Saw a nurse yelling at a patient in ICU

Nurses Safety

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So today was my first day volunteering at the hospital and I was walking in the ICU when I hear a nurse yelling at a patient. Just the tone and volume of her voice made the already decaying stench in the ICU palpable. This is more of an ethical topic rather than patient safety but I think it could play in the patient's stress levels.

I'm a pre-nursing student and I'm not aware of the whereabouts on ethics for nurses and hospitals yet. Do nurses have ANY rights to EVER yell at a patient, especially one in the ICU?

I think the OP has learned now that nursing is not all rainbows and unicorns playing with babies

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

OP has not been back on this thread, wonder if she has been back to the hospital? :sarcastic:

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Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.
I think the OP has learned now that nursing is not all rainbows and unicorns playing with babies

It isn't?!?!?

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OP has not been back on this thread, wonder if she has been back to the hospital? :sarcastic:

I have been following the thread on and off. For everyone who's given me hell for my thread, please understand that it was my first time observing a hospital setting EVER. When the incident happened I was a passerby being guided by my tour-guide. It's not like I was shadowing the nurse or anything or trying to eavesdrop.

I come from a house where hitting and yelling were forms of punishment. I grew up to hate even slight yelling. I had no knowledge of how patient care worked and didn't realize some patients could be hard of hearing at the time.

I've learned a wealth of information in the past 2 or so months from this thread and volunteering itself. And sallyrnrrt, I HAVE been back to the hospital. Contrary to anyone's belief, I am not one to coward away from obstacles. I have chosen nursing as my career goal and I am sticking with it. And FYI, I am volunteering in the ICU now.

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don't believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear. my pop had quad bypass surgery and just a few hours post op he was trying to pull his lines out and climb over the rails. a couple of the nurses he had just repeated themselves over and over again, while he mocked them and continued to act like a monkey. but there was one night nurse who read him his rights the first time he acted up. the second time she barked at him and threatened to tie him down if he didnt keep still, and that put an end to his antics.

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I have been to this site a few times and never felt the need to join let alone post a comment until now... The OP obviously just wanted to ask a question about an experience she had. She had no other experiences to base this on and as RN's you should not be kicking an up and coming RN for trying to soak in knowledge. Seems to me the OP is interested in doing things the proper way and wondered if she too would eventually be in a similar situation... Seems some of you are to bitter to see this.

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Specializes in ICU.
I have been to this site a few times and never felt the need to join let alone post a comment until now... The OP obviously just wanted to ask a question about an experience she had. She had no other experiences to base this on and as RN's you should not be kicking an up and coming RN for trying to soak in knowledge. Seems to me the OP is interested in doing things the proper way and wondered if she too would eventually be in a similar situation... Seems some of you are to bitter to see this.

The problem was that the OP's post seemed condescending, especially coming from a non-nurse. Yes, there were less than nurturing comments but it happens when people feel a need to defend their actions from an outsider. Many if us HAVE yelled at patients, and with good reason. We also know some nurses just yell - and that is unacceptable. But there was no context given. The OP didn't know what the nurse was yelling about, whether it was 'don't touch that line,' 'let go of my arm,' or 'shut up you crazy man!'

There have been times I've wanted to yell at patients for the wrong reasons, and to be sure I have at times come off harsher than needed. Having a stroke patient who keeps trying to get out of bed, or a patient who keeps pulling off their BiPAP will ALWAYS be frustrating. But you learn to deal with it, address the patient or family as best you can, and occasionally I've asked to not be assigned a certain patient again that week. For my sanity and their safety. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I have been following the thread on and off. For everyone who's given me hell for my thread, please understand that it was my first time observing a hospital setting EVER. When the incident happened I was a passerby being guided by my tour-guide. It's not like I was shadowing the nurse or anything or trying to eavesdrop.

I come from a house where hitting and yelling were forms of punishment. I grew up to hate even slight yelling. I had no knowledge of how patient care worked and didn't realize some patients could be hard of hearing at the time.

I've learned a wealth of information in the past 2 or so months from this thread and volunteering itself. And sallyrnrrt, I HAVE been back to the hospital. Contrary to anyone's belief, I am not one to coward away from obstacles. I have chosen nursing as my career goal and I am sticking with it. And FYI, I am volunteering in the ICU now.

Of course you didn't know....here is the lesson learned....in medicine you can't assume anything. Things are never as they appear. when you make assumptions up make an ass (of) u (and) me. You will find nurses defensive about their patients and their practice. An apparent statement can cause a nurse a lot of trouble and a family a lot of grief. We are mindful of what we say.

Good for you...you didn't let a negative first impression, however incorrect, deter you from your goal.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

MODERATOR NOTE:

We need to be respectful of each others experiences and feelings. We are all professionals and can have a disagreement without being disagreeable.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Good for you inspiredbynavy. Keep on keepin' on. :) It sounds like you are on the right track.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I have been to this site a few times and never felt the need to join let alone post a comment until now... The OP obviously just wanted to ask a question about an experience she had. She had no other experiences to base this on and as RN's you should not be kicking an up and coming RN for trying to soak in knowledge. Seems to me the OP is interested in doing things the proper way and wondered if she too would eventually be in a similar situation... Seems some of you are to bitter to see this.

If the OP had no agenda other than asking a question, she could have done so without the negative commentary. She made a judgement based upon a situation she knew nothing about, and rather than just ask a question, she presented her judgement as well. You'll encounter a lot of situations in medicine, in nursing, and in life that you won't have enough information about to make a valid judgement -- and you'll have to learn not to make those judgements. (Or at the very least, not to put them right out there. Nurses are supposed to be nonjudgemental.)

No one that I saw kicked the OP for simply asking a question or "trying to soak in knowledge." Sadly, that wasn't what the OP was doing.

And speaking of judgements . . . calling the experienced nurses who are answering your questions "too bitter to see" is probably not the best way to make friends among your colleagues, either here on the internet or at your work.

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No one that I saw kicked the OP for simply asking a question or "trying to soak in knowledge." Sadly, that wasn't what the OP was doing.

I beg to differ. I'm not going to say over and over that I was wrong for jumping the gun and assuming, but my original post was a genuine question regarding the topic at hand. I would in fact agree that I am one that is "trying to soak in knowledge."

I think most people will also agree with me that students are sometimes naive, blunt, and very curious. This was just me sharing my experience and wanting to gain more information of what I had witnessed.

Call me the cat that was killed by curiosity, but I think we have all been that same cat at least once in our lives.

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