Pet Peeves

DusktilDawn · Nov 2, 2005

Ya Hoo!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who ranks in the elimination department. Gonna make you a crown. LOL:w00t:

As long as it's not made of poop. :smokin:

I think this so suits me,

Working on a crown for ya Shelly. :D

sjb2005 · Nov 2, 2005

As long as it's not made of poop.
I think this so suits me,
Working on a crown for ya Shelly. :D

LOL...LOL

A very lovely model for your crown. Don't worry about it...I'm all pooped out.:roll

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Nov 3, 2005

.... I reign as the catheter queen (long story) :D

I would like to hear the story

DusktilDawn · Nov 4, 2005

I would like to hear the story

I'll try and give the Reader's Digest condensed version:

I was working as an RPN/LPN on a surgical unit and an outpatient unit. One day I was on the outpatient unit and was asked to go down and help out on the surgical unit. My sister was an RN student at the time and her class was on the surgical unit that day. When I got to the surgical unit, I asked if there was anything I could do to help. Yea, this guy in room --- needs a foley inserted. The student nurses were not able to do this, but I thought it would be wonderful opportunity for them to observe the procedure. With the patient's OK, I went in and did the procedure with the students observing, bingo bango no problemo. Unknown to me at that time, 2 other RNs had attempted to insert a foley into this gentleman with no success (enlarged prostate=difficult insertion). My sister later came down to the unit after she and the rest of the students had their post-conference. She related, in front of my co-workers, how the students were so amazed that an RPN could insert a foley when 2 RNs couldn't. They were apparently quite enthusiastic in their praise :thankya: in my astonishing capabilities as a mere RPN, which my sister articulately and animatedly relayed to my co-workers. This prompted the dubbing of "Catheter Queen" by my co-horts and became a running joke. From then on any foley that needed to inserted was delegated to the "Catheter Queen." I was also used as a "threat" (not really threat) to encourage patients to void post-op: "If you can't go we'll have to send in the "Catheter Queen"":D

sweetielin · Nov 9, 2005

here are a few of my pet peeves:

making the first round on my shift, only to see patients covered in powder. caked all around their pacs, their catheters, and on their sheets under their heads.

iv tubing, gtubes, catheter tubing underneath the patient.

non-existant hair shampoos for total care patients.

11pm vitals sign being turned in at 12:30 am and the cna neglected to inform me one of the patients had a bp of 200/110, temp of 102 ax or something similar. if you are that swamped, tell me and i will gladly put off my paperwork to help you.

coming to work on tuesday night and seeing a memo saying mandatory nurses meeting for 7:15 am. ok this is not really a problem for me, but nurses with kids they have to get off to school. while right after shift is a good time for a meeting. how about a little notice for those that do have kids. at least so they can make arrangements to get them off to school.

anyone who is busy and i ask "how can i help? is there anything i can do?" they say no. then appear to be mad all night because i haven't helped them. i cannot help unless you tell me what you need.

some one calls on the call light. then you hear "that's not my patient". while the person who is responsible for that patient is busy. please just go help them. luckily, there is not too much of this on our shift. mostly, whoever is not busy usually goes and takes care of the patient regardless of what "end" they are assigned.

this one comes from when i was a cna. i am in the middle of bathing my patient. i am paged to go bring someone coffee. meanwhile, there's about 4 nurses sitting in the nurses station talking and laughing.

painers who do nothing but gripe about how their back hurts. meanwhile, my back is killing me and i am busting my rear end taking care of patients while they are laid up in the bed getting 50mg of demerol.

doctors who throw charts at nurses.

a pedi patient has an allergic reaction to rocephin. the baby's pediatrician is called. he proceeds to say "i do not know another antibiotic to give a baby. call the poison control center to find out." very scary.

wow. i didn't realize i had so many.

cnas please do not take offense. don't get me wrong, we have some excellent cnas on our shift. there's always bad apples. and after all, i was a cna for four years.

Plagueis · Nov 9, 2005

most hospital administrators look at nurses who do advocate as a problem employee and are treated as such. we can be disciplined for unprofession/abusive conduct and having a visitor file a compaint against us can put our license in jeopardy. what constitutes unprofesional and abuse conduct at times can be how the situation is interpreted.
i would love to see administration that supports and respects and d-e-f-e-n-d-s their nurses and staff.

administration seems to support a-n-y- complaint against a nurse or staff member no matter what the reason. i have seen oriented x 3 patients, family members, and visitors verbally abuse staff, threaten them, physically assault them, and make racial slurs. then they will have the nerve to demand that the nurse be written up and fired.

i have seen the administrative staff secretively empathize with a victimized staff member, but i have yet to see them ever, in over 20 plus years, put their foot down and tell a family member/visitor or patient that nurses and staff members will be treated with dignity and respect or else find another place to have their care.

administration often acts like they are scared to death they will loose a dollar. usually these type of patients and families cannot be satisfied and complain about their care from a to z so why not send them to the facilty they want.

