what's your pet peeve?

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Lately it's ice. I hate the stuff! Too many family members hovering asking for FRESH ice as my post op is tanking. Or family hovering in general lately. Or, "i don't eat hospital food."

Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.

....or leave trash all over the room.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I had a patient peering at me from her doorway, trying to catch my eye, while I was clearly involved with explaining to the husband of my suicide watch patient what was going to happen once she was transferred to the behavioral health unit of another hospital. At one point, she interrupted, saying, "Um, excuse me, can I have my benadryl and dilaudid?" *smh*

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Specializes in Oncology.

I know we've talked about family a lot, but one of mine is when the family doesn't communicate with eachother. I end up getting 10 different people calling me asking for an update, or wanting to speak to a doctor. I try to get them to designate one person to be the one who staff relays information to but nooo, everyone needs a personal 30 minute discussion. (Yes, the patient has approved these people to get an update.)

I had an awesome family member the other day tell me that she was going to let the rest of her family know that she was going to be the designated spokesperson so I wouldn't get a ton of calls for updates. She said she knew nurses were busy and she didn't want me to be bothered unnecessarily.

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Specializes in Oncology.

"I don't take insulin at home, so I'm not taking it here." Never mind the fact that their blood sugar is 300+.

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Specializes in Hospice.
"I don't take insulin at home, so I'm not taking it here." Never mind the fact that their blood sugar is 300+.

Had to laugh; that was my mom's reaction. In her case it was probably valid, her blood sugar was never over 120.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Parents that pay attention more to their phone to their toddler who is rolling all over the stretcher;

Parents who dismiss teaching, especially asthma action teaching, especially since they've outgrown the nebulizer and need to take their rescue inhaler; I then go to the child...otherwise I send them on their way and expect to see them back in the resuscitation room.

Parent who under medicate their kids for fevers and stop giving it altogether "because I was coming in today".

OK. :sarcastic:

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.

And in Pediatrics....It's often molestation issues, or school avoidance/too much stress and pressure. Often a high achiever athlete or academics. A lot of times, Anorexia follows....

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Specializes in Critical care.

Families, families , families...... In the ideal setting I would take care of friendless orphans with a GCS of 3. Maybe I should work in the morgue?

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.

I'm with ya on all of those!

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.

oh my God!

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Specializes in Med Surg, ICU, Infection, Home Health, and LTC.
The "well that's just stupid" attitude. .

the gems from your nose and mouth can get in there and travel to your heart.

Ahhh, gems. Never thought about calling em that. For sure a Ren and Stimpy lifelong fantasy........nose goblins everywhere! LOL. (for those who were ever cartoon Ren & Stimpy fans.

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.

Pet Peeve's? We nurses have a few....

i have already posted a couple but I just HAVE to say this one more: I cannot find the original post from the one who talked about tangled IV lines etc..., but that is a BIG ISSUE! Especially in Critical Care, where there are piggy backs on piggy backs. Nurses, please label your lines. It is a huge safety issue. You might know where such and such is because you are the one who connected them, but I don't. The time it takes to figure it all out is wasted and if I have to give a STAT med all of a sudden, the minute after I get into the room, I look like an idiot fumbling around trying to figure out where the push port is. Then there are the post-op patients....

In PICU ( and other critical care units, I'm sure), we do the recovery. So, patients come back from OR, and simultaneously we are to get the patient on monitor, transfer them from bagging to vent, assess the patient, zero the art line, CVP, ICP monitors. When they return with EVERYTHING, all tangled up, how am I supposed to handle this? Often others are around to help, but the tangled mess is uneccessary and I cannot believe for the life of me why the OR nurses and the Anesthesiologist cannot foresee how difficult this is for us.

Okay, I'll shut up now!

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