To all the "Old School" Nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Ok I'm curious. After reading many threads on here and talking to aides and nurses who have been doing this for many many years I'm wondering something.

As far as patients and their family members go, have they really changed over the years? I don't mean diagnosis wise, I mean their mannerisms. Are they really that much ruder, that much more demanding then they were in the past? It seems lately that on my unit, we have patients who are perfectly capable of doing things themselves and yet they expect you to pick something up if they drop it or expect you to make 10 trips to the kitchen for this, that and the other.

So I ask all you that have been doing this for a while....have people really changed?

I personally think it has something to do with the number of people using legal and illegal drugs. Used to be we had only to deal with drunks. Now when I experience beligerent and paranoid behavior I get real cautious, you never know what someone on drugs will do. I would rather deal with the worst drunk in the world than a person on PCP.

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This happened to me last week as well, And to top it off every time this patient had a b.m. He would call out and ask for "my women" :bow:to clean him up, and belittled us while were trying to do our jobs because we had to clean his bm. Pretty nice, huh.

This is the kind of pt. that tempts a nurse to fantasize about smacking him upside the head with a bedpan.

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I couldn't have said it better myself.

My current pet peeve is commercials onTV- "It's my moneyand I want it NOW".

I'm seriously going to write to Burger King to tell them their commercial with people yelling "Shut up" to their growling stomach offends me!

I have seen a hotels.com commercial that makes me cringe. It showed the staff carrying the hotel reviewer up to his room. It makes me wonder when patients are going to expect this from the nurses.

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Americans are concerned about "rights" violations and do not understand that what they demand as their rights more often than not create a demand or hardship for a fellow human being.

There are too many that confuse their "wants" with their rights when they are demanding their rights. (And to heck with anyone elses rights.)

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
There are too many that confuse their "wants" with their rights when they are demanding their rights. (And to heck with anyone elses rights.)

I think the old concept of "my right to swing my arm ends where your nose begins" has been lost by a lot of people, myself.

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I definately see changes through the years. The changes are even represented in the TV we watch. Years ago the children in TV shows were polite and well behaved and as the years go by we see them become mouthy and sometimes downright rude and it's made out to be entertaining and cute. When I was growing up, it was inconceivable to talk back to an adult let alone be mouthy. If I acted up in school, you can bet I didn't run home and complain about the teachers as my parents would punish me yet again. Today there are no consequences to bad behavior and usually the most obnoxious loudest people get catered to reinforcing them to continue with their grandious entitlement. I don't see things changing anytime soon when we have to apologize to bullies and do everything in our power to apease them. "Thank you sir, May I have another?"

Toq

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

YES!!!!!!! With the advent of the internet...many laymen feel they are savy in medical and question EVERYTHING you do! Not to mention that trends have gone towards hotel or even home like atmospheres for looks and comfort...but didn't think about making the distinction that those people working in them are trained professionals!

The advent of the customer is always right really killed us in medical...NO the CUSTOMER is typically wrong in our field, that is why they are HERE! But that logic is gone by the wayside somewhere...somewhere hidden behind a mist of customer service to the sacrifice of employees because of the all mighty dollar!

People don't seem to have common sense anymore...they let healthcare staff treat things most people would treat at home sucessfully because of fear and lots of media hype. They are told to watch every move and question everything...yet let them do everything for you because you are forking out lots of money!?!?!? Ummmmmmm contradiction there...and can we nurses speak out...NO, that would not be proper to the saintly nurse role that has also been assumed to be a natural occurance in signing up!

Has it changed? I have been a nurse for only 10 years, watching nurses for a lifetime...known some of the greatest nurses I could ever imagine walking on the earth today and heard their stories...YES..it has changed...changed for the heart breaking worse!

But can it be fixed...yep...and each and everyone of us can in our own personal way every day...take some time to think about that...

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In ltc for 15 years,and YES,people have come to the conclusion that they are at the Hilton,and expect mints on their pillow!I mostly think it is the families,not so much the residents themselves.The families seem so paranoid at the thought of "the nursing home!"Sometimes,nothing you do is good enough!It gets so rediculous,there ought to be boundaries for these types of family members,instead we bend over backwards for them,while the little old lady with no family,does just fine!

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

With advent of Press-Gayney and Gallup, and managements' never-ending appetite for CUSTOMER SERVICE - not to mention a spoiled, dirty mouthed, rude, narcisstic and hypocondriac society - Patients and Families behavior is at its worst. Although my nursing experience is limited to 7 years, I come from a family with over 130 years of collected nursing experience (from 1940 up thru today). Years ago, as my mother would say, the Nurse was the boss - and people would not DARE to dierespect his or her authority. Years ago the nurse called the shots and decided who could stay, where, when and for how long.

Cut to the late 80's/early 90's. Healthcare reform, internet, and the mass media devestated the role of the nurse. Rather than providing patient care and being the boss in charge, the new definition of the nurse is to CYA, and do PILES of paperwork. Then comes the nationwide nursing shortage. Then comes higher acuity patients. Then comes JCAHO, State and Federal bullies making our lives hell. Then comes management trying to turn the hospital into the Grand Luxury Hilton with room service, leatherbound menu's, Valet, and starbucks. Then add in there the stereotypes of the nurses (Handmaid, ****, Battleaxe, Gay Man, Uneducated, Angel of Mercy).

As far as our society as a whole, Respect is LONG gone. The only recent example I can think of where people where genuine and nice was the weeks and months after September 11. But in general, our society is a goner! How sad that is

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I am not sure if the patients are getting any ruder, but the sheer volume of patients makes even a simple inconsiderate act harder to handle, because now, it is not just that one patient who is hard to handle, but each room you go to makes it worse and worse to deal with. Instead of one patient/family, it can be 10. No one really knows how to handle so many...not management, not JCAHO, the BON, not a soul.

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Ok I'm curious. After reading many threads on here and talking to aides and nurses who have been doing this for many many years I'm wondering something.

As far as patients and their family members go, have they really changed over the years? I don't mean diagnosis wise, I mean their mannerisms. Are they really that much ruder, that much more demanding then they were in the past? It seems lately that on my unit, we have patients who are perfectly capable of doing things themselves and yet they expect you to pick something up if they drop it or expect you to make 10 trips to the kitchen for this, that and the other.

So I ask all you that have been doing this for a while....have people really changed?

I've been in healthcare 20 years and I have seen a big change. I think it mirrors society. Rudeness, demanding, unwilling to do for self-have you been in a restaurant or airport lately or seen how parents deal with their children??

Otessa

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Yes, patients and their families have gotten more demanding, much more rude, and more willing to be brazenly non-compliant. The families will stand in the way of the nurse, literally and figuratively, and then complain to TPTB that mother isn't getting the care she deserves. Well, back off, go home, and let me "make" mother walk in the hall. I don't "make" mother walk to be mean, is is FOR HER OWN GOOD. Not everything that makes you well is necessarily enjoyable. Good grief.

I am away from the bedside for nine months now and I must say it is the most enjoyable time in my nursing career that I can remember. And that's really kind of sad.

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