So Sick Of Rudeness At Work

[missnursingstudent19]

1. A patient was about 2 seconds from leaving AMA so I paged the MD because that’s the quickest way to get in touch. “First of all let me just say that I don’t like to be paged.” Like, the patient could have been coding, you don’t know why I paged yet so why start off like that instead of ensuring that the patient is OK?

2. Coworker helping me change ostomy which I don’t have much experience with. I was hesitating to stick on the pouch because I knew it had to go on a certain way but wasn’t sure how. “Just stick it on!” So I stick it on. “OMG be careful, it has to go on a certain way!!”

3. Walking out of the nurses' station to go give med. call light phone is dinging. Coworker sitting at desk charting says “Do you ever answer the call light?!”

4. Taking report. Go to one patient's room who says “??? she doesn’t have my medicine in her hand!” So I say “I’m sorry, I just got here. I’ll go and get your pain medicine.” Even though I still had one more nurse to get report from. As I’m in this patient’s room giving the pain meds, the nurse who I still need to get report from comes in the room and says “What are you doing? I’m ready to give report”

I’m just over it. It’s tough times right now so please let’s just all be kind.

[Daisy4RN]

13 minutes ago, londonflo said:

But have you ever felt helpless in pain? 

I have been on both sides of this one. The pt laying in the hospital bed after surgery waiting endlessly for pain meds, and the nurse working who has to make the decision who to treat next. I always choose the pt to treat next that could actually die if not seen/treated. don't blame the nurse for prioritizing the sickest pt, blame management for not giving the nurse enough time.

[Sour Lemon]

1 hour ago, renatanada said:

Just because someone is sitting at a computer doesn't mean they aren't working. In order to SURVIVE, I let call bells ring when I need to get some documentation done. In my hospital it takes a good 30-45 minutes to document that first assessment and click all the boxes that the desk jockey nurses decide bedside nurses have to check. Five patients x45 minutes=you do the math. Do I enjoy charting? I do not, but documentation is part of the job. Let me be clear, I don't have a problem toileting patients and bringing them water. I work my tail off. But at some point I have to clinically prioritize. I will say that I rarely get a sip of water in the first 3 hours of my shift (whereas many of the CNAs I work with get a set of vitals on their patients, and then go get a breakfast burrito... every. single. shift). If I kept answering call bells, I'd have to stay hours late. I did that for a while. Have I ever seen a CNA stay one second past the end of their shift? Nope, never. 

A hospital I worked at once decided that the "team" needed to leave together. The CNAs had to wait until the nurses were completely done with their tasks/charting before the CNAs could go home.

The CNAs became a lot more available and helpful in a BIG hurry. You didn't have to ask them to do anything- they came to you asking what they needed to do to get out on time. The policy didn't last for obvious reasons, but it was nice while it did.

[caliotter3]

36 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

A hospital I worked at once decided that the "team" needed to leave together. The CNAs had to wait until the nurses were completely done with their tasks/charting before the CNAs could go home.

The CNAs became a lot more available and helpful in a BIG hurry. You didn't have to ask them to do anything- they came to you asking what they needed to do to get out on time. The policy didn't last for obvious reasons, but it was nice while it did.

This sounds like a good strategy for dealing with less than stellar CNA performance at shift end.  I would go with that, even considering the extra overtime paid to the CNA's.

[Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP]

On 1/3/2021 at 1:14 PM, londonflo said:

But have you ever felt helpless in pain? 

Yes as a matter of fact I have. But it did not kill me. 

[londonflo]

On 1/3/2021 at 1:31 PM, Daisy4RN said:

I always choose the pt to treat next that could actually die If not seen/treated.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you there!

35 minutes ago, Iheartwoundcare said:

Yes as a matter of fact I have. But it did not kill me.

So glad you are here to tell us about it.

[Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP]

2 hours ago, londonflo said:

I don't think anyone would disagree with you there!

So glad you are here to tell us about it.

