Patients who are too lazy to open their own splenda packets

The Hated Consultant · Apr 5, 2008

Take out the word "every" and insert "some", and I'd agree with you. Every patient uses their own individualized set of coping mechanisms in order to deal with the reality of their health crisis and situation. Every patient does NOT regress, and in fact, many have very good, healthy ways of coping that do not include the behaviors discussed in this thread. Some people do not have healthy coping patterns, but they do not *all* manifest as helplessness. Some people withdraw. Some people are angry and combative. Some people manipulate. Some people attempt to control every aspect of their environment. And yes, some people act helpless.
But if nursing school is teaching such a simplistic view of individual responses to hospitalization, then nursing school is doing a disservice to its students.
That's one of those nursing school techniques that *can* work in some situations, but it is not a sure fire solution. What about those patients who cannot see to write? What about the patients with cognitive deficits? What about patients who lack the motor coordination to manipulate a pencil or pen? And, if the patient is truly adopting helplessness as their coping mechanism, then they will be too helpless to write a list.
And the charge nurse does not have time for that kind of nonsense. The charge nurse will only take the time to come speak with a patient if the patient is exhibiting behaviors that indicate a potential for violence or a lawsuit. Basically, the charge nurse has a lot bigger things on their platter than the fact that my patient is too helpless to open their own Splenda packet.

Thank you for this common sense insight.

moody jr · Apr 5, 2008

first i'm only a cna, but i work in a ltc with a rehab/short-term unit. Everything that ya'll described happening in the hospital continues when they leave. They STILL spit tobacco juice on the floor, claim that they can't feed themselves(and get the newbies to feed them), ask every single person on the floor to get them a soda(weight: approx 300lb). We actually have had people through their tray on the floor because the kitchen sent them chopped, which is whats ordered, and then expected it to be promptly cleaned and replaced. So the point is that it doesn't stop at discharge and because the hospital is more like a hotel now, we at nursing homes get treated and run just as bad or worse than ya'll. Oh, and the nurses work with 20+ pts and the aides between 10 and 20, so encourage them to do it themselves, refuse to do it for them, heck ask them who is gonna do that for them after discharge, what ever it takes to make sure they leave with the same level of self-sufficieny or better as what they came in with. thanks

imanedrn · Apr 5, 2008

"why didn't you ask the doctor that was just here"
I hate it when the doctor "mentions" some possible test or medicine but doesn't come and "share" it with the nurse! Then the patient wants to know when that test is going to happen or when they are going to get that medicine the doc told them about!!!

The only way I've been able to deal with that is to follow the doc into the patients' rooms. Unfortunately, I'm only able to do that less than half the time. The rest of the time, I didn't even know a doc showed up!

lamazeteacher · Apr 6, 2008

Yes and after you explain that they will promptly ignore you. In their world their unopened Splenda packet trumps everything in the known universe and they don't care if the person in the next room is in respiratory arrest.
Seriously.
We had a patient pass out from hypoglycemia on the way through the door of our dialysis clinic. All the other patients coming through the door behind her stepped over her prostrate body and demanded that we put them on RIGHT NOW and deal with her later.

It is essential to deal with your angry feelings about your self absorbed patients. You might also explain that they are called "PATIENTS" because it is essential to be patient when they need medical assistance. They join legions of others in their own situation, whose abilities are limited.

It was easier to visualize in the days when "wards" consisted of 32 people (of the same gender) - in the '60s, 16 beds along opposite walls. However, today that would be seen as abuse, as there were no curtains hanging from the ceiling, only wobbly screens placed strategically to preserve the most private parts. If a patient was thirsty, another one gave them water if they couldn't do it themselves (we diligently explained NPOs). One telephone on a rolling table was available for their use. So they could see who was sickest, and were thankful it wasn't them.

These days there are higher stress levels for all of us and people's threshold for dealing with their loss of health is like another assault in their lives. Some view nurses as lower than they are on life's "totem pole", and we have the psychological "kick the dog" syndrome.

Those who must submit their bodies and time to dialysis in the mostly fruitless hope that they'll live until a kidney transplant is matched to them when they are so sick they rise to the top of lists of people requiring them, are way behind any "8 ball" bugging you. Would you like to be in their places? If you had to be back at work when the dialysis finished, and that was the only source of income when medical bills take priority and too many absences from work might make them lose their jobs, and their health insurance would be gone too....... Dialysis patients have such unbalanced electrolytes, it affects their personalities, too.

