Ever have a patient complain about you?

Nurses Relations

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I recently had a patient that asked to speak to the manager about me. She also requested a different nurse to take care of her. Don't want to post the details because of privacy issues. I wish I could. Nothing serious at all, which really bothers me. I always try my hardest to do the best for all my patients, I really feel awful about the situation.

How are patient complaints about staff handled at your facility? I hate worrying about whether or not I'll lose my job over it. My facility always thinks the patient is right.

Aye yay yay! I read pretty much every comment here and am so happy that a thread was started on this subject. I am having a tough time dealing with a recent "firing" from one of my patients. I actually "fired" myself before anyone else could. According to the nursing supervisor, the patients family (mother) did not have any specific complaints and according to the husband, the mother tends to "perceive" things the wrong way. I'm not sure what to make of that statement. What does that mean? I had a new admission last night. I think that I was in the room more than 10 times last night. We repositioned twice (I've decided that repositioning at least 3 times a shift should do it for an 8 hour shift) and I was also giving meds and just checking in to make sure things were ok. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the family. Obviously, I won't give any particulars about the case. But, just know that the pt is coming from an ICU to an LTAC. Generally, ICU nurses round hourly.....right? Well, I had 3 other patients....including 2 that I've never had before. Like I said...I was in the room like 10 times with my new admission.

At any rate, this particular family/case is the talk of the floor. I mean it got to the point that the family snapped at the night nurse and asked about hiring a private duty nurse to take care of their child. I don't know. I'm just concerned. I'm a new nurse....been on my own since July 1st. I feel like every situation makes me stronger as a nurse and helps to build character. But, who wants to be "talked to" by the nurse manager. I'm pretty sure that the nurse manager is going to want to talk to on Monday. My question is if I should just beat her to the punch. I don't want to seem weak to my nurse manager but I also want to voice my concerns.

I know this post is pretty vague. In the end, I guess the question is if you all voice your concerns to your nurse manager with any complicated patients. I mean....that is what they are there for....right?

Specializes in Geriatric.

The only complaint I know of was from a family member. I was in the middle of a long treatment on another patient. This lady wanted me to come listen to her husband's cough, despite the fact that I hadn't heard a cough for the first 7 hours of my shift. It took me probably 20 to 30 minutes to finish the treatment that I'd been doing, then I came to listen. No cough. I stood in his room for fifteen minutes (that I didn't have) just to hear his 'cough'. His lungs were clear on auscultation.

The next day she complained to the administrator that she had to wait for 2 hours for the nurse to come listen to her husband and then the nurse 'didn't even do anything.'

I think she wanted me to get an order for cough syrup or an antibiotic that he didn't need. Or maybe she just wanted me to act all excited. I don't know. Needless to say, I didn't get in trouble. But it's annoying when you're doing everything you can to help people & families have these unrealistic expectations of you.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
The only complaint I know of was from a family member. I was in the middle of a long treatment on another patient. This lady wanted me to come listen to her husband's cough, despite the fact that I hadn't heard a cough for the first 7 hours of my shift. It took me probably 20 to 30 minutes to finish the treatment that I'd been doing, then I came to listen. No cough. I stood in his room for fifteen minutes (that I didn't have) just to hear his 'cough'. His lungs were clear on auscultation.

The next day she complained to the administrator that she had to wait for 2 hours for the nurse to come listen to her husband and then the nurse 'didn't even do anything.'

I think she wanted me to get an order for cough syrup or an antibiotic that he didn't need. Or maybe she just wanted me to act all excited. I don't know. Needless to say, I didn't get in trouble. But it's annoying when you're doing everything you can to help people & families have these unrealistic expectations of you.

You're probably right about them wanting you to act excited. It makes families really angry sometimes when we don't respond in the way that they think we should. Like the pregnant patient that comes to L&D triage with no complaints of pain, leaking, or bleeding. Their only "complaint" is that they lost their mucus plug. I respond very calmly, and assure them that it's ok. Upon exam, I discover that her cervix is maybe 0.5 cm (if the examiner is generous), no contractions, and the baby looks beautiful on the monitor. Pt's mother has a come-apart. "But she lost her mucus plug!!!!" Omg, rawr, rawr, rawr, call the rapid response team! It didn't get any better when I calmly told her that I didn't have any to replace it with. Yeah, I should have held back, but come on! You can lose a mucus plug 2 weeks, 2 days, or 2 hours before labor starts, so big freaking deal. And NO! I do not want to see it (if I had a nickel for every time someone fished their mucus plug out of the toilet and brought it in a paper towel, ziplock bag, or baby food jar I wouldn't have to work. I'm happy to mitigate ignorance and educate, and I did attempt it in this situation, but the patient's mother wasn't accepting any knowledge. Her mucus plug came out, and therefore the nurse must....what? I never figured out what she wanted from me. I guess I was supposed to run around in circles in the room, throwing my hands in the air, screaming, "Lawd Jeebus, help us! She's done lost her mucus plug!" Maybe if I'd done that she would have taken it down a notch. The mother was very resistant to discharge, and I had to have the OB come in and speak to them. Said OB had been up for hours doing deliveries and had finally gotten a chance to lay down, so he was none too pleased and it showed. I'm sure she told everyone she came into contact with in the community that her daughter lost her mucus plug and we did nothing and didn't even care!

2 Votes

I read through all of the stories, I can see lots of situations when nurses were complained by pts, actually it were not nurses's fault, but in our unit, once nurses were complained by pts, no matter what's the reasons, the nurse will be punished by management;

How stupid the managements are;

I was administering Dilaudid IV to a pt, diluted in about 10ml of saline, and followed with a flush of saline to push it through. It was a 10ml flush and I only pushed about 6ml of the normal saline through and tossed the other half of the saline flush in the trash can. The pt yelled at me for not giving her the full dose of Dilaudid, and I was trying to explain to her that I gave her the full dose in the first flush and the second flush was just normal saline to push it through the IV. She asked to speak with the charge nurse and when we came back in the room to talk to the patient about her "complaint" she was sleeping hardcore.

Specializes in med/surg.

I have been fired twice. The first time I had a complaint, it was a patient who was extremely unhappy about her clear liquid diet (so unhappy, in fact, that she threw her jello, in the dish, at my nurse manager when said manager heard her yelling from across the hallway and came to see what was wrong) but she really liked her dilaudid. Thank goodness I had seen this one coming and was very careful to give her prn meds very close to on time and document pain reassessments religiously. I also had the house sup start an IV so she could have the pleasure of meeting this patient and the charge nurse checked on her several times as well. So when she complained about my inattentiveness, it was a matter of going through the chart and looking at each and every time I had laid eyes on the patient. Plenty of notes, plenty of witnesses. I wrote a narrative to legal and included all of this info in it, and I never heard another thing about it. Moral of the story? Document everything. Use your resources.

The second time, I was fired by a notorious nurse-firer. I actually did pretty well and made it until 10:00 on day 2. Other nurses made it mere hours. The wonderful family member of this wonderful patient threatened violence regularly and convincingly and it came to the point where we would never enter the room alone so that we always had a witness and/or backup, then it came to the point where we would have security enter with us every time. Which only delayed the percocet longer to give security time to get to the floor. I got a bit of satisfaction from that anyway!

It was not too terribly long after this patient that I quit nursing. I have better things to do than deal with people like that.

1 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I had a patient scream at me throw a phone at my head, and asked my nurse manager if I could be banned from his care because he thought I was too young to know anything...I'm a 23 year old CNA. I think most people know enough to be able to fill up a bucket of water and hand you some towels...Eh. People complain over trivial things all the time, take it in stride and think about how you can use the criticism to improve yourself for future patients.[/quote']

I had the accusation of "too young" from a 20 year old pt when I was 25...no phone throwing or that; he had other issues, a weird affect...got his mother figure from my co worker...I really don't lose sleep from a "firing"...when it rarely happens... :whistling:

I recently had a patient that asked to speak to the manager about me. She also requested a different nurse to take care of her. Don't want to post the details because of privacy issues. I wish I could. Nothing serious at all, which really bothers me. I always try my hardest to do the best for all my patients, I really feel awful about the situation.

How are patient complaints about staff handled at your facility? I hate worrying about whether or not I'll lose my job over it. My facility always thinks the patient is right.

Gosh this just happened to me last night! Only nothing with my manage as yet (hopefully not). I have been an RN for 35 years and this has happened a couple of times....this is the third time I guess. But it is (and the other times were as well) UNFOUNDED!!!! Always when you are trying your absolute best and are extremely busy with a heavy assignment as well! This family said I was rude to them (they are of another culture)....Good Grief...I have been honered for my culture sensitivity! I was not rude...if to say "I need to finish up here and will be right with you" is rude???? Well then I was....sigh......I have search and search in my heart. Thank Goodness there was a coworker working in the same room....she supported me 100% as did my charge nurse. Tonight the assignments were changed since the family didn't want me caring for their baby....fine.....if my excelent nursing care and experience is not comforting....well have another RN!

You know what I so wish? I wished families would for once realize that thier words and actions hurt deeply....and in fact can hurt a RN's career! I of course am talking about these unfounded complaints.

Good luck to all of you who also have had this hurt given to them when you too are just trying to do your best.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
You know what I so wish? I wished families would for once realize that thier words and actions hurt deeply....and in fact can hurt a RN's career! I of course am talking about these unfounded complaints. Good luck to all of you who also have had this hurt given to them when you too are just trying to do your best.

I don't hurt...I got lawyers. ;)

Another good reason to have , especially when enlightening terms like defamation can be politely exchanged with people who LOVE to make claims...can stop the best EXPERT in unfounded claims.

I had my own malpractice when I traveled but let it drop. It is just so very frustrating when you do your very best and get kicked in the gut...you know what I mean?! Gosh nurses are human too!

- I have not gotten many complaints but I had a family complain to my manager that I was too calm. Not callous or uncaring, mind you. Just too calm.

I have no idea what they want. Hysterics? Pleas to Jesus? Dramatic lighting? Slow motion running with a slowed down heartbeat soundtrack in the background?

- I have had a patient call 911 after I left the room because I would not give her chocolate. She was on a clear liquid diet and a diabetic. She told the 911 operator that she has having shortness of breath and no one was checking up on her. Worst of all? Completely alert and oriented.

To all of them I say...

I got kicked for a pt complaint

My nurse told me to discipline

Pt complained

So I got kicked out for teacher not checking Mar and pt complaint

She said I made a major med error and had unacceptable communication

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