"Think" about what you say!!!

[NightOwl0624]

I had a patient call me out last night ...

His IV was beeping - had an air bubble, and it was stubborn so it took a while to get it straightened out. When I finished, I said, "There, I think that should work for you now..." or something to that effect,

and he said, "You think? YOU THINK it will be ok now???? Shouldn't you be SURE??"

He kind of startled me, and then he laughed and said, "Hey, it's ok, but you may make some of your more anxious patients really nervous if you say things like that!"

He was right -- I say "I think" a lot. Maybe it's because I'm new and not very confident, or maybe I've been doing it so long I don't even realize it, but "I think" I'd better start paying more attention to what I say before I say it! (Just one more thing to worry about...)

[Monik Sims]

Yes that is true. Im a very facial expression-y person and I often have trouble hiding them. One time I had a patient who manifested this weird murmur and we were monitoring it and then it just up and disappeared. while listening the loss of the murmur I accidentally made this shocked expression and it nearly gave my patient another heart attack

Ever after I have been extremely cognizant of what my facial expressions may mean to others.

I remember trying to read my Ultrasound Tech's facial expression when I was pregnant. She didn't show any expression at all. I thought she was being expressionless on purpose because she was trying to hide that fact that something was wrong. Nothing was wrong she was just doing her job. Speaking as a patient, we create all types of scenarios in our mind no matter what. Try not to be too hard on yourselves. It's us not you! LOL!

[tabacue]

I don't think it was a control issue for the patient at all. He was probably tired of being in the hospital for one and might have been a little grumpy and the completely innocent statement may have struck a nerve. Maybe he is just a butt, who knows but yesterday something similar happened to me.

My always ill 4-year old had a 2-d echo because of a heart murmur. I have known all along about the murmur and no one ever seemed concerned so no biggie until the immunologist recommended the echo. He just got diagnosed with an antibody deficiency and has respiratory issues regularly. I'm not overly concerned with the echo, but you never know. The ultrasound tech was very nice and did her job. Then says, "I didn't see anything majorly wrong...if I did I would call in the doctor..." Um, majorly wrong, so does that mean you did see something wrong. Ugh...I am sure it was just a bad choice of words - I still haven't received the report from the doc but it does leave a little something in the back of your head.

Granted, a heart issue over a beeping iv totally different.

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

I believe that people who think wording is no big deal have probably never been a patient. Neither have I but I can only imagine how a nurse coming off as unsure would be anxiety provoking to an A & O patient. Their lives are literally in our hands and I don't want my patients to think I'm incompetent, even if just an IV pump. Thanks to the OP for posting this I will keep this in the back of my mind tonight when I go to work.

[maxthecat]

I do agree that there are times when a patient is legitimately concerned by how you phrase things. Maybe I'm reading in something that isn't there, but I got the impression that this patient was playing "gotcha" with a new nurse. I've seen it done before and it always irritates me. I read the concern about a murmur in a completely different way, mainly because the poster doesn't indicate she jumped on the tech and tried to "educate" that tech, she just pointed out that she needed clarification on how serious the findings were. I don't see a control issue there. To me, totally different situations.

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

I do agree that there are times when a patient is legitimately concerned by how you phrase things. Maybe I'm reading in something that isn't there, but I got the impression that this patient was playing "gotcha" with a new nurse. I've seen it done before and it always irritates me. I read the concern about a murmur in a completely different way, mainly because the poster doesn't indicate she jumped on the tech and tried to "educate" that tech, she just pointed out that she needed clarification on how serious the findings were. I don't see a control issue there. To me, totally different situations.

Ugh yes, I do agree some patients (in response to your previous post) will take everything the nurse says very literally. Not to start a new rant but men can be the worst patients. And I know to be prepared for many anal questions from my male patients that are/were some type of engineer.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I agree with whoever said that, if you had told the patient that it would've been all right and it had started beeping, then he would've been mad about that, too. I usually diffuse a situation with a particularly irritating IV pump (some pick up invisible bubbles......ACK) by saying, "if it's going to beep again, it's not going to do it until I walk away, so I'll try to listen but if I don't come right back, put the light on again," it makes them laugh and takes any anger at the situation away a little bit. :)

[TalldiNY]

Hello Mich girl. Lived there for 21 yrs. Children still in Ionia. Anyway, to paraphrase one of my favorite actors "They screw you in the drive thru". I have found over all the decades that there are patients that are never happy. They weren't happy when they came in and they are going home unhappy. Sometimes they have children who are unhappy and taking names too. As I have got older I find I gently confront pt's like that and ask "Would you like a different RN to care for you (your mom/dad/whomever)? I also find that 99.9% of the time they tell me "Oh no!" The other 0.1% of the time I say "Good riddance!":rolleyes: