Why is it all the other depts in the healthcare facility immediately notify the nurse of things that are not their job, but really aren't the nurses job either.
For example, we had a new admit whose telephone did not work. On admission I switched out the phones, still didn't work, must be something wrong with the line so I put i a work order for the faulty phone. New admission complained about the phone to everyone who walked into the room.
Got a PT waiting at the nurses station after I had been doing a 15 minute dressing change in a room. She had also been calling my phone while I was in the room.
"Your new admit is mad his phone doesn't work. Why didn't you pick up your phone?"
Me "I was doing a sterile dressing change" She gives clueless look. "Yes I know all about the phone"
Her "Well, did you try to switch out the phone"
Me "Yes, still didn't work so I put in a work order"
Her "Did you call x at x number? He's the one you need to call"
Me "If you knew who to call I wonder why you didn't do it yourself"
Other "I'll Tell the Nurse" issues,
Patient wheeling along the hallway has lost her croc shoe. It's about seven feet behind her. However, rather than giving the patient the shoe, it seems the nurse MUST be notified so she can do it.
People who don't have batteries in their remote controls. Nurses station doesn't have batteries,(we are not to be trusted with batteries, just lives and narcotics) so the reception desk has them. However, these people know this, the nurse MUST be notified so she can go and get a battery. People would rather hang around the nurses station doing nothing waiting for me to come back so I can walk the 40 yards to get it from the receptionist.
RhiaRN75 I used to have a magic wand, but I took a rectal temp w/ it and it broke, lol. No one knows how to fix it, but I put in a work order!!
Hilarious!
My theory is that nurses are an extension of "Mom." (BTW, that includes you men in nursing, too.) Mom is the one that's supposed to know everything, be everything, do everything when you're a kid. She's the cook, the teacher, the chauffeur, and, yes, the nurse. Whatever you need, she's supposed to provide it. Whatever's wrong, she's supposed to fix it. And she will do it with a smile. She lives to take care of your every need (and want and whim and flight of fancy), and is grateful for the privilege.
On the one hand, this mother image suggests caring, wisdom and capability. On the other, it reminds me of the Little Red Hen and speaks to the childish, self-centered, and irresponsible mentality of those who are all too eager to "let Mom take care of everything." This goes for perfectly able staff members in other disciplines as well as those patients and visitors who turn into helpless jellyfish when they need something.
I am blessed to work on a unit where folks pitch in and the patients (postpartum moms and babies) are basically healthy. But when I did med/surg, it was a whole different ball game. One I'm not willing to play again.
I had to post on this thread again after a hilarious phone call last night. Apparently a bunch of college students at the all night coffee shop where having a jolly time.
We had just cleared out the ER after a very hectic few hours. Included were a couple of psych commitments, an MI, and a run of fever/strep/flu needing a school/work excuse along with the usual ER stuff. We had the lobby full and people in the halls. EMS brought in a few car wrecks, and at one point EMS and rescue were waiting for spots in the ambulance bay. We were blessed with patient pts and families, and along with a timely (but hectic I'm sure) day on the floors that resulted in plenty of available beds- it all went smoothly. Even the psych hospitals had beds, which is rare this time of year.
We were finally at a calm point, and after preparing for the next wave I sat down to a cup of Fresh! coffee and a few charts to review, when the phone rang. It was a blocked call, so I reluctantly answered.
"Hello, this is Rhia at please-don't-ask-for-a-narc-refill ER, may I help you?" *
Giggle. "What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" I'm obviously on a speaker phone, as I can hear coffee-shop background noise.
Me, "What do you mean, african or european? How much rum did you put in your coconut?"
Several people on the other line cracked up, and with exclaimations of "How classic" and "They rock at the ER" the line went dead. I've had my fair share of crank calls- some annoying, some disturbing, and a few that are just hilarious, but this has to be my new favorite. It's a good thing I love Monty Python. I was tempted to call the coffee-shop and deliver more 'sage advice', but decided in the long run it's probably best to not encourage ER crank calls.
The things we encounter in nursing!! I couldn't make these stories up if I tried- people just amaze me sometimes. I initally thought it was some of the EMS guys or local law enforcement, but they were all out on calls.
*Of course, I don't really answer the phone that way, but since every recent call has been requests for refills, I'd love to be able to!
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
You'd think people with relatives in nursing homes would figure these things out after a while, but sometimes we LTC nurses get some crazy requests as well:
"Oh, Nurse, come quick, Mamma can't figure out her TV remote and The Price Is Right is coming on!" Number one, this is NOT what I consider an emergency; number two, those cable remotes are so confusing I can't figure them out (damn that cable company!!).......and if I can't work my own at home, how am I gonna teach a mid-stage Alzheimer's pt. to use hers?!
"Nurse, Aunt Violet has ANTS in her room again---you have to do something about this right now!!" Excuse me, do you see the word "ORKIN" embroidered on my scrub top? As for the ants, maybe if Aunt Violet didn't leave half-eaten orange slice candies all over the room, they'd probably find somewhere else to go..........
