"Your job is to make me happy"

[Nurse216]

I was taking care of a patient today who told me... "your job is to make me happy".

I was taken aback, but responded "my job is to make you healthy... healthy and happy, but healthy first"

I feel a bit guilty, and I feel that I shouldn't. I'm amazed that a patient would tell me that my job is to make them happy. Has anyone had an experience like this or offer any words of advice?

[klmartin08]

There are some you can treat with All the warmth of the sun and they'll still berate and degrade you. I believe that if there was a more REALISTIC view on the profession and what should be expected of nurses you wouldn't see such a need for a big attitude adjustment. Instead of making 7 family members comfy and running around like a chicken with its head cut off, nurses should be focused on the actual sick patient. I am more than happy to do any and all medical based treatments and etc for my patients, but being a personal butler for them and their families does not count. There is a difference to giving good service with a smile vs. Smiling and enjoying being abused. Hostility usually comes into play when one begins to get fed up with systematic abuse from patients, familes, and administrators.

[Rania6351]

I think I might have said something like "Healthy and Happy are on a corner somewhere, they are called Walgreen - would you like me to get their number for you?" - I remember a patient once told me he needed his feet massaged at HS care (That is dating me), I turned around and asked Excuse me? he said my wife does it every night and seeing as I am here and not at home.... - let me call your wife! LOL

[Slhengy]

I'm sorry but as a nurse I was under the impression that our job was to treat the patient holistically.

So many time in our profession we are overworked and drained. We have that co worker or patient that grates our nerves and just as they affect our mood so we affect the mood of the patient. Our job is not to tell the patient what they want to hear and at times our job is to do exactly the opposite yet our job includes a lot of things and yes I believe it is to keep the patient in a positive frame of mind. Half is healing is how you feel emotionally if it isn't our job to keep the patient happy to the best of our ability then who will. I have noticed that most times my attitude or support is a lot more important to the patient than the pill that is in your hand. Maybe the next time a patient says "it is your job to make me happy " you could ask yourself or the patient have I done something to make you unhappy or try to get to the root of the issue. I wonder sometimes when we took the caring out of patient care. Nurses we are the only advocate they have.

I would have to disagree with this statement. We are not responsible for the happiness of our patients.

According to the American Nurses Association we are responsible for the following:

Responsibilities:

• Perform physical exams and health histories
  
• Provide health promotion, counseling and education
  
• Administer medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions
  
• Interpret patient information and make critical decisions about needed actions
  
• Coordinate care, in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals
  
• Direct and supervise care delivered by other healthcare personnel like LPNs and nurse aides
  
• Conduct research in support of improved practice and patient outcomes
  

Given the fact that patients are in a stressful hospital setting and away from their loved ones, pets and home....is enough to make anyone unhappy. And even if you did everything in your power to try to make them happy, some people just will not change their mind set. It is exhausting to even think you can make this kind of difference in every single patient that you touch.

[nancy nurse 1]

With the current climate in health care, it doesn't surprise me that a patient would say that. It's all about the patient satisfaction surveys, not about the actual care you gave. Don't want to get OOB? OK, you're the boss vs doing what is right for the patient and getting hassled from administration. So yes, the nurse's job is to keep the patient happy even if it means you're not doing what's best for him.

[hewert]

There you go! Plunge and move on!

[hewert]

Usually, a comment like that, or like the OP's gets then\m a blank,non descript stare, and a therapeutic "Oh,........., I see........

There you go! Plunge and move on!

[hewert]

I liked a quote i once read regarding ED nurses, but it could apply to all patient care nurses:

My job is to save your ass, not kiss it!

Come on - you know you are not going to be happy by creating an adversarial relationship with a patient.....

[marypo]

This reminds me of a pt yesterday who told me I "got her order wrong" when I brought her the wrong cookies after her her pain mgmt injection. I replied "I guess I make a better nurse than waitress!!" OMG, really lady? Go to the diner if you want accurate food service!

[MusicGuy]

Making them happy is doing them a disservice, and I would explain it that way. A jester can make them happy, but what our patients deserve is to be happy AFTER they leave us!

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Yes, I think 99% of us know this. It still doesn't mean I'm going to come running with a pb&j sandwich with the crusts cut off at the drop of a hat just to make someone "happy"

I hope you guys all know that the patient satisfaction surveys and Core Measures are not only tied to public reporting through Hospital Compare but also a quite a bit of money from the Federal Government. Like MILLIONS if you are a big company like HCA.

[Tomascz, ASN, RN]

"My job is to keep you alive til shift change; then I'm going home. How's your pain?"

[GaleSRN, BSN, RN]

The entitled pt who probably wasn't extremely ill. My response would have been something to the effect of "That is your girlfriend or wife's job. My job is to use my College Educated knowledge and skills to get you healthy and back on the road to recovery"