It seems that none of your patients appreciate anything you do. All they can do is complain and be short and rude with you.
The family members are rude and condescending. The patients seem to put on the call lights only when they know you are busy. If they see you pass by the room, they'll find a reason to call you. As long as you are not seen, you are out of mind.
If you don't get there within 10 seconds of them putting on the call light, they get angry. When you apologize that you were with someone else and got there at the speed of light anyway, they don't care. I can't believe I spent 4 years of my life preparing to take care of such ungrateful, evil, sadistic people. That's why I like Alzheimer's patients. They become so innocent and are glad just to have you there. The other 90% of the population is hell-bent on making your shift miserable.
I've gotten to the point where I am not wanting to be around people on my off days. Because after dealing with them on the job, why deal with them when i don't have to? Don't get me wrong. Ten percent of the patients I've dealt with have been great. They appreciate what you do and they don't bother you for every little thing (like moving that remote control over to the other side of the bedside table). But the 90% other have put a bad taste in my mouth. I just can't understand why people have to behave so badly. And I don't want to hear that these people sometimes act this way because they are sick. That argument is tired and invalid. These are adults. It doesn't hurt them to treat us like human beings and not a fetching dog. And to think that when the doctor comes in, they're scared to say a word. They ought to be scared stiff. Serves 'em right for mistreating their overworked, underpaid, self-sacrificing nurse. No wonder there is shortage of willing nurses that do this anymore. :angryfire
I had a sickle cell crisis patient who was on the call light all the time for pain meds, nausea, food, etc. When I gave him the pain med, I suggested he work with the meds by lowering the TV volume, get comfy in bed, dim the lights, eat and drink slowly stuff that is bland at least til his nausea subsides, stay off the phone, try to rest, AND keep his O2 on.(I work nights). His response? I was a racist nurse!! Oh, well...
I totally empathize with you on your sentiments because I struggle with exactly the same problems.
Dealing with humans in their most vulnerable moments like being ill and in a foreign environment brings out their flight or fight reflex so they are either quite passive or 'difficult'. This mechanism works for the family as well, not just the patient. Understanding where their difficult behavior is coming from might not make it any easier to deal with but at least there's some kind of explanation.
In nursing burnout is a common occurrence and although there are many books on the subject I have found few to be of any help. Sometimes a change of job helps, other times having a supportive team to work with makes it easier.
I work in ER for a couple of reasons, if there are painful patients or families at least we don't have to deal with them for days on end, we get them fixed up and shipped out. I also choose to work in ER because I find I don't tend to play the 'get the call bell with a smile' game as much. The other reason is that ER nurses tend to have a wicked sense of humor and this can get you through the worst of days sometimes.
Sorry I don't have any answers for you but I would like you to know you are not alone in your thoughts and feelings.
I am sorry that people feel this way - as if our job were not stressful enough, we have to act like waitresses/waiters.
I have to agree with the observation that people are more and more demanding!! I would not treat people who were doing me a service this way!! (I hope....I like to think that I would not!!) Where do people get this self-concept that they are so special and important!!????
Take a deep breath, take some time off, get some relaxation, reduce stress!!
Dealing with humans in their most vulnerable moments like being ill and in a foreign environment brings out their flight or fight reflex so they are either quite passive or 'difficult'. This mechanism works for the family as well, not just the patient. Understanding where their difficult behavior is coming from might not make it any easier to deal with but at least there's some kind of explanation.
This is true. However... maybe it's just me, but I have seen a BIG shift in attitude and behaviour over the years. I can't just explain it away as stress or coping mechanisms anymore.
I agree with you. As society becomes more self-centred we see more and more narcissistic behavior and less tolerance for other people. Look at the lack of manners and rudeness in everyday life. The other problem is the way health care has become 'customer' orientated and people have high expectation that their needs are more important than anyone else's.
I am 43 years old and life is very different now. People just don't care about their fellow man anymore.
I saw an art exhibit in TV today that made fun of our society as being "too saccarine". The artist made a speaker box that says things like, "people look up to you." and all these other things.
I agree. People are SOOOO Selfish and narcissistic!!! I hate that people are just sooo demanding that they make me not want to come back to work anymore!!
Dealing with people has become more polarized for me since I became a nurse. I'm better equipped to handle people and to get what I want. However, I don't relax and enjoy people unless I get to know them and trust them. So I'm probably better able to be social, but I'm less sociable than I was. Hmph.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
This is true. However... maybe it's just me, but I have seen a BIG shift in attitude and behaviour over the years. I can't just explain it away as stress or coping mechanisms anymore.
I can explain this shift of family member and patient behaviors as an emerging "sense of entitlement." Patients and family members think they are entitled to something more than competent healthcare and, as a result, they're not afraid to push their weight.
Gone are the days of polite patients and family members who once treated the healthcare staff as human beings with warm blood that flows through our veins. A major value of yesteryear was something called 'deferred gratification,' when people waited to have their needs fulfilled. A major value in today's society is 'instant gratification,' which is when people must have their needs met now, with absolutely no regard for others. I truly believe that some people view nurses as robots...
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC, Agency(facility and home).
Good Grief, what area of the country do you work in and what kind of setting? I can't imagine feeling that way about 90% of my patients. I don't know what I'd do. It must be very hard to go to work. I can't even give those percentages to my fellow employees......and I work with some mean women.
I remember when I was in nursing school, I asked an ICU nurse what she liked about ICU? She proceeded to tell me that she liked her patients because they were unable to talk and demand of her and when they began to talk and demand it was time to be transferred to a stepdown unit and off of hers. Being a student I thought "How rude", but now that I'm out of school and working I so understand what she meant. She new her limits with interaction with people and ran with it. I have to say nursing will suck the life right out of you. When I get home I have no more smiles or kind words, because my patients have used them all up for the day. Unfortunately and fortunately we chose this profession and especially for RN's you have so many areas to switch to until you find your nitch, whether it be with patients or behind a desk. Keep searching for that perfect or almost perfect job and when you find it let me know, I want to go there too.
psalm, RN
1,263 Posts
I had a sickle cell crisis patient who was on the call light all the time for pain meds, nausea, food, etc. When I gave him the pain med, I suggested he work with the meds by lowering the TV volume, get comfy in bed, dim the lights, eat and drink slowly stuff that is bland at least til his nausea subsides, stay off the phone, try to rest, AND keep his O2 on.(I work nights). His response? I was a racist nurse!! Oh, well...