"I need to eat, I'm a diabetic!"

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I get a little tired of patients and their visitors demanding food because "I'm a diabetic". Last time that line was used on me by your typical overweight type 2 diabetic, I took his blood sugar. It was over 200 of course. I told him that, you only HAVE to eat when your blood sugar is low, and no, I'm not getting you a sandwich, your blood sugar is actually high. This was an ER patient with a minor complaint. :banghead:

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
He's going to be hungry. Polyphagia is a symptom of hyperglycemia. You don't have to be condescending. As a type 1, I've told a nurse in the hospital that I was hungry. She commented the same, rudely, to which I told her: "Are you diabetic? No? Ok then. Iknow my blood sugar is 300. I'm not going to eat, but understand the incessant hunger and thirst I feel and try to not be condescending."

I'm a bit confused. If you weren't planning to eat anyway, why did you tell the nurse you were hungry? She might have interpreted it as a request for food.

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
I'm a bit confused. If you weren't planning to eat anyway, why did you tell the nurse you were hungry? She might have interpreted it as a request for food.

I told her I was hungry. I wanted to eat. I knew it was better for me not too have the sandwiches, but I can still have protein. She also asked me how I was feeling, guess she thought I wouldn't say "hungry".

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He's going to be hungry. Polyphagia is a symptom of hyperglycemia. You don't have to be condescending. As a type 1, I've told a nurse in the hospital that I was hungry. She commented the same, rudely, to which I told her: "Are you diabetic? No? Ok then. Iknow my blood sugar is 300. I'm not going to eat, but understand the incessant hunger and thirst I feel and try to not be condescending."

But it sounds like this patient didn't say whatever you did something like "I feel hungry but I realize I don't need food right now" it sounds like he was demanding a sandwich so what else was the OP to do but tell him no. I would have done the same thing barring one exception if he has uncontrolled DM and is normally in the 350's then 200 might feel low for him. But sounds more to me like the ER patients that used to drive me crazy the kind that would demand full service beverages for them and their guests.....I'm not fetching water for your mother in law.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
And you are? This is a public forum. Make me.

No we get it. We know the S/S of hypo/hyperglycemia and how to treat said pts. We KNOW how to recognize when our pts are in distress. If you have ever read any of Emergents threads, you know they are not some new nurse that doesn't know anything. This thread is about the expectation that people come to the ER demanding to be fed/soda'd/given a taxi ride home for the stupidest things. We are being forced to cater to these people for the all inclusive customer service mentality and it gets old.

So this is more of a joke/satire/vent thread. Im not making you leave, just we get it already.

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
No we get it. We know the S/S of hypo/hyperglycemia and how to treat said pts. We KNOW how to recognize when our pts are in distress. If you have ever read any of Emergents threads, you know they are not some new nurse that doesn't know anything. This thread is about the expectation that people come to the ER demanding to be fed/soda'd/given a taxi ride home for the stupidest things. We are being forced to cater to these people for the all inclusive customer service mentality and it gets old.

So this is more of a joke/satire/vent thread. Im not making you leave, just we get it already.

A one-sided experience though. I've been a patient more times than not. I've also been a nurse with the same frustrations, it just seemed like picking at diabetics. It's not easy living with this crap of an illness and sometimes we can get crabby or demanding, it's not like we're allowed to get our own food, we're on a "diabetic diet ". I understand both parties are frustrated, but I wasn't aware this was satire?. That's why I responded the way I did.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
A one-sided experience though. I've been a patient more times than not. I've also been a nurse with the same frustrations, it just seemed like picking at diabetics. It's not easy living with this crap of an illness and sometimes we can get crabby or demanding, it's not like we're allowed to get our own food, we're on a "diabetic diet ". I understand both parties are frustrated, but I wasn't aware this was satire?. That's why I responded the way I did.

Here's another angle: The nurse that you thought was so snippy might have been hungry too. If I had a nickel for every shift I worked with a growling stomach and a fuzzy brain... Maybe she could have been more professional but compassion works both ways.

