Time to admit .. things you've said to pt's/family members that you shouldn't

Published

In the hospital where I used to work, family members would come up to the desk all the time to say "dad needs a _______ (blanket, cup, straw) and I developed a nasty habit of saying (in a perfectly innocent tone) "Does he know how to use the call light?" Gradually my tone started getting more and more sarcastic. Had to stop that one after a few nasty looks. oops.

Or "that's not real high on my priority list"

I know there's been plenty more....

At least I knew I had to leave the hospital setting for a bit before my mouth could get me in too much trouble. Feeling much better suited to home health, where you can throw whatever you like at me! I'll be out of your house in less than an hour!

Specializes in ER, cardiac, addictions.
I thought I was being helpful too. In fact, I thought the call light was an incredibly rude way to summon someone. Except now I know a little better. Sometimes it is helpful, sometime it is not.

I don't think many people would take it that well if they were asked to use the call light in future. People, who think they are doing you a favor by coming to get the nurse, do not like to be made wrong (no matter how politely they are asked to use the light in future). Also, when a family member is sick, a person probably won't want rationales behind call light use and how it is easier on the staff (or even how it may get them what they want faster). Then there is the person who thinks "I got up and came to the desk because I wanted it right away" and they sure expect it right away regardless of medical/nursing priorities. People generally couldn't give a toss. This probably is based on the idea that customer service is supposed to be of primary importance when, in actuality, it is patient care.

A nurses won't be lauded for getting the pain meds for patient A before the pillow for patient B if patient B (or their family) complains about how slow the nurse was to get the pillow (especially after they came all the way to the desk to ask for one). Nor will the nurse get kudos for asking someone to use the call light when they went to all the trouble to get up and leave the room to get a nurse (that too would be quite likely to end in complaint).

So I see nurses that just deal with it because everyone thinks they are the nurse's customer and that they are entitled to a level of customer service, including speed and a cheesy smile, similar to that afforded a first class traveller on Singapore Airlines. Also, I suspect, the nurse wants to avert a complaint directed at them.

I am not completely dismissing the idea of customer service in healthcare. Just that the model for it should not be the same as that of The Gap. AT & T or TGI Friday's. Yes, the mighty buck is involved but I don't know any nurses who get profit share as part of their remuneration package.

All of this is just my opinion.

There seems to be a current trend (and my hospital is, of course, following it) of having the patient designate a "care partner"----a friend or family member who's in charge of comfort measures like pillows, extra blankets, fresh water (if appropriate) and so on. These supplies are kept together, so the "care partner" can get them as needed, without having to go to the nursing staff first.

We don't use this policy in the ER, but it is used on the floors. Do any of you have experience with it, and, if so, has it been successful?

LOVE the idea of a "care partner." Every patient needs this -- perhaps even designated by the hospital, or as part of a volunteer service. Why not? You want excellent and safe care? This would be the way to get it, and to leave the poor nurses alone for 5 minutes to think. We are starting to see volunteers that are there to provide companionship and stimulation ...maybe this could be an offshoot of that.

It's a miracle that we can regroup, as much as we are interrupted. It's a miracle I don't forget the crucial labs, the heparin gtt check, the Q6 ck/troponins, the calls that need to be made on high blood pressure, heart rates, rhythms, etc. it's a wonder that i keep track of all these vitals q4, all the blood sugars, the upteen million meds given every 2 hours. Yet, I'm supposed to carry out trays, run for tissues, water, take someone on and off the bedpan, the bedside commode, every hour -- change their sheets after some huge mess, call the doctors RIGHT NOW, get them a pillow, a cup of coffee ... and, tell me, why cant' the techs do this stuff? They just seem to have their own personal agendas everyday that having nothing to do with mine!

Don't get me wrong, I love doing these things for people .. .I wish I could concentrate on their needs, and I realize those things are important to people .... but I've GOT to concentrate on their current condition, as well as perform a neuro assessment every 4. 5 patients w/ five changing conditons, perhaps one falling out of his/her bed, one w/ a sky high BP, one converting to afib, one wanting to go home RIGHT now, one wanting his next hit of dilaudid. . . :uhoh3:. I mean, if dont' attend to those things ...then what???

Have a pt who has a trach, non-verbal, no purposeful movement, hx of CVA, TBI, and MVC; she is actually very stable at this time. Anyways, her hubby came in and was demanding to staff, was trying to tell us how to do our job, saying that he knows how some people can be slack on their job, etc., all the while, preaching about how faithful to God he is and how he is expecting his wife to walk out of the facility after graduating from rehab (not going to happen.) Well, one night he got so close to me and started yelling, I had to tell him to back up and that I would call the police if he did it again. I then told him, that he didn't need to worry about the staff mistreating his wife, b/c we loved her, it was him we couldn't stand.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
have a pt who has a trach, non-verbal, no purposeful movement, hx of cva, tbi, and mvc; she is actually very stable at this time. anyways, her hubby came in and was demanding to staff, was trying to tell us how to do our job, saying that he knows how some people can be slack on their job, etc., all the while, preaching about how faithful to god he is and how he is expecting his wife to walk out of the facility after graduating from rehab (not going to happen.) well, one night he got so close to me and started yelling, i had to tell him to back up and that i would call the police if he did it again. i then told him, that he didn't need to worry about the staff mistreating his wife, b/c we loved her, it was him we couldn't stand.

this is great! i know of two family members i'd like to tell that! of course i wouldn't. couldn't. could i?

Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Or how bout to the guy who put a class ring around his member..."You seriously did that?!" Prob a normal reaction, but what would have been even more inappropriate..."wow, you really are small!"

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
or how bout to the guy who put a class ring around his member..."you seriously did that?!" prob a normal reaction, but what would have been even more inappropriate..."wow, you really are small!"

i did say that when i was accosted by a flasher while walking my dog. "you're proud of that? it's the smallest one i've ever seen on an adult!"