Next time you think unkindly about the wretches who are at your mercy, please be kind to them ANYWAY! YOU ARE THE CARE GIVER They must take whatever you can give them, realistically but your hostility is inappropriate and not their due. If you can't take the side effects of nursing, find other work, for heaven's sake. There are some people who relish feeling superior to those whose illnesses make them less than they might otherwise be......... So be "one less" of those kind of self absorbed "professionals", please! :nono:

AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Apr 6, 2008

And here we go again with the "Bend over and take it. Examine yourself. The patient is having a bad day." This is a VENT THREAD! Face it, there are patients in this world who think that they are the only ones alive. And unbalanced electrolytes or not, if I had to step over a body to get to a clinic, it would darn sure trigger something in my brain that all was not well in the kingdom and their problem might be a bit more critical than mine.

SWEETNURSE1974 · Apr 6, 2008

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that thinks that this is a growing problem! What is it with pt's who live alone and as soon as they step into a hospital they can't even lift their hands? It's getting ridiculous!

lamazeteacher · Apr 6, 2008

And here we go again with the "Bend over and take it. Examine yourself. The patient is having a bad day." This is a VENT THREAD! Face it, there are patients in this world who think that they are the only ones alive. And unbalanced electrolytes or not, if I had to step over a body to get to a clinic, it would darn sure trigger something in my brain that all was not well in the kingdom and their problem might be a bit more critical than mine.

To study obedience, a psychological research project with theology students was done at Stanford University in California in the '70s. The students were told to prepare a sermon on "The parable of the good samaritan". At a apecific time, the students were told to go across the campus to the auditorium where the sermon was to be delivered, and they were given only enough time to walk there quickly.

Time and time again, each of the 20+ theology students headed for their destination, each time coming across someone obviously in great distress in their paths. None stopped, as they strode to deliver their sermon on "The parable of the good samaritan".

Each patient receiving kidney dialysis knows the amount of time they have to get their treatment and usually has plans to return to work afterward. They are also in a hurry, and they're sick. How can we expect them to have more concern about a "downed" patient, than for themselves, when capable professionals are there to see to that patient. I assume there was enough staff to start their dialysis, and to care for the diabetic patient, who could have glucose given quickly.

If you feel victimized by your work, as you wrote "bend over and take it again", you are not suited for it in my opinion based on my 48 years of experience as a Registered Nurse; and you would be more comfortable doing something else, possibly. You are the professionals, and caring is your game, whether your patients deserve to be treated kindly/well, in your judgment or not. :mad:

athflvr · Apr 6, 2008

Sometimes I wonder if people realize that we DO have to go to school to become nurses and that we DO have to be licensed to call ourselves RNs.
..And that we do take care of pts who actually die for gawds sake.
Mel

AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Apr 6, 2008

To study obedience, a psychological research project with theology students was done at Stanford University in California in the '70s. The students were told to prepare a sermon on "The parable of the good samaritan". At a apecific time, the students were told to go across the campus to the auditorium where the sermon was to be delivered, and they were given only enough time to walk there quickly.
Time and time again, each of the 20+ theology students headed for their destination, each time coming across someone obviously in great distress in their paths. None stopped, as they strode to deliver their sermon on "The parable of the good samaritan".
Each patient receiving kidney dialysis knows the amount of time they have to get their treatment and usually has plans to return to work afterward. They are also in a hurry, and they're sick. How can we expect them to have more concern about a "downed" patient, than for themselves, when capable professionals are there to see to that patient. I assume there was enough staff to start their dialysis, and to care for the diabetic patient, who could have glucose given quickly.
If you feel victimized by your work, as you wrote "bend over and take it again", you are not suited for it in my opinion based on my 48 years of experience as a Registered Nurse; and you would be more comfortable doing something else, possibly. You are the professionals, and caring is your game, whether your patients deserve to be treated kindly/well, in your judgment or not.

I never said that I felt victimized. You also don't know me from Adam's housecat, so your opinion of my suitability to a profession that I have held for several years makes no nevermind to me. However, as was said in the post about the downed patient, these other patients were stepping OVER this poor woman, so apparently there had been no one to move her or give her glucose, since all these "sick people who had to get back to work" were "demanding" that they be put on before she was tended to.

