Parent Pet Peeves

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I love most of my parents, but I have a few pet peeves that really irk me, such as:

1) Parents who insist that you not wake their child during the night "for any reason" despite the fact that they have q4h vitals and assessments, meds given throughout the night, and an IV that's on the fritz.

2) Parents who allow their child to scream and throw a temper tantrum at midnight (waking up all the other kids on the floor) because the child does not want to put on oxygen, take a med, get a stat lab draw, etc.

3) Threatens their kid with shots (from me!) if he/she doesn't cooperate with cares

4) Allows their baby (or young child) to cry because they are in pain, threw up, wet the bed, etc and does not make a move from their cot to console them. However, they do manage to shout instructions from five feet away every time you go in the room!

5) Allow your child to hit, kick, bite or otherwise physically or verbally abuse me without saying a word. Just because you allow your child to call you a b**** at home doesn't mean that I should have to tolerate it.

6) Tell your child that he/she does not have to take a med, have an IV inserted, etc if the kid protests even a little. Your child is in the hospital for a reason, and if you set the expectation that your kid will cooperate, he or she is much more likely to do so

I would like to give every parent a few hints. First, I am not and will never be a punishment. If you wish to discipline your child for not cooperating, leave me out of it.

We are not a free nanny service. We do not appreciate you sitting by shouting orders at us to do routine cares for your child while you lounge on the sofa.

Your child looks to you to determine how he/she should act, so if you are going to cry or have a nervous breakdown please step in the hallway. The last thing we need is for the kid to have a meltdown too!

and finally- your child likely only met me 2 HOURS AGO. The chances of me being able to console him or her in the middle of the night are SLIM TO NONE. Therefore, I suggest that if he or she is crying during the night you show a little bit of empathy, get out of bed and give your kid a hug!

Ok, stepping down off my soapbox. Does anyone else want to share?

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Specializes in Peds; Peds Oncology.

Amen!!!

Don't forgot those parents who are there to "sleep". Baby screaming in the middle of the night and you don't even stir to feed them a bottle or change a diaper. Don't even get me started on propping a bottle. How could you possibly be tired of your 6wk old baby???

Also, the parents of some special needs kids. The kid is on some super special formula with 12 additives...and you don't bring any with you. Or, your kid has a button...and you don't bring the mickey.

I've been off for a few days, back at work tomorrow...I'm sure that I will remember more.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
Amen!!!

Also, the parents of some special needs kids. The kid is on some super special formula with 12 additives...and you don't bring any with you. Or, your kid has a button...and you don't bring the mickey.

I hear ya! Did you know that an 8Fr feeding tube will pass through the valve on the button? It's great in a pinch to be able to "burp" the kid after they've been hand-ventilated for an hour... or to sedate them when they're flipping out. Another thing I learned from a new grad, to whom I will be forever grateful is that those blue catheter adapter tips will fit into the port and activate the valve too. Off topic but sort of helpful...

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.
Amen!!!

Don't forgot those parents who are there to "sleep". Baby screaming in the middle of the night and you don't even stir to feed them a bottle or change a diaper. Don't even get me started on propping a bottle. How could you possibly be tired of your 6wk old baby???

Also, the parents of some special needs kids. The kid is on some super special formula with 12 additives...and you don't bring any with you. Or, your kid has a button...and you don't bring the mickey.

I've been off for a few days, back at work tomorrow...I'm sure that I will remember more.

That's too funny- do you by chance work with me?

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Specializes in Peds Hem/Onc,Peds Med/Surg.

i love the parents who think hospital = hotel. i'm sorry but i'm not going to go hunt down a remote for you, it's the least of my worries. i think my patients, including your child's care,are a lot more important than your laziness in not wanting to walk to the tv and change the channel. i seriously want to scream sometimes because it seems like our press-ganey surveys (the ones parents mail back after discharge) always mention "we didn't have a remote." what?!? how about you comment on how your nurse took care of your child (so we can improve and fix the problem), not about the extra amenities your room has to offer! it also never fails about the comments about the terrible food and the sleeper being uncomfortable. is it not assumed that hospital food is disgusting? seriously. i don't understand about the whole sleeper thing either, parents should be happy they have a place to actually lay down, i know of several facilities that don't have that luxury. anyways, sorry to ramble lol. can you guys tell i'm at work? lol

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I guess the only pet peeve I can think of is:

Selfish parents.:yldhdbng::hlk::trout:

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Specializes in pediatrics.

How do people deal with with parents interms of correcting behaviors, establishing boundaries etc.? Beyond being super-authority-b!tch? Sometimes situations call for certain measures but I can always use some new ammo :) thnx

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Can identify with all of the above - reason I got out of Pediatrics. Love the kids - can't stand the parents. My pet peeve was when a parent would show up with 5 other kids - let them run wild, clean out the kitchen, throw and break toys etc. Many thought the hospital was a hotel and expected premium cable TV and meal tickets to the cafeteria (no money for food but reeked of cigarette smoke). Teenage Moms are another story. Fighting over the Nintendo was common. The children's hospital I worked had no security and anyone could walk up thru the ER and anywhere in the hospital. Their boyfriends would show up at 3AM with pizza, 2 liter bottles of soda and expect to party. At that time the unit had ward rooms with four kids to a room - no regard for other kids or parents. Some parents would play one nurse against another to get what they wanted and management tolerated that behavior. Also met some wonderful families so not all bad.

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My mom told me about some parents allowing their kids to hit and kick others in the shin. I think if that ever happened to me, I would go into 100% drama queen mode that would put a drug-seeker to shame, and do my best to draw attention and totally embarrass those parents into controlling their kids behavior. (After all, I can't spank someone elses kid).

A lot of times, if you directly confront these parents, they get defensive and argue. The drama queen mode I figure would short-circuit the defensiveness.

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Or..... If you are going to come into the hospital and refuse to have an IV put in the scalp even though it is THE only vein that looks even possible to be able to get because of the dehydration your child has, refuse to let us give your child tylenol, or even though your child has been vomiting large amounts - refuse to keep your child NPO because YOU don't want to go without nursing and don't care whether your child is in pain from the continuous cramping when he does nurse ~~~ what the h*** did you bring your child to the hospital for????

This mom thought she was sooooo smart, but then asked if we needed to take the tylenol suppository out when it was finished releasing the medication.... ?????????????? Unbelievable....

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I get frustrated with parents that threaten their kids with shots. No wonder they are scared of them...

Or the parents that say "there is that mean nurse that gives you shots" I look and the child and say "nooo I am the nice nurse that keeps you from getting sick"

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I work in a pediatric clinic. One pet peeve I have is when a parent calls for a same day appt and wants to be squeezed into an already busy schedule, which is fine. When an appt is offered, the parent states that this is their child's nap time and that time just wont work. Another is when patients show up 20-30 minutes late for an appt, but show up with McDonalds or other food... Or I agree with the vaccination part, stating "here comes the mean nurse" Ugh

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