What age of patient's are the most difficult for you?

[ddane94]

Just curious

[suga_junkie, BSN, RN]

40-something y/o females, particularly those with psych issues. Some of them can be so whiny/demanding and also manipulative. Also 16-22ish y/o having minor (often orthopedic) surgery. You'd think they'd had open heart surgery without anaesthetic the way they carry on.

Disclaimer: before I get flamed, not all 40-something y/o females with psych issues behave like that nor all 16-22ish minor surgical patients. I just find there to be a significant enough percentage of them to have it come to mind. I also don't prejudge patients based on their histories etc etc etc

[T-Bird78]

Parents of 18-25 y/o. They don't like not being on the HIPAA form and we can't tell them anything.

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

Yes, I rarely like dealing with pts my age (20 something's) .

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

Anyone over the age of 16. Hence, the reason I went straight into Peds out of school.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

Anyone over the age of 16. Hence, the reason I went straight into Peds out of school.

But you still have to deal with the parents . . . .

It's very common for me to very much enjoy the pediatric patient but the parents make things difficult. Being a parent myself I can understand why a parent of a very sick child would be neurotic and overbearing. But it's not easy to deal with.

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

The ones I have the most issue with are the elderly dementia patients, who are assigned to the unit because of aggressive behaviors, not able to return home and their medical issues have resolved so they need to be off the medical floor. And I mean the dementia patients who are far enough along in the disease process that they are next to impossible to re-direct and are a constant danger to themselves because they overestimate their own abilities. We end up placing them on a unofficial 1:1 because there is barely enough staff to cover the unit to begin with.

[DemonWings]

I think most difficult for me would be peds. Probably not in the sense you are talking about, but I can't handle a child going bad. I would never be able to maintain my composure and would be a horrible, emotional, nervous wreck.

[HappyMurse]

Definitely the older adults for me. I somehow always get stuck with all my older patients having 10+ meds that they want to take one at a time and talk in between...always slows down my morning. Not to mention I feel bad when I rush them because I enjoy talking to my patients.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Definitely seconding the elderly dementia patients! Also seconding the elderly people who like to talk. I really get that their family dumped them there, aren't visiting, and I'm the only other person in the room right now, but I really don't have time to listen to stories about when they were in the war or had ten kids or whatever. My other patient is on a vent with critical drips and is ACTUALLY DYING... it's not going to kill them to have to sit in silence for a while.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Teenagers, to early 20s.

I know I was never that dramatic when I was that age.

[T-Bird78]

And, I hate to say it, other current or former nurses. You know we make the worst pts, but it's like getting a job evaluation. They're watching everything you do, ready to question your actions or critique your technique if it's different from theirs. I had an RN ask me if I was going to aspirate the shot I was getting ready to administer (um, DUH!) and I personally have requested a different gage needle for shots and IV. I told my home health nurse that she wasn't going to get the 22g in the back of my hand, especially when I was that severely dehydrated! LOL!