please do not interrupt my lunch to tell me that my patient (who is being watched by a cna while i eat) "doesn't trust" me and that you think he needs ativan. he's been asking for it all day. he's been diagnosed with paranoid delusions -- of course he doesn't trust me. and he's got a well documented history of alcohol and benzo abuse.
if, while the patient is attempting to bite the cna and kick me, i call for you to help me, please sign off your facebook account and come help me. i understand that you don't feel like working, you think bedside nursing is beneath you and you're expecting to get a hot new job far from an actual patient any day now, but it's just wrong to be perusing facebook while a patient is assaulting your co-workers.
please do not come to the med room where i'm trying to extract my meds from pyxis to tell me that my paranoid, delusional benzo addict is asking for "a big glass of water" when there's a big sign above his bed proclaiming his npo status.
the fact that the patient thinks you're his doctor does not mean that you know more than i do. believe me. he's crazy, you've been off orientation for less than a year and i've been a nurse for five years longer than you've been alive. i've seen this a few times before, and believe me he will not improve his behavior, as you suggest, if i'm "nicer to him." not giving him water when he's npo, not giving him the ativan that was specifically d/c'd and not releasing his wrist restraints is being nice to him.
wish i could say that. but then i'd be accused of "eating my young." so i'll just vent here instead.
Seriously?!? I think I wouldv'e probably melted this person's intrusiveness with just a glance. Was it a student? Sounds like a student. They might need a gentle reminder about not taking their eye's off the ball (ball being their own patients- remember that from NCLEX?). Whoever has time to be running to you with suggestions might need some more real work to do, perhaps then they might recognize how precious a peaceful, time-to-yourself lunchbreak is...
Oh what a wonderful vent site. I so needed this laugh and am still quietly snickering while drinking my ice tea. Please continue the vents. I miss those comments at work. Right now they are all mean and stuck up. I do my work and come home.
please don't say snarky things about me (till i'm out of earshot).
please try to appreciate it when i bring an issue to your attention about which i've just spoken to the supervisor, the very same issue about which you were complaining about just a few days earlier. i addressed it because of the conversation you & i had about how this little change might make our job easier. i got results & was excited to share them w/you! please don't say as i walk away, "if she has time to think about that, she's not busy enough," when you know darn well that's just not true, as i am one of the hardest working coworkers you have, and you know you can count on me to always pull my weight and usually part of others' too.
that hurt my feelings.
w/love & respect, your fellow nurse in the trenches,
Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.
We had a sitter that sat while a patient turned blue.
I had a sitter once that sat there cross-stitching while the patient ambulated to the bathroom without assistance, then fell off the toilet seat, cracked his head, and got a subdural. Whoot. Whoot.
Okay, I'll just spit it out...i'm a new grad...just freshly passed boards.
It's sad to say, but i can understand why the experienced nurses get frustrated with the new ones. There is nothing more dangerous than a new nurse who thinks he/she knows it all just because he/she passed the almighty NCLEX exam.
I always told my friends at school that I feel like, "i know just enough to be really dangerous." And so I gladly accept all the tips and points (all you seasoned and, yes, still beautiful) nurses have to offer.
My experience with one of my classmates was that he thought he knew everything about nursing. He was always quick to jump in during clinical and give us (his peers) points and tips. (Best part....he was repeating his last clinical semester! )
Well, one day we had a simulation lab rather than clinical. We didn't know who our team would consist of, but we did know we would have a team of 4 and it was going to be a code...
Okay, we got our group of 4 figured out and i was so thankful he was not in our group. I could hear him talking away about this and that and this and that in the time before they finally got their turn to go in....(As in "you do this and then i'll do that..and this is what they are looking for..so you want to be ready for...").
Needless to say his group did terrible. Because HE thought HE knew everything and wouldn't let anyone else bring anything to the table. There was much he did wrong and many he led astray.
To end this long and painful post: thank you to the seasoned nurses who do KNOW what the h*ll they are doing and thanks for putting up with us newbies while trying to complete your job, train us, and make sure we don't kill anyone on your watch!
P.S. Sorry if I crashed your "vent." Couldn't help myself.
LOL, that was good. I so hoped you had given that person a piece of your mind in an ever so sweet sarcastic way. If you ever have to write a short story for an english class, this paper should be included
I remember working in LTC as an aide... we had a little lady who was pretty much bed bound, end stages of her life. She had a sitter most of the day light hours, personal sitter, family paid for her I guess? She would stand at the door and just glare at us if we werent there right at exactly such and such time to turn her. Everything had to be perfect... we all stressed about going into that room until she would leave for the night.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
okay, i'll just spit it out...i'm a new grad...just freshly passed boards.
it's sad to say, but i can understand why the experienced nurses get frustrated with the new ones. there is nothing more dangerous than a new nurse who thinks he/she knows it all just because he/she passed the almighty nclex exam.
i always told my friends at school that i feel like, "i know just enough to be really dangerous." and so i gladly accept all the tips and points (all you seasoned and, yes, still beautiful) nurses have to offer.
my experience with one of my classmates was that he thought he knew everything about nursing. he was always quick to jump in during clinical and give us (his peers) points and tips. (best part....he was repeating his last clinical semester! )
well, one day we had a simulation lab rather than clinical. we didn't know who our team would consist of, but we did know we would have a team of 4 and it was going to be a code...
okay, we got our group of 4 figured out and i was so thankful he was not in our group. i could hear him talking away about this and that and this and that in the time before they finally got their turn to go in....(as in "you do this and then i'll do that..and this is what they are looking for..so you want to be ready for...").
needless to say his group did terrible. because he thought he knew everything and wouldn't let anyone else bring anything to the table. there was much he did wrong and many he led astray.
to end this long and painful post: thank you to the seasoned nurses who do know what the h*ll they are doing and thanks for putting up with us newbies while trying to complete your job, train us, and make sure we don't kill anyone on your watch!
p.s. sorry if i crashed your "vent." couldn't help myself.
that's ok -- you can crash my vent with comments like this any time. it's what i've been trying to say for an eternity, but i get dissed by the new grads who insist i've forgotten what it's like to be new. thank you!
J Budd - When did you start having clang associations? (look it up). To me your post seems silly and insensitive. If that was not your intent, then my bad.....
reminder about not taking their eye's off the ball (ball being their own patients- remember that from NCLEX?). Whoever has time to be running to you with suggestions might need some more real work to do, perhaps then they might recognize how precious a peaceful, time-to-yourself lunchbreak is...
)
royhanosn
233 Posts
your patient is a nut case! he is paranoid, dont give in!
Tell the CNA or whatever, you will deal with it, when you finish lunch,
and keep YOUR distance! and tell others to do the same. OR restrain him/her!
Boozer or drug addiction..Keep your physical distance.