie" in my family means silly and sort of weak) I understand you had a lap appy and feel a little sore, but do I really have to pour your grape juice for you (under direction to do so) while you enjoy your Q2 Morphine and tap away on your laptop??
Grumble.
Ok I feel better.
P.S. By the way, to those of you warming up your keyboards to remind me that pain is subjective and individual, yeah I get it, I know it, I have it tattooed on my butt!
I wonder what these guys are like outside of the hospital? Do their friends, family, coworkers know what weenies they are, or do they only save it for the nice nurses?
I've always wondered the same thing. In fact, when my co-workers complain about these types of people I usually say, "In a few hours, we're all going home and they're not going to be there, but some unlucky person has to live with this!"
To me it seems the younger men 'in general' can't tolerate pain. I've taken care of many pt's
That've had lap appys/choles that don't need pain meds but get the younger guys and they expect their 2 mg of IV dilaudid Q 2 hrs on the dot. Thank goodness we don't get many of those types, they usually go to the general surgical post op unit. I'd rather take care of a Whipple any day over a whiny man. Not trying to offend any of you guys here LOL.
Specializes in dialysis (mostly) some L&D, Rehab/LTC.
The men in our dialysis unit are the only ones that use lido before cannulation. They also whine the most. The women suck it up! They can be such weiners... frustrating!
I concur, weenies, babies just plain pathetic. A perfect example: I got a double whammy; my ex is a Family Practic Doc so you not only get the male weenie but you get the Doc weenie. He was sure his hang nail was way more painful than my 3 broken toes that I'd been standing on for the last 10 hours working for him in his office and I really needed to get up and fix him some dinner:angryfire.
Since I have very low pain tolerance I can usually empathize with pts longer than some. Having said that, I have bee known to tell a pt "you have had surgery, you are not going to be pain free but we need to work toward 'tolerable'". The worst are the ones with tattoos EVERYWHERE that need a new IV site......
I know that women are way better at tolerating pain. Well, certain pains. It amazes me how my female pt.s can tolerate their surgical or cancer pain but my female friends can't tolerate their menstrual pain. But to each her own. I give the pain meds as ordered, but opposite what a previous poster said, I tell patients I will NOT wake them for PRN pain meds if their due, only for scheduled pain meds. They need to ask for PRNs, plain and simple, unless I see them them cowering with pain but being stubborn.
And, I do love that I get to be the bad guy. I'll never forget the 80 yr old nephrectomy pt. I had who wanted to lay in bed for an entire day post-op. Night of a late procedure I can understand, but by the next day, it was "I'm sorry you're in pain, but today I get to be the bad guy. We're getting you up out of bed right now." She complained that she had to sit in the chair for a full 45 minutes (for pressure relief), but before 5am the next morning, she was begging to get up because it made her feel better. She just needed the proof.
For surgical guys, I tell them when they go home to buy a steak and try to rip it in half - cuz that damage of muscle is what they've been through. It helps them realized not to expect complete relief, and not to feel we're unsympathetic (but to do as instructed after analgesics are given, of course.)
Since I have very low pain tolerance I can usually empathize with pts longer than some. Having said that, I have bee known to tell a pt "you have had surgery, you are not going to be pain free but we need to work toward 'tolerable'". The worst are the ones with tattoos EVERYWHERE that need a new IV site......
YES! I think we as nurses need to do a better job establishing to our pts that we are not going to take away their pain. Pain control is about controlling pain to a level with which you can function--not about snowing you to the point that I'm having to continuosly monitor your EtCO2 levels and you're breathing 7 times a minute. I think many people honestly think they should be 100% pain free.
I myself need to work harder on this. But when I'm talking to a patient about their pain medication, I do try to ask "What is a pain rating at which you feel you can function adequately?" When I'm giving them their pain meds and telling them I will be back to reassess, I also try to mention "this isn't going to take away your pain completely; but the goal is to make you more comfortable and able to function and rest adequately. Remember, pain is a *symptom*. As we address {insert problem here} and your body heals, your pain will diminish, too. THAT'S what's going to take away your pain, not this med."
Obviously this spiel only works with those with acute pain; it's a different conversation with those who have chronic pain; but they often recognize that they just need to get at a comfortable level. It's the ones who have never had pain who think that they need a PCA with a high basal rate for a broken toe.
DH stayed over night for a discectomy and ACF. When he woke up he couldn't believe how much better he felt after having 7/10 pain for the last 3 months. The nurse kept insisting he must need some analgesia even at 1/10 pain rating. He finally took 1 Norco because he thought it would make her stop, but then she kept asking if he needed another. He later regretted the Norco because it made him slightly nauseous and couldn't sleep.
.thumb.jpg.fdeda4722b298c9060dd5ada86bad2cb.jpg){kind=small}
getoverit, BSN, RN, EMT-P
432 Posts
I've always wondered the same thing. In fact, when my co-workers complain about these types of people I usually say, "In a few hours, we're all going home and they're not going to be there, but some unlucky person has to live with this!"