A favorite line I have used a few times goes something like this:

(needy Pain In The Butt patients) - Can you move my tissues? Reposition me? Feed me? Open my mail?

Me - If you can wipe your own butt and go outside to smoke (which you've already done) you are more than capable of doing X, Y, and Z by yourself.

Another incident that stands out was a very hostile and demanding visitor. She was a middle aged WASP lady that DEMANDED a recliner.

Visitor: You are going to get me a recliner!

Me : In a few moments when I have time I will get you one.

Visitor : Are you deaf or just stupid? I said you WILL get me a recliner - Not when you have time - NOW!

Me: I have some other things I need to....

Visitor: YOUR AN IDIOT! GET THE F-ING RECLINER NOW! NOW! NOW!!!! I CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL - DO WHAT I WANT NOW!

Me: In A Moment - Hold on

Visitor - (in my face yelling and cursing)

Me: GET OFF MY BACK! Get the Gosh Darn (not the real words I used) chair yourself - Its down the hall in the storage room. Your attitude sucks sweetie. Your wants are not my first priority....I am here to care for the patient. Got it? Good!

WOW that woman seams absolutely dreadful

Specializes in retired from healthcare.

A patient's relative walked up to me one day and started asking me about

her mother's medication. I said, "You need to talk to the med nurse about it."

"I'M TALKING TO YOU!!"

What I felt like saying is, "Your assertiveness training is not what you need

to handle the staff members here," and I had to bite my tongue.

Instead I answered, "I can't discuss meds with you or I'll be out of here on

my ear."

Then the med nurse who had been eavesdropping came in and saved me from this ignorant visitor. I was lucky she was just outside the door.

Specializes in Family Medicine.
BRAVO!!! This is the point of the day. We are here, pulling ALL of the customer service "weight," yet receiving none of the benefit of the hosptial being "chosen" as the place to come for whatever service/op/treatment they need.

Your'e right -- who gets that particular reward? The docs, the admins, the BOD, whomever?

The folks who actually get the financial reward ...perhaps they ought to mosie on down and lift a finger towards some good customer service. Put on a pot of coffee ...fluff a pillow ... how about help granny to the br for a change??

And leave the actual CARE to the nurses, dammit.

The CTCA (Cancer Treatment Center of America) employees get a yearly bonus cut from the company's profit. It's a pretty sweet deal.

Specializes in Labor/Delivery, Pediatrics, Peds ER.

I was really young, working as a tech in a peds ER during a hiatus in my student nurse days. We had a super busy ER that was chaos most nights. When you'd look out from the desk, there was always a sea of faces filling the huge waiting room.

I'm not at all proud of this - I'm fessing up. A woman brought in a screaming, fighting, kicking 3-yr-old with a cold and possible earache. It was all mom could do to drag her to the desk. The mom was pretty pushy and asked that her child be placed in a room as quickly as possible. We explained that she and the other 20-25 patients in the waiting room would be seen in order, barring any life-threatening emergency which would take precedence.

She kept coming back up to the desk, asking to be placed into a room. On the last time she said, "Well, look what she's doing!" indicating her screaming, fighting child. Apparently she thought this behavior was an excuse to be moved to the front of the line. Once again we told her she'd have to wait her turn.

After she headed away, I said to the tech next to me, in what I thought was sotto voce, "It's not our fault she raised a brat."

She wheeled around and said, "WHAT did you say?" :chair:

Once I had more experience, I realized that most 2-3 year-olds who arrived screaming and fighting in the ER usually had a long history of ear infections and trips to the ER for treatment, and good reason for their behavior.:smackingf

Recently a pt came in after a fall with a broken hip. His wife was not with him as I settled and admitted him. She finally came in about 1 hour into his stay, and proceeded to inform me, "You know, if I had had my choice, he would have been taken to XYZ hospital, they really know what they are doing over there".

Great, lady; what you REALLY want to do is **** off and belittle your husbands caregivers. I should have offered her an ambulance transport at that point; yeah, another 2 hours of pain and transferring to Mt. Fabulous when we have great care right here. What I actually said was, "Sorry you did'nt get what you wanted, but I know he'll be OK ANYWAY." With a smirk on my face.

Specializes in retired from healthcare.
I was really young, working as a tech in a peds ER during a hiatus in my student nurse days. We had a super busy ER that was chaos most nights. When you'd look out from the desk, there was always a sea of faces filling the huge waiting room.

I'm not at all proud of this - I'm fessing up. A woman brought in a screaming, fighting, kicking 3-yr-old with a cold and possible earache. It was all mom could do to drag her to the desk. The mom was pretty pushy and asked that her child be placed in a room as quickly as possible. We explained that she and the other 20-25 patients in the waiting room would be seen in order, barring any life-threatening emergency which would take precedence.

She kept coming back up to the desk, asking to be placed into a room. On the last time she said, "Well, look what she's doing!" indicating her screaming, fighting child. Apparently she thought this behavior was an excuse to be moved to the front of the line. Once again we told her she'd have to wait her turn.

After she headed away, I said to the tech next to me, in what I thought was sotto voce, "It's not our fault she raised a brat."

She wheeled around and said, "WHAT did you say?" :chair:

Once I had more experience, I realized that most 2-3 year-olds who arrived screaming and fighting in the ER usually had a long history of ear infections and trips to the ER for treatment, and good reason for their behavior.:smackingf

This reminds me of when my child was two and three. We lived in a place where they had 3-1-1 clinics all over the city. I went here several times when I wanted immediate attention and when it was not life-threatening. It worked out quite well

and I'm sure it saved the E.R.s a lot of trouble. I wish they had them in more places.

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