"You'll be hearing from my lawyer."

[AngelfireRN]

I swear, I've heard this phrase more in the last 3 weeks than I have in my entire life.

Lawyers must be rolling in it if all theses folks have one on retainer and speed dial like they claim they do.

Do y'all get this where y'all work?

Cases in point...if we find that a patient is positive for an illicit substance, we dismiss them from our practice, per the terms of the contract they sign on admission to our clinic. No further controlled substances are provided, but we will supply a six-month prescription for maintenance meds.

All we have heard is "The law says you can't cut me off." or "The law says you have to give me 30 days' worth of my pain meds." Well, no, the law doesn't. We called the local DTF and confirmed it.

One lovely, who we were more lenient with than we should have been, threatened me with a suit. He had been caught (4 times) mixing two meds that could have a potentially lethal effect when combined. I counseled him about it, he snootily informed me that his specialist prescribed those and he'd take them if he wanted to. Doc counseled him next visit when he was still found to be positive for these meds. By the 4th time, Doc said that we would test him, he would be given half his script, and if his test was clean, the rest at that time. It wasn't, and he was gone. He not only demanded to have his script, but his payment for his last office visit refunded. Refused on both counts. He said he'd have his 'representative' deal with me.

And just this week, another lovely, who isn't even our patient, came in with papers from court, saying he needed a letter that said he could not work. Um, no. He was not even put on our waiting list because he said that was why he needed a doc when he came in, and Doc refused to even consider it. So, he's told that we can't give him any letter. He then asks for a letter stating that he's on our list. This man did not even want to make the effort to attempt to get into another practice. We refused this as well, and he flipped the "You'll be hearing from my lawyer" line. When we told him to leave at that point, he tried to poll our waiting patients in the lobby, for names and phone numbers, as witnesses to 'how he was treated".

I have to wonder, do they really think it scares anyone? Or, when they're saying "The law says...", do they really think we're that dumb?

Anyone experience this at your work?

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

How about asking the patient, "What is your lawyers name; I don't want to miss his call."

The last time someone threatened me with , "You WILL be named in the suit, for refusal to treat." I just told them to be sure they spelled my name right.

This was after said individual was in an accident, due to misuse of meds, and was dismissed. Not only did her redneck entourage insist that she be told who reported her (it was in the local paper, sweetness), she threatened the suit after having a meltdown, having the aforementioned entourage threated to 'jack everyone up" and then having the gall to demand Silvadene and an office visit.

Sorry, luv, you're no longer a patient here, I can't treat you, by that law you're throwing around, lol. She'd have been the selfsame one to claim a reaction to the very cream she asked for.

As has been said before, ish.

[nola1202]

Threats are usually just that. Have you checked to see if your state will allow you to sue for threats? They may be considered verbal abuse.

Personally, I would just get the legal reference typed up and posted, or give as handout, so patients will know in advance there is no point in giving you grief. They are trying to upset you because they are upset themselves. Never occurs to them why they are in this situation to begin with. Too bad insight does not come in injectable form.

:yelclap::yelclap::bdyhdclp::bdyhdclp:*wine

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Insight in injectable form would be wonderful...unfortunately, it seems that most of ours were vaccinated with a phonograph needle.

[rn/writer, RN]

An obnoxious patient was trying to get a nurse to bend/break all kinds of rules. When she said no, the patient said, "I'll have your job for this!" She just smiled and said, "Oh good. How soon can you start?"

[mazy]

I had one last week threatened me with calling his lawyer because I wouldnt pay for his cab ride home.

I told him, with all due respect, you can afford an attorney but not a cab ride home?

When he saw he wasnt intimidating me, he asked to speak with my supervisor because I was "rude" to him.

Unfortunately, nowadays, that is something that actually WOULD scare me.

[Gently.me]

People get offended too easily. We had one nurse who was written up for saying "member". Here is the situation:

Family is in room with pt, and pt has incontinence. Family attempts to clean up pt without telling nurse, and they give up and call in the nurse, after leaving the patient completely uncovered and out in the open. The nurse says to them "well let me cover his member, you guys can get out, and Ill clean him up". They complained that she was being rude and inconsiderate of their tender feelings!

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

this population you deal with seems to be pain med patients? they are not always, shall i say, dealing with a full deck anyway......

[rn/writer, RN]

People get offended too easily. We had one nurse who was written up for saying "member". Here is the situation:

Family is in room with pt, and pt has incontinence. Family attempts to clean up pt without telling nurse, and they give up and call in the nurse, after leaving the patient completely uncovered and out in the open. The nurse says to them "well let me cover his member, you guys can get out, and Ill clean him up". They complained that she was being rude and inconsiderate of their tender feelings!

