Peeves at work

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2008

1. It's okay to chew gum quietly or suck on mints, but please don't chomp and pop your bubble gum so loudly that I can hear it from a few feet away.

2. Unless it's an emergency, don't expect me to drop what I'm currently doing for you (you're not more important than everyone else). I'll finish up my current task, then I'll get to you.

3. Don't expect me to know the answer to every question. I do not own a crystal ball that causes all of the answers to be readily available. If you're still demanding an answer, I can lie to you and provide dishonest answers.

4. To the family members: this is not a hotel. We do not have courtesy phones for your personal use, world class chefs in our kitchen, and bellhops to transport your items. Therefore, please don't bother me unless it is healthcare related.

5. To management: this is not a department store. This is a healthcare facility that cannot run safely without adequate staff. Therefore, stop trying to push customer service perks and start trying to get this place staffed.

2006RNCS · Apr 15, 2008

1. CNA's, or anyone for that matter, who yell for you down the hall to help them in the middle of the night when it is just to position a pt.

2. Fellow employees who blow off steam in front of you because they come into work so "worked up." These employees are so negative, and if one thing doesn't go their way, they throw around comments to try to get to you. Go home if you can't handle the stress. Nursing is hard.

3. People not respecting each other. People, we are in the workforce to "work together." None of us are any better than the other person. This includes doctors. HEHE!!

4. Patients expecting nurses to jump at a call light to fluff their covers or position their pillow, when a person down the hall is coding. Then the patients get mad and report you for not answering the call light in a timely manner. It's the middle of the night, people, go to sleep, please!!! I will take great care of you, but I have priorities, and you should get a clue.

5. Employees who are assistive personnel demanding that you cater to their wishes, help them on command, balk at being pulled to another wing, but they are furious and talk about you if you don't jump when they bark. Or, better yet, they tell you how to do your job. Or, better yet still, in front of you and others make the comment that nurses don't do anything. Gripes me. I tell them to go to RN school and see how easy it is, and the real world of nursing is much harder than that.

6. Fellow employees whispering and looking down that hall at you and laughing. You know they are talking about you. Makes me want to confront them, and ask what is so funny, but that would give them too much satisfaction. RUDE people!

Now, I feel much better.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2008

1) alarms. i find them slightly irritating. especially when a pump alarm is going off, and everyone in the hall except me acts completely oblivious to it. maybe they need to have mandatory hearing tests prior to becoming an rn?

i agree with that one big time! (ever wake up in the middle of the night to something beeping and try to remember which patient has a bed exit alarm?)

i get annoyed when people do their chart checks and don't clean old orders out of the computers. our report sheets contain "current orders" for a reason!

also, why are pumps never cleared? ugh!

jess

Nurse_Hagatha · Apr 15, 2008

I hate it when a bed exit alarm is going off, and the techs at the desk pick-up the call light phone, when they can clearly tell it is a bed exit alarm, and say, "Can I help you?" :banghead:

maryloufu · Apr 16, 2008

1) Alarms. I find them slightly irritating. Especially when a pump alarm is going off, and everyone in the hall except me acts completely oblivious to it. Maybe they need to have mandatory hearing tests prior to becoming an RN?

Ok- I know that this is maddening- but if it is just a pump going off I finish my chart or whatever before going to check it. If I jump up every time I would never get anything completed. I also try to check call lights and beeping pumps when passing them in the hall unless I am carrying meds or dirty linens.

And sometimes I think that that call light goes off so much that we actually stop hearing it.

diveRN · Apr 16, 2008

- Being notified of an "emergent" admission and busting orifice to get the existing patient downgraded and transferred out to open the ICU bed. Doing a stat room clean and prep then getting report at 0400.... and then not getting the patient until 0645.

- Ignored IV / room alarms, big +1

- Taking over a pt with multiple drips/IVs running and finding several bags almost empty with no replacements nearby or ordered. (when the previous shift had plenty of time to do it)

- Sloppy rooms. Empty med vials, caps, used alcohol swabs, packaging, etc all over the place. (again, when the previous shift wasn't particularly busy)

- Unstocked abbys / room supply carts.

- Ignorant MDs who won't listen to reason. I had an actively detoxing patient last night with no detox protocol, to include ativan or haldol orders. Pt was a 300lb guy that was pretty strong. I called for IV ativan orders and the attending gives me 1mg Q6hrs PRN and 1mg of Haldol x1. I explain the situation and he says, "what I gave you should be enough." Argh.

RN1982 · Apr 16, 2008

Residents who don't insert a new A-line when the a-line the patient has is not getting an accurate BP and the patient is on Levophed. Chased those darn SICU residents around today for almost 10 hours and finally at 5pm they change it...

I also hate coming onto my shift and my fentanyl and versed gtts have about 5cc left.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 16, 2008

People who tend to other people's business. Do you own job and let me do mine.

NURSEOK5 · Apr 16, 2008

This is great...................pet peeves............I love it.............here goes:

Co-workers trying to sell you Mary Kay or Avon

Loud talking and laughing when there are pt doors open

Unanswered call lights.........and people are right by the door............

Flirting with Doc's, that is embarassing to see

Gum popping, or proped feet up at the nurses station

Management who comes out and sees how busy the unit is and just stares and does not offer assistance

Linens in the bathrooms, dirty bedside tables, family members who camp out and think their needs need to be met more than the pt.

Thanks for the opportunity, I can think of more but do we really want to go there, oh one last one, when a pt has had a bm the shift before you and the room still smells, yuck..................................... :no:

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Apr 16, 2008

People who don't listen well during report, and when you come back that night tell you things about the patient/family as if they are new information that they are so amazing to have found out, when they are things you mentioned in your report to THEM that morning.

People who can't EVER be positive at work about ANYTHING... No, every day is not a good day, but every day is not the end of the world either!

Parents of patients who think it is all about THEM. Especially when their kid is NOT that sick. You want to drag them to the room two doors down with the CP kid on a home vent with pneumonia (or similar) and show them what REALLY sick means... Has anyone ever noticed, that the parents or patients who complain the most or are most demanding, are almost never the sickest?

OK, rant over... thanks for the chance to vent.

catnip · Apr 16, 2008

Supervisors who dont want to be bothered. When i've had X number of falls, new orders, and a readmit i CANNOT be 30 places at once, passing meds, doing neuro checks, and answering the phone. I assure you that i am not calling you to chit-chat, i am calling you because i am drowning and its an unsafe situation. I really don't care that you are at "dinner", i doubt i will be out on time much less eating this shift. So PLEASE do your job so i can try my best to do mine. :banghead:

sorry bout that, had to get it out.