"Customer Service" --Rant!

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.

The last few days have really tested my "customer service" nerve. Why does administration feel we should take such abuse with a smile, all the while providing that warm blanket and touchy-feely atmosphere? When someone calls you "some stupid frigging nurse who doesn't know anything" and you tell them you are done talking to them and leave the room or CALLS the desk from their room by cell phone to say NO ONE has been in to see them after you have just completed thier vitals, made their family comfortable and gotten them their godforsaken warm blanket, the house supervisor wants to come down and talk to YOU about your attitude??? the "I need to see someone RIGHT NOW" folks who hold up the finger to make you wait while they finish their cell call when you come to carry out the MD's orders... I would not go to where these people work and treat them this way, even in Wal Mart! I am so tired of being expected to take the bad behavior and act as if it's a favor from patients and smile when I take it. Patients and their families yell at us in triage when they have waited 2 weeks or longer with an issue they could easily have seen their PMD for tomorrow, next week, or CALLED PMD in the last 2 weeks about it, and NOW it's an emergency??? And BTW can you get them in in front of all these other people because they have better things to do? I LOVE when you have known you needed to get your meds filled x one month because your substance abuse treatment facility had discharged you five weeks ago with explicit instructions to make an appointment for refills/further treatment/followup and you show up at 7 pm on the eve of a long weekend holiday for refills of multiple meds that we aren't going to fill... "But I'll go into wuithdrawl and I'll have a meltdown!" I'm sorry, but that sounds like NOT MY PROBLEM, and poor planning on your part. "I've been off my meds for weeks and now I'm manic." You are not manic, you are having an anxiety attack with poor impulse control and being rude to me is NOT going to make me want to bend over backwards to help you! If you can buy those Marlboros you can afford your meds so you WON'T be off them for weeks. Again, not my problem. *Thank goodness* the long weekend is mine off... :twocents:

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

And just think, we all spent large amounts of money for the privilege of studying to death to earn a degree that puts us in the position of receiving "customer service" lectures! :rolleyes::wink2:

Sympathize with ya! lived (and living) through the same garbage. :hug:

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Specializes in ICU.

couldn't have said it better! :nono:

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

As I walked past a Fast Track room:

"Excuse me sir"

"Yes?"

"May I have something to drink?"

"Sure. We have apple ju..." interuption from patient.

"Can I have a capuccino?"

"Sure. When you are discharged you can go to Starbucks"

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Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.
As I walked past a Fast Track room:

"Excuse me sir"

"Yes?"

"May I have something to drink?"

"Sure. We have apple ju..." interuption from patient.

"Can I have a capuccino?"

"Sure. When you are discharged you can go to Starbucks"

BUWAHAHAHAHA!!!:yeah:

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Specializes in Hospice, ER.

Do we work together?

My rant: If I'm running with an EKG machine, holding an IV needle, carrying a full bedpan, I DO NOT, I repeat I DO NOT, have time to get you a blanket/food/a glass of warm milk with a straw. I don't care if you think I'm rude, if you weren't so stupid/selfish we wouldn't have this problem. This is the ER not the IHOP or the Holiday Inn. Get over yourselves and leave me alone until I'm not busy. Then I will gladly get you what you need, within reason. And maybe the reason that you are here all alone is that you are a miserable so-and-so and nobody wants anything to do with you anymore. You reap what you sew. :banghead::argue::angryfire:no:

Thanks everyone for letting me vent. I'm ready to blow and this really helps me keep it together. And if you don't understand where I'm coming from, come work with me and you will. Thank goodness we have a place to vent safely and with others who understand our woes. :heartbeat

