What is your biggest nursing pet peeve?

Nurses General Nursing

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Nurses that are brilliant but do not know the difference between contraindication and contradiction! :rotfl:

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Family members (normally Grandmothers) that ask 5 times how long the baby is--- while I am trying to make sure the baby has a 5 minute apgar of more than 2. Then they get upset that you haven't measured them yet. The younger the baby's gestational age/ sicker they are, the sooner they ask.

OB Docs that want you to assign a 5 minute apgar before the baby is 5 minutes old, or call and chew you out because 'he looked OK to me'. "Well, Since the baby was in the NICU at 5 minutes old on the ventilator with 60% sats, I don't agree with the apgar of 10 that you gave."

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

People with chest tubes hooked to suction who are royally peeved that they can't pick up the Pleur-Evac and go outside to smoke. Well, if you would like to avoid being told "no" then keep the 10 inch knives out of your brother-in-law's reach.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Nurses who refer to the aide as "my servent". This happened the other night, and trust me, it didn't fly over too well :(

Specializes in Telemetry.

One of my biggest pet peeve, ( even tho its not very big) is when visitors come out of the room with the water pitcher in their hand....wandering around for 5 minutes until they find the first nurse they come a cross .... saying .."oh can you fill the water pitcher its warm " ....... totally oblivious that the nurse is running to do something else...totally oblivious that this probably isnt even your mothers nurse... and then makes a face when you tell them that you cant get it right now cuz u have someone having chest pain..... LOL....as if water is an emergency .... besides why do you think they put call bells in the room?????? :rolleyes:

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Here's another: Nurses who think that the unit secretary is also their personal secretary.

"Oh call my husband, tell him to pick up bread" "Find out when the dry cleaner closes"

I am all for doing favors for people, i realize everyone's busy. But SHEESH!!!

Here's another: Nurses who think that the unit secretary is also their personal secretary.

"Oh call my husband, tell him to pick up bread" "Find out when the dry cleaner closes"

I am all for doing favors for people, i realize everyone's busy. But SHEESH!!!

HOLY CRAP! i've NEVER heard of someone doing that! SHEESH talk about LAZY! lol

My biggest pet peeve.

Residents who think they know what they are doing!!!

or when a resident says Isn't that the nurses job?? :angryfire

Specializes in ICU.
People with chest tubes hooked to suction who are royally peeved that they can't pick up the Pleur-Evac and go outside to smoke. Well, if you would like to avoid being told "no" then keep the 10 inch knives out of your brother-in-law's reach.

Back when people could smoke in hospitals - we had a patient try that - it was fascinating to watch the smoke coming out of the suction bottle.

So many pet peeves so little time...:D

Pet peeve #1: Working with nurses who just dont care about the patients. They are more interested in going to work to socialise, to make personal phone calls, to disappear off the ward for various reasons etc

Pet peeve #2: Nursing staff who repeatedly turn up for their shift late. They just dont care that other people would like to hand over their patients, finish their shift and go home. No they just couldnt be bothered to interupt their life to come to work on time like everyone else.

Pet peeve #3: Working in a hospital where the phrase "its not what you know but who you know" applies. If you arnt friends with certain people on the ward or in administration/management you just dont exist or matter. Those who are get special favours such as certain shifts or good rosters.

Pet peeve #4: Patients who just dont listen to your advice. You try and educate them about their illness, medication, lifestyle changes etc and they just take no notice.

Pet peeve #5: Patients who think doctors are God.

care bear RN :p

Specializes in ER/SICU.
Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.

My biggest pet peeve is hearing another nurse or an aide say "Well, that's not MY patient..." I hate that!!! :angryfire

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
Years ago, in another city I was working with an NA who felt the entire JOB was beneath him. (According to him, he had been a physician in Zimbabwe but was forced to leave for political reasons and as soon as someone somewhere got over their grudge against people of his race, he'd be a physician again.) Meanwhile, he was employed (and I use that word rather than the word "working") as a nursing assistant. He used to take his vital signs by ESP. But that's another story.

One night I went to empty a urinal in a patient bathroom, but when I went to open the door, a hand inside the bathroom stopped the door, holding it open just far enough for the urinal to slip through. There was my NA, sitting on the patient toilet, masturbating. I was so shocked, I just stood there, speechless. The hand reached out, took the urinal, emptied it and handed it back -- all without missing a stroke. https://allnurses.com/forums/#

https://allnurses.com/forums/#

Well, that beats my story but I'll share it.

One of my biggest pet peeves is rudeness from CNAs: within the past week I've had several rude statements made to me by a male CNA(who by the way is alienating many of the female CNAs as well). Yesterday he came up to me at the end of the shift as I called him over and said to me"What's up dude?" (I'm a female). I said to him: "I'm not a DUDE--please don't call me that." He says to me: "You can't tell me what to say. I"ll say whatever I want." then walks away. This was in front of other CNAs who were gathering their assignments...and dropping their jaws in shock....Today after several reprimands on his attitude/teamwork(due to a short-staffing situation this a.m.), he says "I think this is a racial thing!" I immediately responded "This is NOT racial at all. This is about teamwork." (Later I find out he has used this 'racial' excuse from time to time with other aides in the past). I've had several female aides in the past week come up to me and complain about this CNA's attidtude, "hiding out", flat refusal to help others, refusal to abide by a pt's request to get a cola(paid for by the pt--and the CNA supposedly tells another aide "that pt doesn't need another cola--he's had one already")!! The aides who have complained about this male aide have indeed already submitted their complaints to the DON....

By no means do I think I am better than the CNAs but I do expect courtesy/respect at work. I would never think of treating a co-worker or a supervising RN that way. I'm amazed such behavior could continue to be tolerated in this environment with the attitude he has shown a number of staff....I told my husband about the situation tonight and he said to me :"makes you wonder how he is really treating the pts behind closed doors if he treats staff so poorly."

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