Patients who are too lazy to open their own splenda packets

Nurses General Nursing

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Good grief, some patients want to revert back to being 9 month old infants!!! They also like to ask requests one at a time. Then, after you wait on them hand and foot all shift with the patience of a saint, they turn on you in an instant when their latest trivial request is not immediately granted due to the fact that there is someone circling the drain in the room next door. :rolleyes:

Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.
...but flat out told my manager that I didn't care and wasn't sorry. I was busy.

Good for you!

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2. Had FIVE family members sitting in the room with a patient who needed assistance with meals and NONE of them wanted to help their relative. "why can't you do it?"..."because there's five of you sitting there and I have three other patients to see"....Got called into the manager's office for that one, but flat out told my manager that I didn't care and wasn't sorry. I was busy.

I had this happen just recently. Post CVA patient. Wife used to be a speech therapist and wanted to sit and criticize my feeding skills the whole time. I only put up with it for three minutes before I thanked her for her "advice" and then asked her to show me how she did it. I then said, Oh, you're doing wonderfully with a big beam on my face and left the room. There was a family member armed with a notepad in the room with the patient around the clock. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
There was a family member armed with a notepad in the room with the patient around the clock. :uhoh3:

I hate those family members. Scribble, scribble, scribble. Hope their hand falls off.....opps..did i just say that? Yep, sure did.

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Specializes in Cath lab, ICU.

OOOOHHHH!! This is why sometimes an ICU nurses' dream is a completely sedated and ventilated patient!! Even this is not a holiday if every breath, mouth twitch and finger move is reported by the family as a "major event"!! Sorry!! sometimes things are soo very exhausting!!:bugeyes:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

These are the kinds of things I just don't do.

I'm not mean or hateful, I just will not disrespect a capable patient's independence and dignity like that.

I answer a request like that with a blank look. "What did you say? You're not able to open your splenda?" (blink) "Are you not able to feed yourself?" (confused look at patient with utensils in his/her hands, and obviously chewing) "I must have misunderstood you."

Put the head of the bed up? "I'll show you again in case you don't remember - it's this button (pointing) right next to the one you just pushed."

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Kudos to all of you who deal with these toxic families:yeah:...I would last one day-maybe not even that. I'll take the 1 or 2 surgeons that can be nasty in my group over the families anyday. Pretty much, the only time I see family members is pre-op and if the patient is a child, we let the parent come back for intubation, and then take them to the waiting area. Most are well behaved, only had one woman get snarky with me because the surgery was delayed a half hour.

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Amen and Amen about the vented and sedated patients!!! I pray routinely to our lady of the blessed sedation!!! Blessed is she!!

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Without meaning to be irreverent to those of you who might be offended!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

You know, I think a lot of this happens because the mass media have encouraged people to question absolutely EVERYTHING medical personnel do. Even Reader's Digest frequently publishes articles urging patients not to accept their caregivers' word on policies and procedures; these "hit pieces" also urge consumers to remind staff to wash their hands and bring family members with them to the hospital so they can advocate for the patient and keep a watchful eye on the staff.

Now, I'm all about explaining things, but I don't need anyone yapping at me while I'm trying to concentrate on pouring medications, or badgering me to fetch a Coke when the patient's roomate is crashing (both of which happened when I was working med/surg). No nurse needs this; but it will continue as long as the public is led to believe that we make mistakes because we are careless, when it is really due to being overworked, rushed, micromanaged, undervalued, and exposed to danger.

And that's all I have to say about THAT.

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These are the kinds of things I just don't do.

I'm not mean or hateful, I just will not disrespect a capable patient's independence and dignity like that.

I answer a request like that with a blank look. "What did you say? You're not able to open your splenda?" (blink) "Are you not able to feed yourself?" (confused look at patient with utensils in his/her hands, and obviously chewing) "I must have misunderstood you."

Put the head of the bed up? "I'll show you again in case you don't remember - it's this button (pointing) right next to the one you just pushed."

I had a pt once who said "I am too tired to eat. You have to feed me". Well, I was called out of the room to attend an emergency with my other patient. When I came back, too tired patient already cleaned her tray. I guess she was too hungry to fuss any longer :wink2:

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

This is EXACTLY why I want to work in the OR - the patient is asleep and the family can't get to you.

The ones that drive me nuts are the dialysis patients who walk right past the snack/soda machine, then after we hook them up say "would you get me something out of the machine?" You just walked past it 10 minutes ago!

Or the guy who throws his candy wrappers on the floor because "well if they ain't gonna put the trashcan where it belongs then they'll just have to clean up the mess." You could move the trashcan yourself before you get in the chair, you do-do. And the "they" you speak if is me. I'm the one who has to clean you after your laziness.

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Specializes in CNA.
2. Had FIVE family members sitting in the room with a patient who needed assistance with meals and NONE of them wanted to help their relative. "why can't you do it?"..."because there's five of you sitting there and I have three other patients to see"....Got called into the manager's office for that one, but flat out told my manager that I didn't care and wasn't sorry. I was busy.

That kind of stuff really upsets me when a pt calls or a family member comes looking for you to help the pt when the family present could help out in the first place. And when I say 'help the pt', I mean like a small task or something very simple (like say opening something up, etc...). It's alright for the family to come and visit, but they can't help their own father/brother/sister/mother....? But I gladly go in there and make sure the pt gets what they need.

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