Waking up the crabby butts

Morainey, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

When I assess people right at the start of a night shift, I try to give the patients an idea of the next time I'll be in. It seems to help a little if they know the game plan. For instance, "I don't have any meds scheduled for you until 3AM so I will be back then, and the CNA will be in soon to take a set of vitals". I've only had a couple of real stinkers who insisted upon not being woken up... and then they were up all night anyway.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

Oh, how I wish I worked 12s and didn't have to deal with the crabby butts at 11:30. I understand their POV, but I also have a job to do. We can only explain why we need to take a look at them, multi-task during the assessment, and then try to get out of there as fast as we can. It's also a good thing to make the environment conducive to sleep before leaving. I love when I wake up a patient in the morning, and he/she says to me, "That's the best sleep I've had since I got here." On my shift, the most sleep that stable patients will get overnight is five hours: 12:30 shift assessment ends, and 5:30 phlebotomy comes in. :/

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

As a frequent patient these days.. :sniff: ....I have to say that sometimes it is tough not to be touchy when it feels like you are being poked and prodded to death. During the day, of course, there are tests, vitals, rounds, nurses, students, residents, diet folk, housekeeping, administration "poking their head in", attending and consults, PT/OT, case management, discharge planners, lab, x-ray, am care, linen change, garbage dumped.......the list continues. It NEVER fails just as you begin to close your eyes......there is someone there again. Some Days are worse than others and although I understand....hourly rounds DRIVE ME NUTS:bugeyes:! I tell the nurses...peek in if I'm not blue....leave me be... and I'll fill out that little card that my nurse walked on water and I was treated like royalty... :smokin: .

You know, even on nights. The evening staff makes one last round...around 2230/2300.....one for the Rn and one for the CNA. Then the CNA comes in....vitals, water, whatever. Then the RN...meds vitals, whatever. Then the IV beeps, then it's time for the antibiotic, then repeat temp/vitals, then the IV beeps (will this blasted:banghead: thing never shut up???) then lab draw, now you need something for sleep/pain/fever, NOw you need to use the restroom, ahhhhh peace sleep......IV beeps, time for antibiotic, repeat temp, lab draw, last rounds, IV beep, bathroom run...doze off...God forbid if I am on tele :eek: , I bring duct tape just to keep those little suckers on........then.........good morning day shift and it all starts again. :bugeyes:

I HATE :madface:being sick, I HATE hospitals when I am in them and not being paid .I HATE being away from my kids. I HATE depending on other people:madface:. So sometimes:o I may get a little cranky.

Rudeness is never acceptable but just a thought to some of the stress/annoyance/anxiety that Joe Public may not understand not deal with well. :hug: I hope your next shift is better.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

I used to work nights and that was one of the worst parts: waking people who you knew wouldn't like it, but you also knew that they HAD to be checked over--chest tubes, wound dressings that leaked, whatever.

If I had a real crank, I would tell them that it wasn't fun for me to wake them, that I HAD to for their health/safety, and whenever it was possible for me to leave them alone, be assured I would. I also told them that when they were healthy enough to be left alone all night, they could go home.

MomRN0913 · Feb 29, 2012

A patient can refuse care. Which is fine, document it, inform the physician and perhaps they can be discharged. SOmeone with kind of attitude you mention above, I have said before "There is a reason why you are in the hospital, if you were OK, your would be at home. If you would not like care, I will gladly inform your doctor and we can see about getting you home"

If a patient does not want 12pm vitals, I get an order. Or document patient refused. I have seen doctors write for walkie-talkies where it is not necessary for vitals at 12am and 6am write an order to cover them and the nurses.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

A patient can refuse care. Which is fine, document it, inform the physician and perhaps they can be discharged. SOmeone with kind of attitude you mention above, I have said before "There is a reason why you are in the hospital, if you were OK, your would be at home. If you would not like care, I will gladly inform your doctor and we can see about getting you home"
If a patient does not want 12pm vitals, I get an order. Or document patient refused. I have seen doctors write for walkie-talkies where it is not necessary for vitals at 12am and 6am write an order to cover them and the nurses.

It has nothing to do with the care they are receiving. They are tired, scared, sleep deprived, overwhelmed, anxious about their finances, job, diagnosis....going home. Sometimes take a moment to figure out why instead of taking it so personal because they is an underlying cause 94% of the time and the other 6% are just mean spirited or genetically flawed. But it has nothing what so ever to do with you....personally.

There but for the Grace of God go I.

ktwlpn, LPN · Feb 29, 2012

People are stoopid-if you are sick enough to warrant hospitilization you need to be monitored-theoretically you could go south at any time.WHY o why is being scared,sick,overwhelmed etc a valid excuse for treating the staff like crap?

RiverNurse · Feb 29, 2012

KTWPLN -

I agree. It's not a valid excuse. In fact, our state board of nursing has a petition on the books for violence against nurses - being hit, spat on, you name it. It seems that in the patient demographic at my hospital, that we are a hotel that delivers medications. Not only to I give pain meds, I'm also responsible for picking up dirty laundry, trash, delivering water and expected to be there Johnny on the spot to cover an ambulatory patient's feet.

I tell patients it is not pleasant being in a hospital, but that they are there because they are sick, have consented to allow the hospital to care for them - which includes monitoring, meds and rounding, and that I am there to make sure that happens.

The patient has the right to refuse. If so, I document it. I'm not going to try to force or coerce a patient into anything. I will, though, encourage and educate.

Rivernurse

NoviceRN10 · Feb 29, 2012

We are supposed to eyeball our pts every hour during a shift. Can you imagine someone knocking on your door every hour? That is the only reason I appreciate pts that don't want us to shut their door, I can tiptoe in, take a peek and tiptoe back out. I don't usually run into people being jerks about me not getting in their room till 12:30 or 1. It is what it is and I have to do my job.

IdrilRN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

I agree that if they were well enough not to be checked on they are well enough to be home.

I remember after a 5pm surgery, I was up all night going to the bathroom anyway, they didn't need to come and check me every hour. Getting rest in the hospital, :confused: that's the strangest thing I've ever heard.

I wake people up for their meds because if they didn't need them, and that they are not in a hotel. But I will let them sleep and not ask if they are awake, when it is clear they are resting quietly with their eyes closed and are breathing.

Now today at work, there were many crabby peeps. I think it was the extra day of this year, (peeps just didn't know what to do with themselves) and the new moon.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

People are stoopid-if you are sick enough to warrant hospitalization you need to be monitored-theoretically you could go south at any time.WHY o why is being scared,sick,overwhelmed etc a valid excuse for treating the staff like crap?

People are not really STUPID. They are under informed about expectations and routines. I never said it was a valid excuse.......I said think what you can do to maybe change their minds and attitudes. There is a vast difference between being rude and hitting/spitting on/at someone. I was just giving you a different point of view to help you maybe see another point of view. It is also not necessaily the message but the delivery of the information.....like fliggin on the lights snapping your gum, sighing and repetatively looking at your watch and rolling your eyes inbetween sighing loudly, that I have trouble believing you have been even able to assess my IV site......(when I say you I don't mean you personally, it's a figure of speech)

I hope you are never a patient and have to learn for yourself that the delivery of the care is as important as the care itself. Peace