Things I wish my patients understood

Published

I DO NOT CONTROL YOUR DIET OR THE KITCHEN! Do not complain to me about it if you want something done about your food. All I can do is microwave and decide how quickly to bring you graham crackers and juice. I have no other power over what you eat while you're here, so for the love of heaven DO NOT YELL AT ME ABOUT IT.

Yeah, this weekend at work is going beautifully, LOL.

What do you wish *your* patients understood?

Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
12 minutes ago, NightNerd said:

I would definitely give only 4 out of 5 stars on my survey for that visit!)

LOL! They were so apologetic so after that chicken sandwich and waffle fries I probably still gave them 5 stars 

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
On 7/10/2021 at 9:08 AM, Mywords1 said:

I didn't know that some patients and family are so rude disrespectful to nurses! An outsider would not know  Are these incidents typical of patients or common everywhere? Does it depend on patients sickness or demographics? or gender? Or the neighborhood? I am sorry to read these cases. Do they also yell at doctors or they can't or won't?

 

I’ve found that pts will yell at me “I’ve been waiting 45 minutes for this appointment!  What is taking so long???” And when the doctor comes in and does his thing, the pt leaves smiling “He’s so wonderful”. Pt will NOT yell at the doctor about being behind schedule.  Pts will call the nurse line, complain the doc sent their RX to the wrong pharmacy (even though we verified the pharmacy WITH THE PT while they were in the office) but won’t yell at the docs. I had a pt tell me, to my face, that the doc was an a-hole and rude but didn’t say one word of complaint to him. 

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
46 minutes ago, T-Bird78 said:

I’ve found that pts will yell at me “I’ve been waiting 45 minutes for this appointment!  What is taking so long???” And when the doctor comes in and does his thing, the pt leaves smiling “He’s so wonderful”. Pt will NOT yell at the doctor about being behind schedule.  Pts will call the nurse line, complain the doc sent their RX to the wrong pharmacy (even though we verified the pharmacy WITH THE PT while they were in the office) but won’t yell at the docs. I had a pt tell me, to my face, that the doc was an a-hole and rude but didn’t say one word of complaint to him. 

OH YES I ran into this all the time when I worked  a doctor's office. They have no problem screaming at us when things don't go their way but when the doctor comes in, everything is wonderful. (except "that nurse is rude....lazy....stupid...whatever"). Gotta love the lack of respect we get compared to the doctors who spend 5 minutes with them while we spend an hour or more doing their intakes/histories/med recs, etc. It's always the staff's fault when they are not happy.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, Community Health, HIV.
On 7/2/2021 at 1:19 AM, Ioreth said:

I will not relay a devastating diagnosis to the patient. That is your job.

 

This! (for the doctors)

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

Working in ED so many pt complain about how long they have to wait to be seen. Some like to threaten to leave, thinking they will get seen faster. Or if they have been seen they start complaining about waiting blood results or X-rays or whatever. 
 
what I wish pt knew: 

1. Things that time. Just wait. Seriously. Just wait. 
2. Complaining gets you no where. If anything we will make you wait longer if you really piss us off. 
3. I don’t care if you leave. It makes my job easier. 
4. the health system is ***. It’s not changing anytime soon. 
5. it’s ED. We are not being dramatic when we say people are dying here. You sore toe is wasting our time. 

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

That the Butterfly Effect occurs 24/7 in healthcare. The smallest interference from listening to a patient vent for 15 mins, too long welfare check, a fall, nurse running late, short staff, and all the way up to a code blue, can effect multiple people in the hospital.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

That damn Butterfly has stole my lunch break plenty of times.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.
On 6/28/2021 at 6:14 PM, DavidFR said:

Cup of warm milk perhaps dear? I can prescribe that.

As long as not NPO or clear liquids only ?

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.
On 6/30/2021 at 11:25 AM, Mywords1 said:

For your sake, try not to take "complaints" personally. Remarks are about the hospital, not you.

 

When I've been hit, kicked, spit at, or threatened, believe me, I know it's a complaint, not a comment

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.
On 7/8/2021 at 6:16 PM, kbrn2002 said:

Dialysis edition: Just because you are going to dialyze on Monday doesn't mean you can spend the whole weekend eating fast food, Chinese and then drinking a ton because it makes you thirsty.

I have a few patients that typically come in on Monday with a 9-12 kg gain and they seem to think that is just fine because "I have the whole week to take it off."  These of course are also patients that can never tolerate more than 2-3 kg of fluid removal per treatment.  No amount of education makes a difference.  You'd think after a few hospital admissions for fluid overload they'd get a clue, but nope, not these folks. I've only been in dialysis for 1 1/2 years and this already drives me bonkers!

After 5 years of it, I just don't even get worked up about it anymore. I feel for clinic managers, dietitian and direct care staff that get a chewing out when metrics aren't met. When I was still a CM, prior to stepping down, at one of these butt chewing sessions, I asked if they wanted me to take my shot gun, go to each out of range patient home and try threats. My comment didn't go over well. Patients, dialysis and other settings, have free will. I have always documented to the hilt to cover my behind, as it seems CMS/insurance carriers, administration, some doctors, and many family members seem to think we can control these patients and/or make their outcome different by waving a magic wand ? ; it's always our fault (the nurse's) when the patient acts on their own free will, never the patient having to take accountability 

 

On 7/10/2021 at 9:08 AM, Mywords1 said:

I didn't know that some patients and family are so rude disrespectful to nurses! An outsider would not know  Are these incidents typical of patients or common everywhere? Does it depend on patients sickness or demographics? or gender? Or the neighborhood? I am sorry to read these cases. Do they also yell at doctors or they can't or won't?

 

It's pretty typical anymore, no particular wealth/social class, gender, illness or other. I find that doctors occasionally get yelled at, but not nearly as often as nurses do

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.
22 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

It's pretty typical anymore, no particular wealth/social class, gender, illness or other. I find that doctors occasionally get yelled at, but not nearly as often as nurses do

One of the kindest residents I've ever worked with was on the floor while I was having a beast of a day with a patient we shared. Drug seeking, using in the hospital room, verbally abusive and physically threatening me and my orientee - all the makings of a great shift. The resident would go in and talk to her and she'd be calm for half an hour, then start up again. She finally left AMA. He looked so relieved and apologized to *me* for her behavior. He said that she was always nice to him because he controlled her pain meds, but had been giving all the nurses hell for days. People take out their anger on those they perceive to be powerless, and in the hospital, that ain't the doctors.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion