It is time for a change folks....

Anonymous865 · Mar 2, 2014

You are so right. I'm not hard of hearing (at least I wasn't before the bed alarm went off :laugh: ) , but I would have loved to talk with the nurse about something other than

1. what is your pain level?

2. have you passed gas yet?

3. Have you had a bowel movement yet?

4. All the other embarassing questions nurses love to ask.

I would have loved to talk about

1. Current events

2. The devilish thing your child did last night and you can't decide whether to laugh or kill him

3. That you are currently working on your BSN or MSN and what you are studying

4. Your hobby of building Hobbits out of med cups and tongue depressors

4. The research I'm doing

5. I'd even talk about the local football team, and I hate football!

I'm sure they enjoyed your conversation, and I bet you made them feel better by giving them something to think about other than why they were in the hospital.

Nurses like you make a difference without even realizing that you did.

What Anonymous 865 posted, I was talking with someone about recently. It may be a little different but it bothered me when I would receive report and was told a patient was slightly confused, a fall risk, etc. Upon speaking with these patients I had a few who were retired college professors, engineers, etc. Two were very hard of hearing so what the nurse thought was confusion was not, they just couldn't hear worth a darn.
I had some wonderful conversations with these patients while giving them nursing care. And I am sure they appreciated having a conversation and using their minds, not hear "Here are your pills, Hon". Sorry, a little off topic but a pet peeve of mine.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2014

Thanks Anonymous865. :)

Helping someone keep their dignity and humanity while being a patient was always important to me. There were times when I wondered how nurses were done so quickly with their duties and some of us ran around like crazy. I think part of this was spending time (or the lack there of) with our patients.

I really enjoyed figuring out what would be the best way to communicate with a patient. People respond differently when they are upset, in pain, or afraid. I tried to figure this out and speak with patients about different things or in different ways to ease their fears. I enjoy working with people and helping/encouraging patients. Thanks again for your post, it made my day.

cinlou, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 2, 2014

This is sort of off topic but not really. I had been a nurse for 20+ years and had moved and started in a local ER night shift, an elderly man had come in and had been shaving his face but was unable to get his neck, I had some time so I got the clippers and finished shaving him, one of the nurses said to me what are you doing we don't do that here, they'll start expecting it. I had been a level I trauma nurse for years and I thought to myself what are you kidding me. I smiled at her and said well I had some time I don't think he will go out and tell everyone if they need a shave just go to the local ED.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Mar 2, 2014

I have to admit that I am highly, highly biased against the phrase customer service. I equate it to indiscriminate brown-nosing in exchange for goods and service, not with the effort to care for a patient's health and dignity beyond the bare minimum. I certainly wish there was a better term for it to apply to nursing.

mindlor · Mar 2, 2014

Customer service does not equate to brown-nosing. I provide great customer service even while pushing my patients. I am on a rehab unit and at first my patients tend to hate me a good bit. By the time they leave, they tend to love me. Things like :i cant wipe myself?. My reply, well why not, I cant see any reason why you should not be able to. What will you do when you go home? Good customer service can simly mean wearing a smile, being on time with pain meds, knowing their likes and anticipating what they need such as noticing their water pitcher is low and bringing a fresh one with out being asked. The following sentence defines customer service in a nutshell and it is very profound. So, take a deep breath....ready? Ok here we go.....

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

It is just that simple. Do that and the survey scores will be through the roof.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2014

Every single pt in our ICU has to have a "fall" wristband on. That cracks me up. I mean if every single person has one its like no one having one. Am I the only one that thinks this is crazy.

mindlor · Mar 2, 2014

Furthermore, all a bed alarm really tells you is:

Yo, you have a pt on the ground

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2014

This is sort of off topic but not really. I had been a nurse for 20+ years and had moved and started in a local ER night shift, an elderly man had come in and had been shaving his face but was unable to get his neck, I had some time so I got the clippers and finished shaving him, one of the nurses said to me what are you doing we don't do that here, they'll start expecting it. I had been a level I trauma nurse for years and I thought to myself what are you kidding me. I smiled at her and said well I had some time I don't think he will go out and tell everyone if they need a shave just go to the local ED.

when I moved....I had an ICU nurse art a nationally prominent facility tell me this about a comatose patient I was caring for. She said "we have more important things to be concerned about, besides this patient is a gomer" When I had a discussion about this with the manager she mirrored this nurses attitude.

I quit that job right there in the office that morning.

allnurses Guide · Mar 2, 2014

It dismays me to hear a patient wants to chit-chat with me while I am on shift. I have no opposition to friendly conversation. I just do NOT have time to converse. Not with the ratios being the way they are.

malestunurse · Mar 2, 2014

One example is that my boss wants every pt bed alarmed. Well if I have an alert and oriented 50 y/o college professor as a pt that is 100 percent participatory with our fall management program, there is no way I will insult their dignity by placing an alarm on them....I could give thousands of similar examples....

This would actually technically be illegal where I live as it would unwarranted restraint.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2014

As busy as we are and as crazy as things may feel sometimes, when we have lost the art of giving patients dignity, compassion and humanity while providing quality nursing care.....something is wrong. And if someone is that burned out or the bosses are dumping so much on staff that this is not possible, well things need to change, quick. It's a shame that a patient is just a number, stats and data to the head honchos. :no:

Anonymous865 · Mar 3, 2014

not.done. yet - I think you may be responding to my previous post. If so I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say.

I was responding to a nurse who said she had chatted with a patient while providing care for that patient. I responded that I was sure the patient appreciated her chatting with him as I would have appreciated that.

I did not mean to suggest that I wanted a nurse to come in my room, sit down, and have a visit. I understand that nurses are very busy, and frankly if I need nursing care I probably don't feel up to having a long chat.

I was trying to say that I appreciated the nurses who chatted while they were starting the IV or drawing blood or hooking me up to monitors or helping me walk the halls. Their conversation helped reduce my embarassment and anxiety and helped distract me from the pain.

I don't expect a nurse to have a conversation, but I appreciate someone who goes that extra step to put me at ease.

I was trying to say to the nurses who have done that that their extra effort had not gone unnoticed. Even if the patient didn't say so, they noticed and appreciated what the nurse was doing.

It dismays me to hear a patient wants to chit-chat with me while I am on shift. I have no opposition to friendly conversation. I just do NOT have time to converse. Not with the ratios being the way they are.