Wanna quit because of patients attitude?

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Specializes in Abdominal Surgery.

Hi everyone,

I just want to discuss the fact that I think the patients attitude is getting worse and worse. Sometimes it´s even that bad that I seriously think about quitting my job as an RN.

I do have to tell that I work in a big hospital in Belgium, so I have no idea how it is in the States, but my opinion is that, since I graduated six years ago, the attitude of patients is getting worse.

Some patients think that they entered the Hilton or Four Seasons once they step through the front door and start demanding things from us. And you know, asking it is one thing, but most of them just SAY it. No please or thank you. Is that sooooo hard to do? It really irritates the crap out of me.

And what is it with the fact that other people, who have no nursing experience, start telling us how to do our job. And with other people I´m not only talking about patients, but also about visitors. Please, I studied for four years so I really do know what I´m talking about. And I do know what has to be done. I´m not telling the doctor how to operate, so why is someone with no experience and insight telling me how to do my job?

I might really sound negative and all, and I know that nursing has a lot of upsides too, but I think that it´s something that doesn´t get better anymore.

Am I the only one that thinks like this or are there other people who have problems with the patients´ attitude?

Thanks for reading!

Bye bye,

Vincent

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Yes, I definitely have to agree 100% with you regarding patient and visitors attitudes. I have beena nurse almost 30 years and it has steadily been getting worse. I really feel that people just don't have respect for anyone these days. It really makes you wonder where this world is heading to. I am fortunate because I do IV therapy and I only have to be with the patients briefly. Somedays almost every room I go to the patients are demanding and th e families are obnoxious. But then i will walk into a patient's room and they will be so kind and thankful for the job I have done it makes me feel good. I will tell them that patients like you are the reason I get up every morning and come to work.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Verper,

I am sure that everyone on this site has felt the same way at least once!

Just imagine how your patients would react if they were paying the $$$ that our patients have to shell out! I have had more than one patient rant and rave about this - things like "at these prices, you girls should at least be topless" or "This place costs more than a 5 star hotel & you expect me to eat this @$^# (explitive deleted)"

Hang in there!

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Before I left the bedside, (which was good, because I might have committed a mortal crime had I not) I got to the point that I just started dishing it back to them. Whatever they did and however they said it, they got it right back. I had noticed that the nicer we were, the worse it got.

More than once, I got the "How dare you?" or "WHAT did you just say to me?", to which I'd reply "The same way you dare." or "The same thing you just said to me. Not very nice to be on the other end, is it?" Then, when they were ready to behave, we'd get along fine. Never got written up, not once, no one reported me. I don't know if they were ashamed or flabbergasted, but it worked.

I never bought into the "they're having a stressful time right now" as an excuse for being a nit. One of those poor, stressed individuals took a swing at me one night because he wanted a Coke and I was of the opinion that my patient's pain medicine was more important. I did tell him that I'd be happy to help him, and it would be no more than a minute. His thoughts were that he could hold the pill while I got the Coke. When I declined, he took a swing. Now, I'm 5'5" and weighed 115-120 at that time, and he was about 6'2" and 200 or so, but he was in the floor before he knew it. (I have a really good friend who's a 3rd degree black belt, we used to work psych. He taught me well). So, what would have been a 5 minute wait for a soda that he was capable of getting himself turned into a jail stay because he "wadn't takin' no lip from no wimmen."

Yep, the attitude has gone to the dogs, all right.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Maybe I'm not a good person to ask today, since I had a patient tried to break my nose with his telephone (this was after haldol IM, adivan IV). I got him in restraints so he couldn't hurt himself or anyone else, and then had to listen to the family having a fit, yelling, screaming they were going to sue, they were going to report the hospital to the state board of nursing, etc., because sweet old granddad was in restraints. I took them off on the condition that they stayed with him to keep him safe -- and when he smacked his own daughter in the face, they were a lot more receptive to granddad being restrainted....:banghead:

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We had a patient who was cursing at a nurse and throwing things at her for not getting his meds quick enough. The supervisor went in the room, told him who she was and then told him that if she had to come in there and give him his meds, he wouldn't wake up. He left everyone alone after that.