I’m not sure where your attitude is coming from. I’m not here to argue with you. As I said in my original post, if it was indeed that the patient had been asking and no one was tending to their pain, then tend to the patient. But unless the patient is in a sickle cell crises or something along those lines, I would prioritize a pain pill below someone dying.

And I’m glad you’re here as well. 

[Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP]

2 hours ago, londonflo said:

I don't think anyone would disagree with you there!

So glad you are here to tell us about it.

Great! What is your rank order for treating pain, even if just talking to the patient with your understanding attitude of 6 years experience and (youthful age?).

 

Also I see this comment from you that was obviously deleted- please allow me to reply: 

I will repeat myself for the 3rd time. My rank for treating pain will be based on what the etiology of that pain is. Based on what the OP said, which is all we can go by since neither you or I were there, the patient was pissed at not having a pain pill. Nothing about writhing in the bed. And obviously not in so much pain that the patient couldn’t be understood amidst fits of tears and sobbing. I would most certainly prioritize THAT kind of pain above the kind that the OP originally gave us. 

And please do not demean my years of experience or age. I have worked very hard to get to where I am.

 I do appreciate being called youthful, though. My 19 year old will get a kick out of it. 

 

[londonflo]

15 hours ago, Iheartwoundcare said:

My rank for treating pain will be based on what the etiology of that pain is. Based on what the OP said, which is all we can go by since neither you or I were there, the patient was pissed at not having a pain pill. Nothing about writhing in the bed. And obviously not in so much pain that the patient couldn’t be understood amidst fits of tears and sobbing. I would most certainly prioritize THAT kind of pain above the kind that the OP originally gave us. 

And please do not demean my years of experience or age. I have worked very hard to get to where I am.

I have had experiences when pain was not attended to nor seen as a warning sign.  Presenting to the ER with obvious signs and complaints of a bowel obstruction (intussesception) and being told to wait to see staff (over 4 hours) and then have the surgeon say the ischemic time probably meant a colostomy, I NEVER use the phrase "no one ever died of pain".

Agreed that the situation initially presented showed a 'routine' pain matter but one always needs to keep ahead of pain. Had uncaring health professionals rattle off the phrase when irritated. That's my sensitivity.

[Davey Do]

19 hours ago, londonflo said:

So glad you are here to tell us about it.

17 hours ago, Iheartwoundcare said:

And I’m glad you’re here as well. 

I was kind of hoping for a "Kiss and Make Up" scene about here.

[Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP]

1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

I was kind of hoping for a "Kiss and Make Up" scene about here.

? This interaction is exactly why I don’t post a lot on this site.  Assumptions are made which lead to snarky remarks - and none of that is ever helpful to the OP. 

[Davey Do]

26 minutes ago, Iheartwoundcare said:

? This interaction is exactly why I don’t post a lot on this site.  Assumptions are made which lead to snarky remarks - and none of that is ever helpful to the OP. 

"Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you."                                                                                                                         -Richard Bach

[ohbejoyful]

It’s so true that as a nurse on a busy floor you can get constantly pulled in multiple directions, from what the doctor wants, what your coworker wants, want the patient wants etc and if your at all a people-pleaser type or struggle with confrontation it can be extremely stressful. I think we have all been in the position where your patient needs or wants something in the middle of report while your coworker simultaneously is desperate to leave. 

I will say it takes time to learn the art of balancing and prioritizing the needs of all as a nurse and how to set boundaries with everyone including patients, doctors and coworkers, if you decide to actively work at learning how to enforce boundaries in a respectful yet stern matter you will get better at it. 

I found this podcast episode on this specific topic your addressing to be so helpful as a new nurse I hope you check it out.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-freshrn-podcast-with-kati-kleber/id1193758599?I=1000385805222

the other episodes are so great too!

Also, if you look around your floor and cannot find experienced friendly nurses who you can trust and vent to, you might want to consider finding another floor. Supportive and experienced coworkers are so important as a new nurse, every floor has bullies or difficult people but there should also be others you can turn to to vent and get guidance and advice.

Hang in there ?