Todays Most annoying pt award goes to....

nursesunflower · Sep 28, 2010

This made me laugh out loud. Thanks!! I have had patients like this before. It takes almost all of my will power to keep from rolling my eyes at them. If a roll of the eyes does slip, they catch it every time, too!!!

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2010

This made me laugh out loud. Thanks!! I have had patients like this before. It takes almost all of my will power to keep from rolling my eyes at them. If a roll of the eyes does slip, they catch it every time, too!!!

The pt in the next bed was rolling her eyes at me! I've left out the part where she swore she was going to throw up from all the pills and finally managed to bring up about 1 tsp of phlegm to prove to me how sick she was.

Trilldayz,RN BSN · Sep 28, 2010

LOL!!!

shiccy · Sep 28, 2010

HAHA

This brings back memories of when I was at an out of area hospital with my dad in a double room with a patient whose wife was a freaking psycho.

It's a bit fuzzy for me b/c it was a few months ago, but she started -literally- crying because her diabetic husband got a diabetic tray instead of the cardiac tray she DEMANDED before. Because. You know. Diabetic diets for diabetics are *totally* inappropriate. She said because he was given a diabetic diet for breakfast he was not going to eat it because he didn't like diabetic foods. Since he had been in the hospital for such a long time, and his nutritional intake had been compromised for such a long time (sob sob sob sob sob).

For what it's worth her husband ate nearly 100% of his illicit diabetic diet, and didn't pitch one *****. He just sat there when she freaked the heck out. She threatened to take her husband out of the hospital after ********, complaining, sobbing, etc. to every freaking person that walked into the room *and* SCREAMING at the nurse that she wanted to know WHO ordered a DIABETIC DIET (for her diabetic husband).

Needless to say we had a little Münchausen's syndrome going on, I think.

The fact of the matter with the whole ordeal was that my mom, dad, and I all got to listen to the whole thing. We watched at least 3 doctors or clinical affiliates and the nurse (who was running her ass off b/c she was being such a freak) go in and out of the room. The best part was watching each and every one of them turn around and have a HUGE sigh while walking away from the idiot, and when they got past the curtain roll their eyes because we were all smiling at them like, "Wow what a *****. They knew we knew and we knew they were at wits end too.

The poor nurse took so much abuse and was such a nice girl that she whispered in her ear and said, "I know how it is to have a person be that ignorant and stupid. You handled yourself wonderfully, and I wanted you to know that." We made fun of her for the rest of the day - with her in the room on the other side of the curtain. I'm sure she could tell we were talking about her, but it's not like she could do anything about it. My dad was being d/c'ed that day, so we fortunately didn't have to hear anything else from her.

I ran through the scenario MANY times through my head, and I know for a FACT that this woman was just attempting to get attention. I know for a fact that her ignorant ass would have never signed the discharge against medical advice papers, and she would have never EVER taken her husband out of the hospital as he still required fairly regular care (as he was impulsive). I, being the person I am, would have said as nicely as I could, "Listen. I understand you're upset about the diet, and I will be in contact with the physician shortly and I will let you know what he says. I cannot give your husband anything non-diabetic if this was, in fact, the order that was written. If this is not satisfactory to you, please let me know as I will obtain the proper paperwork for you to remove your husband from the hospital. Please be aware before making that decision that if you sign your husband out against medical advice, you will more than likely have to pay most if not all of the bills for you husbands stay as insurance generally does not cover medical expenses if you remove the patient from the hospital before he is ready for discharge."

I've said it before and I'll say it again. And guess what? They suddenly become nice as pie, and I've never had one call my bluff. Don't mess with the bull or you'll get the horns.

KarmaComesAround · Sep 28, 2010

At least, she was blind, so you could roll those eyes at her!

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2010

At least, she was blind, so you could roll those eyes at her!

I was too busy keeping my little inside-voice from becomeing an outside -voice to roll my eyes.

Although the nurse on the other side of the room told me she was killing herself trying not to laugh at me!

This was my 3rd shift with this pt. Over the weekend not only did I have to deal with her, but with her daughter - "I am Dr Z. This is my husband Dr A. You have to be nice to my mother" who also had threatened to "go to the board (of the hospital)" because of the care her mother received. Her complaint on Saturday? Her Mother's gown was down. I told her it was up when I left her 1 hour ago. Sometimes gowns come undown. It happens. Esp when the pt pulls at it!

pedsrnjc · Sep 28, 2010

I'm pretty sure I've cared for this lady. Did she just fly in from the US over the weekend? As far as I know she's still at my facility, but she did seem like she was on the way out either heaven or hospital.

BTW...I love this lady.

ErinS, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2010

This is the MOST perfect post after my day today! Not my patient, but his wife. Man with end-stage neuro disease is breathing 35 times a minute and can no longer wake up or respond.

Me: he has really decline

Wife: because you stopped the antibiotics

Me: well, he has lost 100 pounds in 18 months and has been fairly unresponsive for 2 weeks

Wife: because you stopped the antibiotics today

Me: (deep breath) we need to find a way to remove restraints- he can not go to snf with restraints

wife: the ng tube bothers his nose

Me: we can put in a peg tube, or use medication to make him more comfortable

Wife: I watch him all the time so he won't pull out his tube and I don't want him drugged

Me: Will you be staying tonight?

Wife: well i have to go home and sleep

This went on and on and on for an hour until I was ready to take an ativan and give her double the dose i take and slip her husband some and hope I have some left over for the poor student with me and the nurse at the hospital who has spent 12 hours with this cocoa puff!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 28, 2010

Sounds like the daughter of the patient I just transferred to another SNF......

One time when I was still working at the hospital, I had a patient just like the one described in the OP. On top of the micromanaging of the med pass and the constant complaining that we were trying to kill her, she was anxious and shook all the time, kind of like a chihuahua, and had this nasal whine that I swear made dogs howl for a three-block radius.

She'd been there for several days when a new hospitalist took her case and, upon hearing her story, promptly wrote her for Ativan PO TID and handed me the order sheet. I looked at him and half-jokingly asked "Only one milligram?"

"That's for the patient," he explained, grinning. "You can have as much as you want." :lol2:

cookienay · Sep 28, 2010

This thread made me laugh out loud. I know I have taken care of each one of these fruitcakes at least once in my career.

JjoBsn · Sep 28, 2010

And this my friends, is why I stick to NICU. Anyone over the age of 1 month I just cannot handle, lol. But thanks for the chuckle. Best of luck on your next shift.