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I think patients attitudes are way worse, but in general I would say it is the younger patients (ie younger than 60) who are so demanding. Younger people are used to getting everything they want NOW and having all their needs met immediately. They have never lived through a time like older people have where you sacrifice things or go without.

But to me, the biggest problem is the hospitals fostering this mentality with their amazing service campaigns, or whatever your particular hospital calls it. They make patients think they're going to get hotel type service, but the reality is, it's a hospital, not a hotel.

Our hospital, like many on here I've read about, is instituting these comfort rounds where we have to round on each patient every hour and they've gone so far as to put a checklist by the patient's bed to see that we've done it. To me, that's dumbing down nursing. I have some patients that are extremely sick that I check on every 10 minutes. Other patients are alert, oriented, independent and basically waiting for a ride home. Why can I not use my good judgement to decide how often a patient needs to be seen?

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Verper,

Just imagine how your patients would react if they were paying the $$$ that our patients have to shell out! I have had more than one patient rant and rave about this - things like "at these prices, you girls should at least be topless" or "This place costs more than a 5 star hotel & you expect me to eat this @$^# (explitive deleted)"

Ah, but take it that one step further: the people you KNOW are not paying a DIME for their care, regardless of what it costs, and STILL act as though they are doing you a favor by patronizing your unit!!

I'm talking the Medicaid folks whose insurance AT BEST paid for their initial tests that got them admitted, and whose gov't funding ran out by lunch the day of admission. But are still staying another several days for the million dollar workup because of hospitalists' fear of discrimination threats, or their need to pad their own caseload.

I'm talking people who have ZERO insurance, and ZERO intention of paying that single dime, but have 17 family members and friends hovering in their room, sucking up snacks and drinks from the unit pantry, hanging out watching tv, etc, while demanding frivilous crap from the nurses and aides.

And let's not forget those WITH great insurance, who ALSO take the attitude like you mentioned in the above-quoted post, but ALSO are not paying anything beyond a small co-pay: their insurance means that the hospital has agreed to a lesser amount of payment in exchange for a guarantee of payment. Hardly an "I'm paying big bucks" situation for those folks.

No, the only people who get screwed in our current system from what I see are people like US, who work full time, responsibly handle their finances, and get stuck with bills that others just DON'T pay. And we're probably the least-likely people to be PITAs when admitted!!

/rant

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I consider myself very fortunate. 90% of the patients and families that I care for are respectful and polite, and very grateful for the good care that I provide. They are the ones who give my job meaning. Maybe about 10% or less are pains in the ass. They make it more difficult to do what I need to do.

When I find myself in a situation where I recognize that a patient or their family member is going to be a pain in my butt, I recognize it for what it is, and just let it go. I do my job, treat them with professional courtesy, and count my blessings that I am only with them for eight hours, and I don't have to live with them or be them.

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Specializes in NA, Stepdown, L&D, Trauma ICU, ER.
Ah, but take it that one step further: the people you KNOW are not paying a DIME for their care, regardless of what it costs, and STILL act as though they are doing you a favor by patronizing your unit!!

I'm talking people who have ZERO insurance, and ZERO intention of paying that single dime, but have 17 family members and friends hovering in their room, sucking up snacks and drinks from the unit pantry, hanging out watching tv, etc, while demanding frivilous crap from the nurses and aides.

We've picked up a new frequent flyer on my unit lately exactly like this! She's made 14 visits to the ER and L&D triage since the beginning of May. 14 :banghead: Never been admitted, hangs out a few hours, get a boxed lunch, friends bug us about getting sodas and snacks... Makes me wanna pull my hair out! I worked my hiney off to get through school, so I could have a decent paying job with insurance and *I* certainly couldn't afford to go to my PCP, much less the hospital 14 times in 3 months!

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Specializes in PICU/NICU.

Yeah... I don't get much flack from my patients, however the families are getting WORSE by the day! I actually overheard one of my coworker's family members telling another that we are "glorified nannies"!!!:banghead:

Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The vast majority of my patients and their families are very nice. Try not to give your power away to the mean ones. I'm convinced they are like sharks and smell blood and fear and will just attack more. I always remain professional and nice but keep my priorities straight. I will get what they require but wants come after needs. Your 4th pitcher of ice in an hour isn't as important as meds being given or my patient having complications after surgery. Put on your big boy/girl underpants and deal with it.

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