the other "things you'd like to tell" threads have been so great -- how about one more?
to the daughter of today's patient: i understand back pain, believe me. i've had the surgery and was off work for six months. don't tell me you're having such severe back pain that you need to sit in my chair -- the one that reaches all the way up to the computer keyboard -- instead of the visitor's chair (which i hunted high and low to find for you since we only have two on the whole 16 bed unit) when you're walking around in 5 inch stilettos. if your back pain were really that bad, you'd be wearing danskos like me. (or any type of shoe that doesn't involve a 5 inch -- or even 3 or 4 inch heel!) sit in the visitor's chair and be grateful that i found it for you. i'm sure your feet do hurt. again, try some more sensible shoes.
yes, your daughter does have dark skin on her forehead. it's the same color as the skin on the rest of her body. i assumed that was because she was african american, but you tell me she wasn't that color before her heart surgery? i'm baffled. no, i don't know what we can do about it, but i'm sure we didn't cause it. if you want to bring in cocoa butter to rub on her forehead, that's fine with me. you can put anything on her forehead you like, but i guarantee you she'll still be an african american when we discharge her. (oh, that's a picture of your daughter on the wall? she has bangs, but otherwise she looks the same color in the picture as she does right now. if i were you, i'd be more worried about the ventilator and the left ventricular assist device.)
brilliant post NY Dreamer regarding your sadness about loved ones reactions to dementia - really moved me. By the way - where did you get that superb avatar? I want one!!!!
Why do you keeping waiting until the nurse leaves the room to ask me questions about your relative that I am not qualified to answer? Aren't you tired of hearing me tell you that I am unable to discuss this with you, and that the nurse is?
The answer is NO. The answer was NO, 5, 10 and 15 minutes ago when you asked me, and the answer will still be NO 5, 10 and 15 minutes later when you continue to ask. As a matter of fact, you knew the answer was no, before you even came up to me. Don't think for a second that because I'm new, I can be taken advantage of. So continue to ask me that question. I'll just continue to tell you that, as per policy, the answer is no.
Do not ring the bell 5 minutes after I told you I would have to check with the doctor to see if you can have something for pain. First I have to find him, then wait until he's free (after all, in an ER they do tend to have more than one patient!). Then describe it. Then go get it from the med pyxis. Sending 3 more staff members after me to tell me you need a pain med only makes it go slower!
Do not tell me your call bell has been going off for half an hour. You are right next to the desk, we would have noticed. Besides which the call system rings an annoying door bell sound non stop which cannot be turned off from the desk. No, it has not been half an hour. If you exaggerate that, I expect you will also exaggerate and dramatize what ever it is you are complaining about!
Yes, I know the doctor said you could take your kid home now. That didn't mean get him dressed, I still have to get the discharge vitals done, including the rectal temp., and take out the IV. And he didn't put the chart up for discharge 2 seconds after he told you that, he kept it for 20 minutes while he wrote you up as well as a few other charts. Then I had to get free long enough to type your discharge instructions, send to the pharmacy for your first dose you insisted on getting here, and teach you how to give it. Why didn't you just take your kid to an urgent care if you didn't want to hang around in an ER?
Specializes in LTC, hospitals and correctional settings.
2) if you don't like the standard of care, write to your local parliamentary members, join the council on the ageing, complain to the aged care advocate service, or the department of health, or accreditation agency, the ceo, the chair of the board and anyone else you can think of; and demand that care workers get better pay/have more qualifications so that organisations have to pay them more and hire them in sufficient numbers that they're not run off their feet and so they know what they're doing. alternatively, do some volunteer work to lighten our load - in other words - pitch in constructively or shut up.
No I will not tell the hostess that you should get a guest tray. You are perfectly capable of walking to the cafeteria for meals. Guest trays are for people who are actually assisting the patient. No..pressing the call bell or hunting me down to bring apple juice doesn't count.
This is an acute medical floor. We do not do 1 on 1 care. If you feel your loved one needs this..please hire a patient sitter.
Yes I realize your father gets up but he will have to wait for more assistance. I will not hurt myself trying to get a 6'1 300+ man up alone!
You don't have to ask for something everytime I come into the room.
What time is the doctor coming in? Whenever he wants I presume.
When you press the call button. Please me specific. Saying I need my nurse is not helpful. Save me a trip by requesting what you want (pain or nausea med, etc.)
Yes your mother is dying but she isn't dead yet. She can still hear you. Making plans for her will money in the room is rude. Go away.
Because it means TrishJK doesn't know what it's actually like doing bedside care and being on the receiving end of the behaviour being vented about. That means that her advice is theoretical rather than experiential, at least in this context. This is useful information for two reasons - the first is that it explains why she's giving advice most members already know, and it expalins why she doesn't get the purpose of a vent thread. It may also mean that she doesn't understand that people here are posting what they'd like to say and/or do, rather than what they actually said or did.
Because it means TrishJK doesn't know what it's actually like doing bedside care and being on the receiving end of the behaviour being vented about. That means that her advice is theoretical rather than experiential, at least in this context. This is useful information for two reasons - the first is that it explains why she's giving advice most members already know, and it expalins why she doesn't get the purpose of a vent thread. It may also mean that she doesn't understand that people here are posting what they'd like to say and/or do, rather than what they actually said or did.
No worries - if you don't know why it makes a difference then the other members' responses can seem bizarrely hostile, closed or just plain odd :) The pursuit of knowledge isn a good thing!
:yeah:
RNDreamer
1,237 Posts
I "borrowed" it from someone at another forum.