"I DEMAND an antibiotic. I am the customer and I am paying your salary"

[Nascar nurse]

Oh you just have to love family members!

I work in LTC. Family member calls in today and says "Dad has a cold and I demand an antibiotic". I get just a few words out about an antibiotic not treating a cold but she interrupted me every time I tried to speak. Never even got to the point that Dad has no fever, lungs are clear, I never heard him cough - nor did other staff today, chest X-ray in the hospital a few days ago is completely negative.

After a couple of minutes of trying to get in a few words in she yells "I am the customer and I demand an antibiotic. I pay your salary and I get to get what I want. You'd better get the next **** Dr. that walks in the door to order an antibiotic or you'll hear from me tomorrow". She then promptly hangs up on me. At some point she also informed me she planned to sue the hospital for discharging him without the antibiotic that she demanded that they start.

Needless to say, I did not even attempt to get an antibiotic order, although I did inform the Dr. of this tirade.

No advice needed. Just needed to vent frustration about the general public.

[amoLucia]

To paraphrase those marvelous Youtube cartoons "my dad needs ABT, my dad needs ABT, call the doctor for medicine, my dad needs ABT". LOL LOL LOL And the next time someone talks about my salary, I'm going to ask them for a raise!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Been thinking about the 'I pay your salary' theme from some patients....thinking that me saying "I didn't think that was YOUR signature on the bottom of my paycheck" probably wouldn't make them happy.

But then again, nothing would.

And another thought: in going further on mc3's post, until someone pays my WHOLE salary, not five cents' worth over the year, they don't have squat to say about how I'm doing my job. My boss, well, he DOES pay my salary--I pay attention to what he wants. A single patient? Not a chance.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

Sounds like a doctor issue.... you explained the issue very well to the family member.

Have the DOCTOR talk to her and enjoy THAT conversation!

The worst part is when the doctors give in to the patients and by doing so make you, the nurse, look like a total D-bag that has no idea what they are doing. I had a patient a few weeks ago that had her asthmatic daughter taking albuterol 4 times a day. Regularly. Even when she wasn't showing any signs of anything. So when she gets to the hospital, she freaks out because respiratory is coming in, listening to her kid, and then NOT giving a treatment because.... wah-lah... her lungs are clear and it's not needed. The order is written as it should be - "albuterol, PRN". She called me in and told me the nurses weren't giving the proper medication, that it was all our fault her kid kept getting sick because we weren't medicating her properly.... and the fact was - WE were medicating her properly. The MOM was not!!!

I tried to explain the use of albuterol to her (this child was on other asthma medications as well, and her PRESCRIPTION even said 4 times a day, AS NEEDED on it. ) - and she just yelled and fussed at me up one side and down the other.

So I called the doc. Told the doc this woman needed EDUCATION.... and she wasn't going to listen to anything but a white coat.

Doc goes in.... comes out 30 minutes later with an order for scheduled albuterol, q4. Got tired of mom and just rolled over to please her, really.

**bangs head**

This kid was a heart patient, and was going to leave jacked up on albuterol for no reason.

**bangs head again**

Sometimes we take "patient centered care" and "family centered care" to a whole new level, you know?

Blah. I'm mad again just thinking about it. LOL

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Yep, love those ones, too. The ones that the doc doesn't want to deal with so just gives whatever they want, and YOU look like a schnook because you disagreed. Makes me cranky, too.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Well she missed today's meeting too! I think I find this most aggravating of all. You care enough to randomly call up and demand my attention but you can not show up for an actual discussion regarding your Dad's care. GRRRR!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Well she missed today's meeting too! I think I find this most aggravating of all. You care enough to randomly call up and demand my attention but you can not show up for an actual discussion regarding your Dad's care. GRRRR!

Ah, but now the documentation of her failure to follow through, her seeming lack of interest in this process is PRICELESS.

[Salisburysteak, BSN, RN]

Or trying to explain to family how Coumadin therapy works and why so many blood draws and med adjustments!!

That drives me nuts when families will not listen to that!

[Merlyn]

I just love the ones that say "I pay your salary" Because I just look at them and say, "I want a raise". But just document everything she said the way that she said it. Then put in your observations, and that the Doctor was called. Notify your supervisor. That is it. She starts anything call security. You don't have to take that from this half-wit.

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

My kids' pediatrician also has posters and pamphlets (from the CDC no less) and a firm anti-antibiotic stance. She told me that the nurses' kids are about the only ones she'll routinely prescribe antibiotics for, b/c generally speaking we give it those few days to see if it's getting better using traditional methods first before bringing them in.

I could never ever do LTC...at least in acute care we know the prima donnas will eventually leave.

[rngolfer53]

In theory, roughly 50% of people are below average intelligence. In practice the number seems to approach 90%.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

I had a patient yesterday, was fine with his Foley catheter, we discussed the rationale for the Foley catheter, and so on. Then half an hour later IT HAS TO COME OUT RIGHT THIS SECOND. We did the back and forth for about 10 minutes before I said if it's really that uncomfortable I will call the MD and get a DC order. Then the SO pipes up... "just put the order in!"