That combined with the fact that we can not even say anything to these people without risking the wrath of TPTB for so-called "verbal abuse", even if it as simple as, "I will be with you in 2 minutes, as soon as Mrs. X is out of the floor", does make me feel as though we are being told to just take it. You may be fine with it, I am not. Common decency may be on life support right along with chivalry, but an attitude like that poor dialysis nurse described does not fly on my watch, nor is it tolerated, studies be danged.

Can you honestly say to me that if you were lying in the floor, too weak to move, and people were stepping over you, demanding that they be treated before you were assisted, that your thought would be: "Gee, their electrolytes must be out of whack, and I bet they have to get back to work. That's why they're acting like a horse's patoot."

I know that I would not.

lamazeteacher · Apr 6, 2008

Take out the word "every" and insert "some", and I'd agree with you. Every patient uses their own individualized set of coping mechanisms in order to deal with the reality of their health crisis and situation. Every patient does NOT regress, and in fact, many have very good, healthy ways of coping that do not include the behaviors discussed in this thread. Some people do not have healthy coping patterns, but they do not *all* manifest as helplessness. Some people withdraw. Some people are angry and combative. Some people manipulate. Some people attempt to control every aspect of their environment. And yes, some people act helpless.
But if nursing school is teaching such a simplistic view of individual responses to hospitalization, then nursing school is doing a disservice to its students.
That's one of those nursing school techniques that *can* work in some situations, but it is not a sure fire solution. What about those patients who cannot see to write? What about the patients with cognitive deficits? What about patients who lack the motor coordination to manipulate a pencil or pen? And, if the patient is truly adopting helplessness as their coping mechanism, then they will be too helpless to write a list.
And the charge nurse does not have time for that kind of nonsense. The charge nurse will only take the time to come speak with a patient if the patient is exhibiting behaviors that indicate a potential for violence or a lawsuit. Basically, the charge nurse has a lot bigger things on their platter than the fact that my patient is too helpless to open their own Splenda packet.

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my post. There are exceptions, of course to my suggestion(s). There also are people whose arthritic fingers just can't tear the sugar substitute packet.

I was also taught (in the late '50s) in the Canadian nursing school I attended, that the objective of any hospital is patient care - none there make a profit. Imagine my surprise upon coming to the USA, and found that the teaching hospital at which I landed, had as its 1st objective "research", 2nd "education", and 3rd, "patient care". I left it for another job, as soon as possible. :nurse:

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Apr 6, 2008

Just because someone is sick, it does not give them an excuse to be abusive, selfish and just flat out nasty.

This is a vent thread and I sincerly doubt that anyone here is mean to patients, even the ones that are obnoxious jerks. The frustration has to come out somewhere, because none of us are saints/martyrs, nor should we be expected to be so.

We are human and we all experience frustration. Anyone who states that he/she does not and always views his/her patients in a positive light 100% of the time is not being honest, IMHO. We are all entitled to our feelings and should be able to express those feelings here without being told that we're inferior nurses. Better to express it here than to let some of these people know what we're really thinking!

gt4everpn, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2008

the stereotype that nurses know everything is very annoying, i work per diem so i'm only on the floor 2-3 times per week, of course the families always come on the unit and ask "so how's mom doing??" even though they've never seen you there they think you just know everything, i'm sorry i work on a busy rehab (more like ltc) unit and no i cant remember all 10 of my 20 patients diagnosis or when there going for that test or if they took their meds yesterday morning! i work 3p-11p and just got into an argument with a patient who wanted to know if he got his morning meds, i politely explained to him that i work from 3-11 and am not there in the mornings! the man's screaming at me ''i didnt get my meds this morning, dont you know if i got them, your the nurse arent you'' so i told him that he needs to make sure he gets his morning meds his response ''me?? the patient, i have to tell the nurse about my meds, isnt she the nurse'',i just walked myself out of the room before my mouth opened itself up and spilled some garbage out on him! of all my years of nursing school and nursing i'd never thought nurses had to endure what is in reality abuse, abuse by patients, staff, and family members!!, healthcare facilites seem to be the garbage dump for everyone's problems physical or not! i've decided i'm just going to do bedside nursing for about 10 more years then become a nurse researcher! i love bedside nursing and it really is amazing that i endure such stress while being in school for my rn, i look at all my peers who want to be nurses and just feel bad because they really dont know what they're getting into!, but i have to preserve my dignity and wont stay a bedside nurse forever!! we nurses need to band together and impose some type of legislation that protects nurses from such abuse!!