Signs the patient population is doable ?

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2014

No. In general, Americans everywhere are acting like schmucks. Whether it's in the inner city, middle of nowhere Nebraska, a rich suburb of Silicon Valley, or the deep South, in general people are acting terribly. You will see the same entitlement mentality everywhere you go.

westieluv · Sep 13, 2014

I have been a nurse for almost 25 years, and have worked in all kinds of demographic areas, from rural, cornfield communities to large, dangerous, cities. I feel that it is more of a generational issue than a geographical one. Elderly patients and their spouses are, as a rule, more responsible, respectful, and honest than younger people. The remaining members of "the Great Generation" grew up on the idea of hard work and not expecting things to be handed to you.

The Baby Boomers are pretty good in this regard too, although you can see that when they came of age in the '60s was about the time that things started to really change in this country socially.

As far as Millennials and Gen Xers? Much, MUCH more self centered and all about what you can do for them and all about their "rights", even when sometimes what they consider to be a "right" is actually more of a privilege, or just flat out against the rules (e.g. smoking on hospital property). I feel like the entitlement attitude started sometime after the '60s and has progressively grown worse since then.

This is why I really prefer caring for the elderly population. I love the stories that they tell about when they were younger, and I love how loyal most of them are to their spouses. For example, I had a patient a few weeks ago whose husband told me that they had been married for 58 years, after having only know each other for ten days! He would frequently go over and smooth her sheets, adjust her pillow, and ask her if she was too hot, too cold, comfortable, etc. The tenderness between them brought tears to my eyes. You just don't see that in the younger generations, or if you do, it's extremely rare. Nowadays, people shack up just long enough to have kids together, and then either get married and divorced in dizzying succession, or just split up without getting married.

If you do have issues with disrespect, dishonestly, etc. when dealing with the elderly population, it's almost always when dealing with their adult children or grandchildren who came of age in a completely different generation and cultural environment.

I don't meant to sound like an old curmudgeon, because I'm not even fifty yet myself. It's just sad to see how much our society has declined, and that's why, to me, being treated with respect as a healthcare worker is much more a generational demographic than a geographical one.

amoLucia · Sep 13, 2014

westieluv, you said a mouthful. I do LTC. The 'Greatest Generation' says 'please' and 'thank you' readily. Even the 'Boomers' do so also pretty much. I tend to believe that's the indicator of a courteous person.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2014

Not so sure about the Boomers (sorry), they can sometimes be very difficult. They tend to be our 50-69 year old patients and can be very demanding. The 70 year olds and up are of another generation, the silent generation. Most of the 'Greatest Generation' are now passed on, they were born from about 1901 to 1924.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2014

That is a tough one...I worked for an inner city catholic organization that treated us very well...they patients could be a little rough around the edges but were for the most part thankful and appreciative. I worked also a large inner city trauma center and trauma flight while we worked hard we were treated well....the patients could be violent...but that is the culture there.

I worked for a hospital in an entitled wealthy suburb. The patients/families for the most part were rude and you were the hired help....period. At this hospital I had a commercial pilot choke me against the wall because his child with a temp....100.1 rectal... waited 40 mins. The children from a famous boarding school that educated the Kenndy's were thoughtless, rude, foul mouthed brats. But the staff was treated well.

I worked for a small community hospital/critical access that had 35 beds. They treated the staff appallingly however the patients were nice.

I worked for a large community union facility. The staff were protected by the union and paid well. The administration had little respect for nurses overall. While some of the patients were very well off....they were very appreciative and thoughtful.

AS I look back it might be the actual years I worked there....from the late 70's to the late 90's. It seems after the market crashed and the jobs plummeted and the shortage went away.... nurses began being treated like cattle.

malamud69, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2014

Well....we are dealing with humans...good luck.

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Sep 14, 2014

I have been a nurse for almost 25 years, and have worked in all kinds of demographic areas, from rural, cornfield communities to large, dangerous, cities. I feel that it is more of a generational issue than a geographical one. Elderly patients and their spouses are, as a rule, more responsible, respectful, and honest than younger people. The remaining members of "the Great Generation" grew up on the idea of hard work and not expecting things to be handed to you.
The Baby Boomers are pretty good in this regard too, although you can see that when they came of age in the '60s was about the time that things started to really change in this country socially.
As far as Millennials and Gen Xers? Much, MUCH more self centered and all about what you can do for them and all about their "rights", even when sometimes what they consider to be a "right" is actually more of a privilege, or just flat out against the rules (e.g. smoking on hospital property). I feel like the entitlement attitude started sometime after the '60s and has progressively grown worse since then.
This is why I really prefer caring for the elderly population. I love the stories that they tell about when they were younger, and I love how loyal most of them are to their spouses. For example, I had a patient a few weeks ago whose husband told me that they had been married for 58 years, after having only know each other for ten days! He would frequently go over and smooth her sheets, adjust her pillow, and ask her if she was too hot, too cold, comfortable, etc. The tenderness between them brought tears to my eyes. You just don't see that in the younger generations, or if you do, it's extremely rare. Nowadays, people shack up just long enough to have kids together, and then either get married and divorced in dizzying succession, or just split up without getting married.
If you do have issues with disrespect, dishonestly, etc. when dealing with the elderly population, it's almost always when dealing with their adult children or grandchildren who came of age in a completely different generation and cultural environment.
I don't meant to sound like an old curmudgeon, because I'm not even fifty yet myself. It's just sad to see how much our society has declined, and that's why, to me, being treated with respect as a healthcare worker is much more a generational demographic than a geographical one.

Can you imagine how awful it will be to work with the elderly when this generation of entitlement becomes elderly? Not only will you have the multiple comorbidities, and the fact that they will probably be living into their 120's by then, but they will be mean and disrespectful too! Ill have to make sure I'm long retired before that happens lol.

westieluv · Sep 14, 2014

Can you imagine how awful it will be to work with the elderly when this generation of entitlement becomes elderly? Not only will you have the multiple comorbidities, and the fact that they will probably be living into their 120's by then, but they will be mean and disrespectful too! Ill have to make sure I'm long retired before that happens lol.

Oh, I'll be long retired by then, if I'm even still alive. I'm 49 now, so I have a head start on them, thank God! :laugh:

loriangel14, RN · Sep 14, 2014

You can't generalize. Some people are lovley, some aren't.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2014

Can you imagine how awful it will be to work with the elderly when this generation of entitlement becomes elderly? Not only will you have the multiple comorbidities, and the fact that they will probably be living into their 120's by then, but they will be mean and disrespectful too! Ill have to make sure I'm long retired before that happens lol.

No, this generation will die in their 50s and 60s. We won't live as long as the previous generations.

Nola009 · Sep 14, 2014

When you're saying "this generation of entitlement" to which are you referring? Is it the generation your children, grandchildren, or great-grands belong to? What a legacy...