Stop yelling! (vent)

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I don't know if it's something in the water, the economy, the weather or what, but for the last month, every day I am getting screamed or yelled at. Mostly by visitors, some patients, and a certain charge nurse of a department that sends us many admits. So, I usually let them blow off some steam, telling myself it's not directed at me, they're stressed, whatever. But, dude, or dudette, Chill!

1)I am sorry that your loved one is still in procedure and you have to leave. Yelling at me won't get them back to their room any sooner.

2) A woman was present at the bedside while your hubby's IV was getting restarted? Wow, that must be rough!

3) Nope, we don't have a sixth chair to bring to Aunt Sally's room. I suggest you drag a visitor out of another room and arm wrestle them for it.

4) You are so right, rice is a poor choice for a diabetic meal, I'll get right on that after I finish my rapid response next door.

5) We just had our third direct admit because so many docs don't want their patients in your department for 6 hours. We will take your admit ASAP.

6) Standing in the hall buck naked and screaming at the top of your lungs swinging at the staff will not get you a cigarette. It may, however, get you a shot of vitamin H in your posterior.

7) You've been waiting a whole hour for your doctor to discharge you? Well, he is brilliant about treating your condition, but time-challenged. You're going to leave if he isn't here in 5 minutes? Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

Most respected profession, my sweet patootie.

And for god's sake, leave my aides and UCs alone, they don't get paid enough to put up with that cr@p.

Vent complete, I feel so much better.

Carry on.

[Spika RN]

Bravo encore:yeah: I think it must be in the air it has been like that for me too lately. Love some of the responses you wish you could say but don't have a good night and try to remember general public don't know jack about what we have to deal with

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Very entertaining! My suggestion is why don't you actually start telling patients these things? Sometimes you have to tell it like it is and say things in black and white.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

op: nice!!! you forgot one..:

8.) what? since i cannot be in two places at once you want to tell my supervisor and request that i be written up? that is ok, i am able to fill out an incident report too and will be sure to write myself up as well. i will not forget to mention how unsafe my working conditions are and how much of interference you have been while i have attempted to perform my work duties.

[walk6miles]

I am specially "impressed" with family members who ask me (the critical care

RN) to find and bring in a chair for another able bodied visitor.

I always say "soon as I can" but honestly, what am I supposed to do about

my two (yes, I said TWO) other critically ill patients? Should I ignore the vent alarms

or that incessant pump alarm telling me that the piggyback is complete and so is

the main IV? Or .........oh you can all fill in any incident from your experience....

I've had family members walk into a room with a patient on IABP therapy to let me

(you're a nurse, aren't you?)know that "Mom needs a mouth swab...the last of the

supply of 30 has been used)...................

[CrazierThanYou]

Arm wrestling! I LOVE IT!

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

Maybe we work at the same place....I had a family member who was livid that I was not giving her back-from-surgery-30-minutes-ago-and-still-asleep mom a drink, a bath, change of linen (honey, she's only been on them 15 minutes and she's not bleeding/peeing/pooping), and the cherry on top of the soda was her complaint that we didn't have the Soap Opera Channel. Well, honey, just write me up because I'm not the cable company repairman, too....

[kakamegamama]

Oh my goodness====sounds like my house when my kids were all young & at home!!! Hang in there all!!!

[Erikadawn RN]

How about can you come give Dad or Mom a drink of water, out of the cup that there standing next to. I mean I really want to say, you haven't been here in 6 months, and you can't get them a drink?

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Feel your pain my friend! Yes it's in the air. We've had record setting census over the last week or so (ER). No one is happy. Loving my hours at triage,..24 F with sore throat for 4 hour "how much longer are you going to make me sit out here in pain? I've been here for over an hour and seen several people go back right away!" Me,.."yes, I understand that, but we see the sickest people first, the heart attacks and strokes go ahead of most people, we'll get to you as soon as we can",..Pt,.."so I have to have a stroke to get seen around here? That's ******** (,..I'm going to throw up all over your floor if you don't get me back?" Me,.."here's an emesis basin, please have a seat". Gotta love triage!

[OldNurseEducator]

This thread is great! Yes, the general public does not realize how stupid some of their questions and demands are. But i've always used the "smooze" method to get visitors/patients/doctors/other departments to keep quiet. Works all the time! Just smoooooze them. Just my 2 cents which is worth nothing!

[rentalnurse, RN]

WOW sounds like my week in ER. We actually had to go on color the other eve and night for a few hrs to catch up. We never do! I spent 12 hrs in triage last night and had all those questions and complaints 'my stomach hurts" when did it start? 3 days ago and i went to the doctor this morning and he gave me a script which i dint fill and im not feeling any better.... Pt can i have another blanket ( pt wearing sweater, turtleneck, jacket and laying on stretcher with 4 blankets on) oh the kicker of the week. intensivist temper tantrum. nurse trying to chart and get 2nd transfer out the door has charts sitting out and gets up and walks over to get vitals off monitor turns around and sees md sitting where you just got up from moving your charts and closing them and moving them and saying to him 'excuse me i was sitting there trying to get patients done and i need to sit back down and continue. md I need the computer. nurse well there is a desk down the hall that has puter and you can sit there ( md designated desk) doc puter doesnt wk. nurse well i just saw the hospitalist working there and using it. nurse putting charts back on desk and procceding to sit down. md jumping up and yelling i cant believe this where do ya want me to go!! this er is for everyone!! I thought i was witnessing the exorcist and his head was gonna spin... he kept yelling im gonna report him, im going to the president.. Im sorry didnt know we were sitll supposed to stand up when mds appeared and am i supposed to bow and quietly dissappear down the hall and get him a beverage of choice.. supervisor comes by the next day im on and was charting and she comes over and quietly asks if she can use the computer. asked her why, she said she didnt want to get yelled at, lol.. i told her i didnt yell but quietly asked that i was sitting there and he find another place to write orders. he was the one yelling and ranting... doc must have made a scene all over the hosp.. well my vent from 2 nights of hell....