"Nurse, there's no hot water in Room 306/the toilet in Room 312 is overflowing/the faucet in Room 310 is leaking". Oh, so I'm supposed to be a plumber too.......and while I'm unclogging the john, could you ask my boss to pay me as much as those guys get? HA!
"Nurse, do you have any Super Glue so you can fix the heirloom china plate Mom just dropped on the floor?"
"Nurse, Dad's toenails are three inches long and an inch thick. Please trim them."
"Nurse, can you go down to Mom's room and hold her cell phone for her while I tell her all about my trip to Italy?"
All so true! I love it when lactation leaves the room from a half hour lactation consult with a new mom and asks me to teach mom how to use the breast pump. Um, I know how, but you are here for a lactation consult, so it seems like part of the package... Or when OT tells me that MOM of my patient need blankets. OT knows exactly where they are.
BUT, shocker of shockers, I watched the other day when an attending physician ASKED a mom if she needed more blankets and then walked to the far other end of the unit and got them for her! Hats off because we all know we don't see that every day.
this is what encountered this week at work since reading this SOOO TRUE post! ... i thought about this the whole time!
my gown came off
unplug my IV pole (in a 40 yo independent pt) ... then plug it back in
turn my table around (same pt)
housekeeping didnt mop my floor all the way.
from family of a advanced alz. disease pt --- "dad's confused." ..... ummm... isnt he always??? i guess you would know that if you acutally visited him!! and WTH am i supposed to do about it anyways???!!
you have to move my pillow.
my water is warm and i need to go to the BR(after the CNA JUST left the rm when the pt said they didnt need anything else)
Well we are pretty much the coordinator of care. I have parents asking me about parking options all the time...heck if I know, I have a pass where I park for free! I just refer them to whoever I think has the answer or the charge.
I find it amazing that patients wait until 2am in the morning to complain about all kinds of things, like their TV, roommate, diet, patient account, provider, toenails, hairdo, missing clothes, stolen teddy bear, wheelchair, family, medication, appointments, overbed light, telephone, cable connection and everything else I can't do ANY THING ABOUT on the midnight shift. The ONLY thing worse is when the family calls me a 2am. wanting to know about the SAME things. GIVE ME A BREAK. There is nothing I can do about any of these things in the middle of the night. I can''t even relay the message to my superviser because I get off at 7am and they don't come in till 8am. and when I do accidentally run into them they REALLY DON'T want to hear any complaints or concerns from me. I'm the non-exsistant midnight nurse who keeps them from having to come in and work that ungodly shift. Can I say job security? All I can do is pass it on to the day nurse, or write it on the 24 hr. report sheet,and hope she/he gives a damn. Usually NOT! So I get to hear them ***** about it again the next night. You know the phrase -" The Buck Stops Here" - Well it doesn't exsist in nursing. The buck just keeps going around, and ends up being blamed, back on the nurse who has no ability to affect change and hopeing the pt. or the family just gets tired of complaining. For example the recent case in the news, where the patient killed her 100yo. roommate. The family requested a room change and nothing was done about it. I recommed room changes all the time due to conflicts between patients and NOTHING is done about it. The admistration, DON, etc. dont' have to deal with these patients for 8 hours at a time so they don't get how important it is for an elderly patient to have a decent roommate. I can't imagine having to leave my home and live with someone I totally can't stand. NEVER MIND A SOCIAL WOKER WHO IS DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN. -She's too busy - you know - Over worked! Thanks for listening.
I hear you and like its not enough you have a full patient load as well. You must work in long term care. I did as well and that used to burn my ass worse than anything. Like we are maids instead of educated intelligent nurses who juggle way too many patients. Its why I left long term care no respect.
Bless your heart and hang in there. I blame management for that attitude and well nothing against PT but some act like we are handmaids to them and they try to boss you when to premedicate your patient before they work with them one at a time. Well tell me your one patient seen at a time schedule and I will. Its insulting and demeaning.
You must work in long term care. I did as well and that used to burn my ass worse than anything. Like we are maids instead of educated intelligent nurses who juggle way too many patients. Its why I left long term care no respect.
rn/writer, RN
9 Articles; 4,168 Posts
My theory is that nurses are an extension of "Mom." (BTW, that includes you men in nursing, too.) Mom is the one that's supposed to know everything, be everything, do everything when you're a kid. She's the cook, the teacher, the chauffeur, and, yes, the nurse. Whatever you need, she's supposed to provide it. Whatever's wrong, she's supposed to fix it. And she will do it with a smile. She lives to take care of your every need (and want and whim and flight of fancy), and is grateful for the privilege.
On the one hand, this mother image suggests caring, wisdom and capability. On the other, it reminds me of the Little Red Hen and speaks to the childish, self-centered, and irresponsible mentality of those who are all too eager to "let Mom take care of everything." This goes for perfectly able staff members in other disciplines as well as those patients and visitors who turn into helpless jellyfish when they need something.
I am blessed to work on a unit where folks pitch in and the patients (postpartum moms and babies) are basically healthy. But when I did med/surg, it was a whole different ball game. One I'm not willing to play again.