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.)
Specializes in Practice Nursing, Postnatal Nursing.
I'd love to have said this the other day ... "your wife came to see me to discuss her cholesterol results and CVD risk, I dont give a damn about yours and what statin you're on, SHUT THE F*CK UP so your wife can a word in edgewise and tell me HER story"
I know, I know, I know. I know all about everything that you're telling me. It's very, very basic stuff. You know how I know? I WORK HERE. So you didn't need to explain to me what it means to reposition someone, or that I need to record what she ate off her dinner tray, or any of that other stuff that I do with every single other patient in the place! You are insane!
As I've already explained several times, your mother's had a stroke, is semi-conscious, has no gag, and is nil orally. An NG is not only uncomfortable, inserting one is contraindicated this soon after a patient's had tPA.
Yes, I know what the medication your mother's on does. Yes, I know how important it is she take it. No, I'm not going to give it to her. Missing a dose of statin won't kill her. Aspiration pneumonia and/or GI bleeding from an NG could. Go home now. It's not just that you're annoying me - incessantly tapping her face and mewling "Ma? Ma? Say something!" isn't helping her, either.
When we say no loitering in the halls we mean it, there is a family waiting room and the regular waiting room, you may not wait in the hallway so you can look into other patient rooms.
1 visitor means 1 visitor, I understand that you are the patients cousin bestfirend stepbrother twice removed, but there are too many people in the room already....who do you ask.....oh the MD, multiple nurses, RT just trying to work on your cousins bestfriend stepbrother
Our doctors do not normally call a family member to ask their opinions on medication. yes, i realize you have the POA for your mother but that still does NOT make you a doctor and therefore you are quite unqualified to give an opinion on what medicines your mother needs.
No, you may not go up and down the hall writing down the names of all the other residents and what room they are in so that you can keep track of "who is who." This is extremely intrusive. If they are in the day room or dining room, you may ask them what their names are and if they feel so inclined, they will tell you. Otherwise, enjoy your time with your brother and quit being so nosy!
How about, "No I don't know when your loved one is going to pass. No, I can't call you right before so you can run up here at the last minute. No, I don't know how much time she has left."
I HAVE said that to a family member.....Mean old nurse that I am.......:nuke:
Kiwi Ali
51 Posts
I'd love to have said this the other day ... "your wife came to see me to discuss her cholesterol results and CVD risk, I dont give a damn about yours and what statin you're on, SHUT THE F*CK UP so your wife can a word in edgewise and tell me HER story"