Patients & Pet Peeves

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a nurse of 2 years and a recent hire on a acute medical/surgical floor.

I'm learning so much, which is great. However, it also feels like a whirlwind.

Does anyone have any pet peeves - behaviors that patient's have that make you frustrated?

However, I so dislike when patient's who are A & O curse in conversation. Or if they openly belch when I am nearby them or speaking to them. Thankfully, these are only minor incidents. Of course I always mask my inner thoughts and treat the patient with all due respect.

Anyone have any pet peeves? How do you deal with the situations or do you just let it go?

When I am in a room with a precaution patient-wearing a gown, gloves and mask - and I ask the patient if there is anything else I can do for them. Then the patient says they are all set and don't need anything. Then as soon as I take the mask,gown and gloves off at the doorway, the patient says "come to think of it, I could use the bedpan!"

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Specializes in Medical ICU.

-When pts walk around barefoot.

-One time I was giving chemo and the chemo disposal bucket was tucked away under the counter and I came back in the room and the visitors had a toddler that was playing with the bucket!!

-pts that ask for "dilontin" or "dilala" or whatever other name they come up with instead of Dilaudid

-pts that are sitting in bed, calm as can be watching TV and tell me they are having a panic attack and need their Xanax

-pts that are IV drug users that get upset when you have trouble getting a new IV site on them

-ppl that smoke in the room. I don't care that you're a smoker, but you are putting everyone's lives in danger because of the O2 that's all around!

-when ppl ask for a cup of ice and then I bring them a cup of ice and they scoff at me and say uh aren't you going to bring me something to drink? Um you didn't freaking ask for anything to drink, you literally asked for ice!!

-i could go on all day :)

I do honestly love my job though and can't imagine doing anything else but bedside nursing, at least not anytime soon. I've been a med surg nurse for 9 years, but actually starting on a medical ICU this week, so having pts that are too sick to talk and walk and set their alarm for pain meds will be culture shock for me I'm sure!

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Specializes in Ortho, CMSRN.

Patient's that chew their narcotic medication in order to get a quick high. I've only had it once. Tried to educate that this could be very dangerous, but continued the behavior. First, I don't like the sound of noisy chewing. Second, I don't want to have to Narcan anyone! Third, I worry about people that have these dangerous behaviors might end up getting discharged and overdose

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Specializes in Ortho, CMSRN.

I don't even mind the time watchers! Especially if it's something like sickle cell... that's some SEVERE pain and they usually have a huge tolerance to their medication. Also, I feel like the medical community helped to create that monster of addiction/tolerance. I really wish we had other pain management options for chronic pain. Dilaudid for abdominal pain that has no cause despite tests really gets to me though. It's counterproductive. I get it, if you think they've got necrotic bowel, give them dilaudid. Short of that, NO! That's not really the patient, but the doc though.

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I'm answering as a CNA here (gotta start putting in those resumes, now that I passed the NCLEX), but my pet peeve is the family members who stay overnight "to help" their hospitalized family member, and end up being double the work that the patient is. I totally get it if you dropped everything and ran to the hospital to stay with your loved one - you need a tooth brush, a pillow and blanket, some refreshments etc. But, when you need 5 sodas, ice cream, help with the entertainment system, a warmed blanket....

I try to remember that I work in a low-income area: I try to have empathy towards people who would rather abuse the meager creature comforts of a hospital, rather than go home - but dang, if it does not make my job so much harder and so much less rewarding!

Also, as a CNA, I'll have patients ask me to go tell the nurse they need their pain meds, "tell the nurse my pain level's a '10'". I always want to say, "Now I'm just a student, but I'm pretty sure it's accepted that a '10' is equal to the pain of being mauled by a bear. And you're playing with your phone and breathing normally right now, sooooooo......?"

But you know... "pain is what the patient says it is"

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Specializes in PCCN.

I absolutely can't stand those piggy pts who are aox3 but people of Wal-Mart,who roll over and fart in your face. I'm like, seriously??????.there are those who "oops, sorry,excuse me, etc" but these other ones are worse than my horse.i swear they grunt.

Also hate the ones who threaten you "I'm leaving now!" When you are in the middle of an acute situation.i have to drop the acute person and tend to the crybaby first because I have to take out his pivs before I let him go.then they always come up with (after acting like a jackass) I'm sorry, my rides waiting, bla bla bla.thank you soooooo much

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You baffle me. First, if you have 2 yrs exp, why did you take a position on med/surg? Weird. Second, huh?!! Cursing and belching are the things that upset you? That med/surg floor must be a piece of cake!!! When I worked med/surg/tele, my life was hell and I cried myself to sleep from the stress. Cursing and belching didn't hit the radar.

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If you're able to attend to the crybaby first, the acute person wasn't that acute.

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Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, oncology, rehab, LTC, ALF.

Families that act like their loved ones are the only pt I'm taking care of.

Families that ask questions that I cannot answer because, quite frankly, they were meant for the doctor to answer.

Families that want me to stay at their loved one's bedside and provide 1 to 1 care all night long.

Families that stand there and refuse to leave even though visiting hours are over until I've given their loved one "all of their evening meds" or "all of their pain meds" etc.

Pts that are there for observation only, but they bring all of their stuff from home and expect to have all of their home meds ordered even when they're NPO and the MD isn't 100% sure that their extensive home meds aren't the reason why they're there in the first place.

Pts that took all of their home meds before coming into the hospital (or multiple doses of), cannot keep their eyes open while talking to me, are slurring their words, but rate their pain 10 out of 10 and will not stay off the call bell on the count of clock watching.

Pts that ring their call bell for pain meds, and while I'm in the med room pulling their meds from the pyxis, they hit their call bell again and demand their pain meds. Like, excuse me? I didn't know I had superhuman speed here. Give me at least five to ten minutes to meet your needs before you start hitting your call bell again.

Pts that pull out their IV/NG/Foley/etc. and expect that I WON'T be putting it back in just because they figured out how to remove it from their body. Or better yet, when they whine about me putting it back in. Ahem. Maybe we wouldn't be doing this if you had just left it in and followed your doctor's medical advice? Just a thought.

I'm sure there's more. That's just my top eight from working on a med-surg/tele/ambulatory surgery/dual dx unit. Sorry if I sound jaded or cynical.

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Specializes in PCCN.
If you're able to attend to the crybaby first, the acute person wasn't that acute.

Yes but I will get fired if I let him leave with his iv access in. They usually have us call security to try to hunt them down,but we are not always successful.leaving with iv access is a big no no. We have a very large drug problem in this area. Not to mention if they leave with the telemetry monitor too, it's been alluded that we may be responsible for it's cost.

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Specializes in PCCN.
You baffle me. First, if you have 2 yrs exp, why did you take a position on med/surg? Weird. Second, huh?!! Cursing and belching are the things that upset you? That med/surg floor must be a piece of cake!!! When I worked med/surg/tele, my life was hell and I cried myself to sleep from the stress. Cursing and belching didn't hit the radar.

Seriously, my biggest concerns are that I am not punched in the head that day !

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Clock watchers who rate their pain a 10/10 while eating and not gasping for air, and as soon as they swallow their pain meds, they say they feel better.

I once had a patient who was "due" walk down the hall to wait for me outside the room of another patient I was calling a code on.

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