Outrageous Complaints

[DisneyNurseGal]

I swear, sometimes it seems I can not get through a shift without a patient or visitor complaining about something. From pain meds, to food quality to wait times, nurses hear it all! However, this past week, I had a couple strange complaints...

1) Visitor (patient's aunt) was mad that we did not have a blow dryer available to borrow.

2) Patient stated he did not like the way the sun came through his window.

3) Parent did not like that we carried Powerade, wanted staff to "go across street" to buy him Gatorade.

What are some of the stranger (outrageous) complaints you've heard?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Patient incensed that there wasn't an all organic menu option and requested "someone from food services" go to Whole Foods for them.

[brownbook]

An anesthesiologist told me a patient made a complaint about him because they were not told they would have a nasal cannula after surgery.

Unless it's medically indicated many patients come to PACU on room air. It's not standard practice.

[johsonmichelle]

You whats even more outrageous ? When nursing management backs up the outrageous complaints even when they know some of them can not be fulfilled.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

These are demands, but still annoying:

Patient being admitted from the ED: "Does my room overlook the parking garage."

I call up to the floor and find out that, yes, the room does over look the parking garage. I tell this to the patient.

Patient: "Well then I refuse to go up there. Last time my room overlooked that parking garage, and it was so depressing." She was high enough up that she would be over the garage, no looking directly at it, but she still didn't like it.

Hospital was pretty full, so she was given the choice--that room or she can not be admitted and leave AMA. She went with the parking garage room.

Pt being admitted: "my daughter hasn't eaten all day, she will need a cafeteria voucher." She was A&Ox3 and did not seem like she would have any limitations to buying her own food. The really annoying part: I called patient relations just to say that I did something...and they brought her a cafeteria voucher. Ugh!

[Ben_Dover]

103 year old lady asking me out for a date lol...

Mentioned this here in the past. But this is something I'll never ever be able to forget.

[Neats, BSN]

You all have endured so much, high fives to you all! Thank you for the eye rolling, head nodding and belly laughs.

[Happy818, BSN, MSN, APRN]

A patient asked for a condom because his girlfriend was coming by for a visit. :)

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

A patient asked for a condom because his girlfriend was coming by for a visit. :)

And how, may I ask, did you react to this request?

[Delia37, MSN]

We provide taxi and Lyft service to patients who need transport at discharge. Had a patient demand a Lyft XL (SUV) for his transport discharge.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

I worked in Phoenix, and the airport was close to downtown and the hospitals - like 5 minutes away. Most pediatric patients and families loved it because the hospital had huge windows in each room and you could see planes in the sky all the time. However I had one family who legitimately went as far up on the chain as the could - including talking to patient relations - because they were upset that we could not just give the airport a call and tell them not to schedule flights too early in the morning because it was too loud for them. It wasn't even loud, and even if it was it still blows my mind years later that someone actually thought this was a reasonable accommodation.

[T-Bird78]

You whats even more outrageous ? When nursing management backs up the outrageous complaints even when they know some of them can not be fulfilled.

YES!! I worked in an asthma/allergy clinic with posted signs stating "NO PERFUME/COLOGNE/LOTION". We had a pt getting her weekly allergy injection, so she was an established pt, and she wore her heavy perfume. The nurse who administered her injection reminded her, nicely, that she can't wear her perfume in the clinic but as soon as she's had her shot and waited the 30 minutes, she can put it on after she leaves. The pt pitched a fit and complained to the manager about it, and the manager reprimanded the nurse in front of the pt! Never mind the fact that our sensitive pts can (and have been) be triggered by perfume, she refused to honor company policy that was posted all over the watiing room!

[vanessaem, BSN, RN]

- Patient wanting to change rooms because he didn't like the way the blinds were "rustling". Which I found strange considering there wasn't any kind of breeze or wind in his room whatsoever.

- Patient wanting me to share her meds with her husband.

- Patient requesting exactly 15 pillows on her bed because that's what she uses at home.

- Patient reported my coworker for not providing her with a sandwich at one in the morning. Meanwhile, the patient's blood sugar was in the 500s and my coworking was busy getting orders to try to lower her blood sugar.