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omg! i think we all work at the same flippin place!!!!! today was a day from hell too...of course the 4th of july holiday is essentially over...during the day of the 4th the er is empty....you know...picnics and such.....i even got to go home early @ 2pm because i worked days...the er was dead....but, post dinner time....after all the picnics and the coolers were emptied of their beer, the slugs, drug-seekers and idiots start coming in. so, from 3 hours post the time i left till i left again today....my weekend (dayshift to work)....we get everything...... you name it. i'm the team leader.....of course i get the psychs, the drug seekers, and in general, ******** allllll day long (managements idea of giving the team leader a break....give me a cva or mi anyday compared to that assignment). i had one guy who was brought to a room promptly to an open bed with an obvious deformity to the right ankle after trying to tackle his brother during an "alleged assault" over their mother...smelling like nasty old beer and cigarettes...... gets crappy with me because he had to wait 40 minutes to get his xrays for his ankle...( 2 traumas going on at the same time)...he actually wheels himself out of the room on the stool with wheels **** this **** that, i'm leaving...blah blah blah....with my 2 other psych patients dosed with hadol finally and in full 4 point leathers, i joined the er doc situated right in front of this jerk wheeling his obvious ankle deformity and stinky ass down to the nurses station, cursing like he doesn't think ....well...he doesn't think anyway, but that's besides the point....the doc got in front of me and chewed this jerk's ass out...(i wanted to kiss him...lol...so cool)....so he is adjusted and plasterd and waiting for me to discharge him and hobbles out to the station with his attitude again. i tell him i do not have a discharge order or his instructions yet and to go back to the room. he says to me...."what is the ******* doctor on a lunch break?" i say no....our docs do not lunch in this er......he got louder and said..." what did you just ******* say to me....i repeated what i had plainly said prior....he whips around returning to his room and says....that *****, she has no clue she works for me......i had had it.........so, i said, sir...that language will not get me back there to discharge you any quicker......he says to me again...what the **** did you say to me....so i repeat it clear as day.....with a smile....about 20 minute later i go to his room to discharge this jerk and he keeps interupting me/cursing, ect. as i am giving him his instructions.......i put the instructions back in the chart.......and walked out of the room. but before i shut the door behind me i said...." listen, when you can decide to use language that is not offensive to...well, most everyone i know, i will return with your prescriptions and instructions. it's not going to be directly, because of course you know, you aren't my only patient, and they too need my attention." " if you would like to make a complaint, i can easily give you my name....do i have to spell it for you too?"....he looked at me like he was 8 and his mother had just grounded him for burning tissues in a waste basket and begged me to give him his narcs and let him get out of there......then i got bold and said...."as a licensed er rn....i am not here to kiss your ass....i'm here to save it." "i'll be back in 20 minutes." in 20 minutes i was free to go back and discharge him....he was apologetic and i told him "i accept your apology"....and walked out of the room..........with a smile on my face.:D...

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Specializes in ED staff.

I feel your pain!

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Specializes in FNP/WHNP.

Oh yeah-I especially like the "you work for me" routine!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

Oh yeah!! Don't ya love it?

I tell my pts in no uncertain terms that I will not tolerate cell phone calls when I'm in the room with them or trying to get a history or something, so they need to turn it off or whatever. When I'm not in there, chat all you want. Just turn it off when I come in or anyone else to talk or do a procedure.

I love the ones now that take it upon themselves to UNPLUG IV pumps or Propaq's so they can charge their damn cell phone!! That's just classic! Happens all the time, especially with families. I unplug those suckers and want to throw them in the sharps!!

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Oh yeah!! Don't ya love it?

I tell my pts in no uncertain terms that I will not tolerate cell phone calls when I'm in the room with them or trying to get a history or something, so they need to turn it off or whatever. When I'm not in there, chat all you want. Just turn it off when I come in or anyone else to talk or do a procedure.

I love the ones now that take it upon themselves to UNPLUG IV pumps or Propaq's so they can charge their damn cell phone!! That's just classic! Happens all the time, especially with families. I unplug those suckers and want to throw them in the sharps!!

hahahahaha

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Specializes in ER, Urgent Care.

Oh I'm so glad this rant is here! "Customers" appear to be the same everywhere! What about the ones

-who, upon arrival to the exam room, demand a phone, the TV remote, a glass of ice chips, and a warm blanket... and "go see if my boyfriend/girlfriend/or whoever is here yet"

-or the ones you catch emptying the rooms supplies into their purses including kleenex, kidney basins, cups, alcohol wipes etc etc etc

-or my favorites, the ones whose family members "wander" into the clean hold where they are caught swiping patient snacks...and then tell you "what's the problem, we're paying for this!"

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