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Specializes in None yet..
He's going to be hungry. Polyphagia is a symptom of hyperglycemia. You don't have to be condescending. As a type 1, I've told a nurse in the hospital that I was hungry. She commented the same, rudely, to which I told her: "Are you diabetic? No? Ok then. Iknow my blood sugar is 300. I'm not going to eat, but understand the incessant hunger and thirst I feel and try to not be condescending."

You are giving other nurses such a great opportunity to learn. The disparaging comments about diabetics who want to eat make sense if you are considering your diabetic patient as a normie. But it's a disease that affects so much. Would a nurse disparage a patient with a rash who felt an urge to scratch?

It's INSANE the feelings of hunger and/or thirst that can overtake a diabetic riding a blood sugar roller coaster. I have juvenile diabetes and it has been a difficult struggle to overcome the desire to eat the house when I'm coming up from a low, even though I've taken enough glucose to cover and even when my blood sugars have arrived back at normal levels. Nurses could do such a kindness by acknowledging the feelings and teaching a patient how to tough these urges out. I know it's difficult to walk in someone else's shoes and that's why I appreciate you sharing your experience. You are offering helpful information to anyone who wants to hear it. Thank you.

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Specializes in None yet..
Here's another angle: The nurse that you thought was so snippy might have been hungry too. If I had a nickel for every shift I worked with a growling stomach and a fuzzy brain... Maybe she could have been more professional but compassion works both ways.

In an ideal world, perhaps. But that's not what I'm being taught in first quarter nursing school. My instructors are telling us that is is 100% about addressing the patients needs, not ours. This is pretty hard. I didn't realize that sainthood was a prerequisite for the RN credential but we appear to be held to a very high standard that includes not requiring or expecting any compassion or other meeting of our needs from patients. That's TOUGH but can anyone who's out there working as a nurse tell me it's different?

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
My all-time fave:

"Ah am a diah-BET-ic and the last thing Ah ate was this mornin when Ah ate mah breakfast doughnut!"

Uh. . . . why is the patient's accent relevant here?

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In an ideal world, perhaps. But that's not what I'm being taught in first quarter nursing school. My instructors are telling us that is is 100% about addressing the patients needs, not ours. This is pretty hard. I didn't realize that sainthood was a prerequisite for the RN credential but we appear to be held to a very high standard that includes not requiring or expecting any compassion or other meeting of our needs from patients. That's TOUGH but can anyone who's out there working as a nurse tell me it's different?

I remember reading a post along these lines recently....something about nurses being held to a higher standard. I don't want to take this thread too far OT, but maintaining good self care doesn't require the patient to meet our need. I know that you weren't inferring that, but just wanted to agree with you....even the best of nurses can get hangry if they don't eat.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
As far as how I spoke to the patient, no, I was not condescending. I used it as a teaching moment that only low blood sugar requires immediate food intake. I was very polite. I'm known for my bedside manner, I'm always tactful.

There are some patients where I agree, they don't need to be eating right now and there is nothing wrong with telling them they need to wait.

The problem is that for many diabetics it's not only low blood sugar that requires immediate food intake. Many of these patients are taught, very forcefully, that under no circumstances are they to miss a meal or even a snack, regardless of what their blood glucose is, and now they've got you coming in telling them things they know not to be true based on what their endocrinologist and diabetic educator have been telling them.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
In an ideal world, perhaps. But that's not what I'm being taught in first quarter nursing school. My instructors are telling us that is is 100% about addressing the patients needs, not ours.......

(I'm using the generic you, not you specifically)

Can I politely suggest that they are not giving you the full picture. Without taking care of your own basic needs eg need to pee, need to eat, need to sleep etc your health will go down very quickly and you end up being no use to anyone and can be potentially putting your patients at risk

I had this happen recently, a small graze on the breast turned into raging cellulitis. My doctor was like "you need to take some days off" as the infection was in a place that would not be making contact with any patients, I continued to work for another day and by that stage the cellulitis had turned into an large abcess that had to be incised and drained and I ended up on IV antibiotics with strict instructions from the doctor 'no way should I attempt to go back to work for at least the following week'

Self care is an essential part of being a nurse

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