We medical folks, who are accustomed to using correct anatomical terminology, can forget (or even be unaware) that this easy, breezy acquaintance with such words is seen as immodest or coorifice by some. Doubly so when it relates to their loved one. And now that I'm thinking about this from the family's point of view, I would be taken aback if a nurse came in and mentioned covering my husband's member. We all know that part is there, but, unless an actual medical procedure is being talked about, I think it's a little less jarring for the nurse to speak of private parts.

Getting written up seems a little harsh if it was done punitively, but some facilities use a write-up as more of a notation that the nurse was educated about a particular matter, and it isn't a, "black mark," against her as a nurse. I hope that was the case with your co-worker.

[mazy]

We medical folks, who are accustomed to using correct anatomical terminology, can forget (or even be unaware) that this easy, breezy acquaintance with such words is seen as immodest or coorifice by some. Doubly so when it relates to their loved one. And now that I'm thinking about this from the family's point of view, I would be taken aback if a nurse came in and mentioned covering my husband's member. We all know that part is there, but, unless an actual medical procedure is being talked about, I think it's a little less jarring for the nurse to speak of private parts.

Getting written up seems a little harsh if it was done punitively, but some facilities use a write-up as more of a notation that the nurse was educated about a particular matter, and it isn't a, "black mark," against her as a nurse. I hope that was the case with your co-worker.

Yes, I can kind of see the family's point of view on that one, it probably would have been better to say "let's just cover him up..." or perhaps not say anything at all and just discreetly pull up the sheets. Families can get overwhelmed and whacky at times. Hopefully the nurse was educated only and not punished.

[rn/writer, RN]

Families can get overwhelmed and whacky at times.

But, see, I don't think that it's necessarily overwhelmed or wacky to want to have your own or your loved one's anatomy referred to modestly. If a surgeon is discussing a procedure or an internist is asking about a rash, by all means, skip the euphemisms and be explicit. But if we're talking about ADLs or some other non-technical matter, it's probably safest--and can add a little humor--to use more general terms.

Just a little side note--I once had to tell a non-OB/Gyn doc that I was having serious breast tenderness. I think he was more focused on some of my other symptoms because he gave me a kind of blank look. When I knew the message wasn't getting through, I pointed at my chest and said, "The 'girls' aren't happy." The light bulb went on and he burst out laughing. We got a few chuckles out of that moment.

[mazy]

But, see, I don't think that it's necessarily overwhelmed or wacky to want to have your own or your loved one's anatomy referred to modestly.

No, I agree. I probably didn't use the right words there. It sounded like the family was trying do the patient's personal care without calling for help from staff because they didn't want a stranger coming in and seeing him exposed and vulnerable. I imagine that it felt like a huge defeat for them to have to call for help, probably they were overwhelmed by the reality of the situation. A nurse coming in and being so anatomically direct would have made them feel as if he was being exposed in the exact way that they feared. It's unpredicatable how people respond to the terms we use as professionals, so best to be careful about how we say things.

I once had a conversation in a restaurant with a friend about a policy the facility was trying to implement regarding masturbation and privacy. I went on and on and on about it until I stopped long enough to look at her face.....oops. Thinking about it, if it had been me on the other end of that conversation, just sitting around socializing, and someone was going on and on about masturbation, I probably would have dropped through the floor in embarrassment.

[Gently.me]

We medical folks, who are accustomed to using correct anatomical terminology, can forget (or even be unaware) that this easy, breezy acquaintance with such words is seen as immodest or coorifice by some. Doubly so when it relates to their loved one. And now that I'm thinking about this from the family's point of view, I would be taken aback if a nurse came in and mentioned covering my husband's member. We all know that part is there, but, unless an actual medical procedure is being talked about, I think it's a little less jarring for the nurse to speak of private parts.

Getting written up seems a little harsh if it was done punitively, but some facilities use a write-up as more of a notation that the nurse was educated about a particular matter, and it isn't a, "black mark," against her as a nurse. I hope that was the case with your co-worker.

Ahh how I love nurses. Such a wonderful perspective that I didnt even think of. Thanks for pointing it out!!

It wasnt a black mark, it was a "heres what they said dont do it again." I guess this is a case where, when we assume people are ok with certain words...... well we know the rest.

On another note, I once had a co-worker who used every word except pee when discussing voiding. Piddle, empty the lizard, tinkle, #1, etc. It was so strange.......and entertaining