Patient called me idiot WWYD?

[321Ken]

I'm an assistant in nursing at a hospital. This occurred during night shift last night. Me and the registered nurse woke the patient as he was going to receive some IVabx. The RN leaves the room to tend to some other patients.

A few minutes later the patient tells me to open his top drawer as it is locked, this is where we keep his medications. I ask the patient why and he states that he takes his medication at 5am in the morning 2 hours before a meal. I say to the patient i am not permitted to give medications or open the drawer as I am a assistant in nursing. I check the chart and see that for the previous days the patient has been self administering the medication and the timing of the medication says 8am. I call the RN and inform her of the situation.

Me: The patient wants me to open his drawer because he takes one of the medications at this time

RN: Checks the medication chart and says that the medication is due 8am. and leaves the room to tend to her other patients.

I go back to the patient to inform them that the medication chart states that the medication has been given in the previous days at 8am with a self administering mark. I tell him i can't give him the medication as I am a AIN. I tell him I will inform the doctor so that he can discuss with you and change the timing of the medication. At this day you will need to take the medication at 8am. The patient says to me "idiot"

I wrote on the patient notes on what happened.

What would you do in this situation? I can't believe people are so disrespectful when your just trying to help them out. I felt like saying if I'm an idiot for following doctors orders that doesn't make sense!?

[heron, ASN, RN]

Don't engage ... the pt is just miffed that he didn't get his own way. He knew full well that the nurse would not go along, which is why he asked you.

[JBudd, MSN]

Blow it off. He didn't get to do what he wanted, has little control over his life and situation, and doesn't really know you from Adam. He sounds like he was being petulant, you did everything you should have done. He was rude. Many are, and taking it personally will just make you unhappy.

I have told people "I am being respectul to you, there is no reason for you to disrepect me"; but not for a single muttered comment.

[Sour Lemon]

I always agree with them! Then there's nothing left to discuss and I can get on with my night.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What would you do in this situation?

I would let this go. You need to wisely select your battles. Being called an 'idiot' by a patient is not important enough of an occurrence to go to battle for.

Here is a phrase from a prolific forum member: do not allow difficult people to rent valuable space inside your head. The more you ruminate over petty name-calling, the more you allow the patient to divide and conquer. Do not fall for this game.

If you feel compelled to respond, my response would be, "Thank you! I appreciate it."

You may be scratching your head, wondering why I would thank a rude patient after he/she called me a derogatory name. That's the point! You killed the patient with kindness and stayed calm instead of getting riled up. You did not respond in the manner he/she hoped. You let the patient know that he/she did not bother you.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Let it go. It doesn't make sense; it doesn't HAVE to make sense. Patients sometimes don't make sense. Some patients rarely make sense. Calling you an idiot is a very mild offense. Read the pages and pages of posts from nurses and CNAs who have been called racial slurs, threatened with bodily injury or who were actually injured by their patients. Just let it go.