nurses are human beings, and we have the same right to be treated with dignity and respect, just like everyone else. we should not have to be abused, or be expected to put up with abuse, just because we have punched a time clock and slipped into scrubs and have a nursing license.

if no one has the right to curse you or lay hands on you or assault you on a public street down town, what changes once you put on a uniform?
:flamesonb :flamesonb

i couldn't agree more! i and my friends who are cnas have seen this many times. if a resident or family member has a complaint of any kind against a nurse or aide, then their word is taken over nurses/cnas, even if there is no corroborating evidence. the same with family members and their sexist/racist remarks and demands to staff. (fetching them coffee, getting luggage out of the car, etc.) :madface: we are not waitresses nor bellhops, but administration feels that these non-nursing duties are part of having good customer service with family members of residents.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Nov 9, 2005

After last night I have a new pet peeve. If you must give an elderly man 6 different things to make him poop just before you go home, don't stand around talking to me about how badly you hope it works, while I'm trying desperately to get his oxygen sats up out of the 70's and his pain under control! I really thought that man was gonna try to die on me instead of poop.

sweetielin · Nov 9, 2005

i thought of a couple more.

when you have a "painer" screaming and cursing at the cnas because he has not gotten his pain med. meanwhile all the nurses are in the next room tending to a patient who is dying. when this is explained to the patient, he still screams at them, saying he wants his pain shot now.

although i am iv therapy certified by my state, as an lpn i am not allowed to start ivs at my hospital. only the lpns who have been watched by the don or adon are allowed. at the present time she is not allowing any more lpns become "certified". anyway, one of my patient's ivs went bad. the rn was upstairs helping in a code. the patients daughter came to the nurses station and said "why hasn't my father's iv been restarted, he needs the fluids. i explained to her that i was not allowed to start ivs and that the rn was helping in a code. that she would start it as soon as she got back. also, that it would not hurt her father to go with out the fluids for 30min-1hr. she gets very angry. i told her "do you realize this patient is not breathing and her heart is not breathing? they are up there trying to save her life." she goes on to say that she is going to report me and the rn to the doctor.

patients that show up to be admitted with orders from a week ago. and they get admitted.

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Nov 9, 2005

People who are admitted with Pulmonary Emboluses and are allowed outside to smoke, taking their catheter bags, IV pump and telemetry gear along for the ride. :madface:

In the meantime, I am being blessed out for incorrectly documenting that a patient wasn't discharged home on a lousy aspirin, when they were. Oh, and by the way, I am also told today, I'd better be looking for another job, because mine is being advertised next week.

It is amazing that we, as nurses, aren't allowed to crook our pinky finger in the slightest wrong direction, while our patients are given Carte Blanche to do whatever they damn please.

They can HAVE my job....along with their self-destructive patients.

Sorry about the vent. Bad day.

pamperednurse · Dec 31, 2005

my pet peeve is when OT give showers and help patients get dressed, yea good job, but hey what about the wet towels and washclothes in the shower and on the bathroom floor-there is even a dirty linen bag started because we have already changed the bed. Not part of their job-whoa wait a minute-pt safety is everyones job I thought.

Another one is when when therapy cannot get their 3 hours in due to what ever reason-they come and want the nurses to call the Dr and get a varience. why not call your self and explain why not -makes it too easy for them to not try to get the therapy in for the patient.

twotrees2 · Dec 31, 2005

ok - i agree with most all ive read so far lol. here's a few - taking out the garbage and having it tear open cause they jammed it so full it catches the edge and breaks open all over - and the phone ringing : nooone there to answer but nurses as its pm shift - we are down hall - runn like heck to get it - and its a prerecorded message " you have an appointment at 3 pm on the 12th at so and so dr office - ummm like im suppposed t onow which of the 86 residents this pertains to - arrghhh - and dont feel bad some of you say you are not well liked by staff - i am wicked witch of west to many as i do follow and make them do it right - they dont learn they get written up - one write up and they learn real quick to do it right :) - how about skin assessments of sores - they are to be done at LEAST once a week - i work about every two weeks a day or 2 - often i come in a week and half 2 weeks later and noone has done the assessment to see if the sores are healing ( which often they arent sigh) - or a nurse on a light wing sitting on her butt while the other 2 nurses who have the heavy wings are busting butt and she wont help. always finding "something" to do which really isnt doing anything just pretending..... i know we aould all go on and on.... sad isnt it..... happy new yr.

twotrees2 · Dec 31, 2005

i have to say - if i did it al over id stay a cna- i totally respect my cna's ( that do thier work right lol) and totally rely on them - without them i cant do my job as efficiantly as they see things i need to but dont get the chance to - perhaps thats why i am kinda "hard " on my cnas at times but honestly you are the most important part of my job for me. thanks for being a cna and dont listen to the idiots who say otherwise - oh what id give to be able to "wipe assses" and have the time to findout - are they in need of something - sit with them a few min extra cause they are confused and just need an ear - i miss them days - hugs.