What is your biggest nursing pet peeve?

DETTA · Apr 8, 2004

Interesting answers. I think #1 the biggest of pet peeves is when patients or their families think the smallest of things is very, very important and you should stop what you are doing immediately to do what they want. I know, they don't know any better and to them it IS important, but it still BUGS me. #2 has to be when the family or the patient stands at the desk and waits to either speak to you or the doc taking in any and all conversation. Of course, I always ask them to wait in their room, but I can usually see they dislike this and want to listen to things that are not to be heard. It is just annoying. That's my 2 cents.

Patients and relatives are the same on this side ofthe Atlantic!!Thats my 2 pence!!:angryfire

mamabear · Apr 8, 2004

How about foreign-born doctors who get insulted and angry when you can't understand them :angryfire If they're going to live in our country and enjoy our standard of living, they sure as hell ought to learn to speak our language :rolleyes:

MsShell · Apr 8, 2004

I had to laugh at this one! I am a respiratory therapist working on a nursing degree. I always HATED this too. Now that I'm back in school, though, I LITERALLY live in my car. Everything's about perspective, huh ?

t's when a student,new-nurse, whatever hangs their shiny new stethescope on their rear-view mirrow

momx2 · Apr 8, 2004

Everyone that does clinical at this facility gets a booklet (i say booklet but it's actually a policy manual that weighs 5 pounds). It had picture insturctions and words on how to answer bells, phones, etc. and it also plainly states that anyone can answer a light. Orientation is 1 week of classroom and one week of "floor" (required before students are even allowed to touch a patient). After all that orientation you have to sign a paper saying that you've read and understand, etc.
When i refer to the students that don't answer the emergency call lights, i'm thinking of two last week that just STARED at it and stayed out in the hall, even though they've been on this floor for days, went through the orientation, and in this building since September 2003. In other words, this group SHOULD know by NOW, but i don't have the time to make a demonstration when i'm working.

when i was in nursing school, we (the students) were never SITTING around the desk to answer the call bell. we were starting ivs, inserting foleys, anything we could because if we were sitting somewhere to be able to answer the telephone or call bell, our instructor would have sent us home. we were not allowed to sit down except on our 30 min. lunch break (and we did 12 hour clinicals.

tmiller027 · Apr 8, 2004

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."

Sounds like some people I work with. I'm a CNA, and we have to work in pairs, so I guess my pet peeves would be, being paired with a CNA like this. I'm male, and of decent size. They always put me on the heaviest unit with the most unresponsive patients, then they pair me with the most worthless CNAs about 3 days of the week so I end up doing pretty much all the work, only to have our nurse tell the next shift that I'm too slow and don't know what I'm doing. :angryfire

There are a LOT of people there, including nurses that I love to death, unfortunately, I never seem to get to work with them :rolleyes:

SnowymtnRN · Apr 8, 2004

Sounds like some people I work with. I'm a CNA, and we have to work in pairs, so I guess my pet peeves would be, being paired with a CNA like this. I'm male, and of decent size. They always put me on the heaviest unit with the most unresponsive patients, then they pair me with the most worthless CNAs about 3 days of the week so I end up doing pretty much all the work, only to have our nurse tell the next shift that I'm too slow and don't know what I'm doing. :angryfire
There are a LOT of people there, including nurses that I love to death, unfortunately, I never seem to get to work with them

This is my DH's pet peeve. He's a big guy, very muscular, and everyone's always unloading the heavy patients, etc...on him "cuz he's a man." I mean he doesn't mind every helping turn or lift a patient, but just because he's a big guy doesn't mean he should have the heaviest of patients ALL the time!!!! Talk about prejudice!!!! :uhoh21:

tmiller027 · Apr 8, 2004

This is my DH's pet peeve. He's a big guy, very muscular, and everyone's always unloading the heavy patients, etc...on him "cuz he's a man." I mean he doesn't mind every helping turn or lift a patient, but just because he's a big guy doesn't mean he should have the heaviest of patients ALL the time!!!! Talk about prejudice!!!! :uhoh21:

LOL, theres about three of us who all have the same gripe. Glad our place isn't the only one. THis girl I was with the other night, I'd take the heavy patient, she'd take the not so heavy one. I'd have their gown on, lift them into bed, get them changed, cleaned and bed rails up while she'd still be fumbling with her patient's shirt, so I'd pretty much have to go over and do that patient too. Her excuse all night is that she's 47 yrs old and her muscles just aren't strong enough since she's been a housewife so long. Well, we have CNAs there half her size her same age who can work circles around her. I think if its that much of an issue, she should have picked a different job. After putting 22 people to bed in about two hours, I was about to collapse.

soltera · Apr 8, 2004

Lazy RN who uses the "he's not my patient" excuse while I'm in the middle of admitting an involuntary commitment and said RN is cutting articles out of the newspaper.
Chicken-s$$t, cowardly RN who hides out in the med room when things start to get a little tense.
Cold, uncaring RN who, rather than spend 5 minutes talking with a patient, yells "get back to your room NOW or you'll get a shot".
Stupid, lazy, inept RN who tries to get psych techs to administer meds or treatments because said tech has "rapport" with the patient.
Insubordinate, lazy, cowardly RN who disobeys a direct order from the MD because he "didn't want to start an argument" with a combative patient.
Ignorant, superstitious RN who covers the computer monitor with paper so the computer can't see him.
OCD, fuss-budget RN who covers the desk with newspaper so he can work on a sterile surface, swabs down every flat surface with alcohol so he doesn't get "other people's germs", and puts on gloves to give P.O. meds. :angryfire
This is one and the same person. And our director wonders why he can't get anybody to work with the bozo. This same director, prior to becoming The Boss, was working one night, along with me and the above-described "nurse". We had a severely psychotic patient go off, big time. While I was calling the cops and EMS, our cowardly coworker had locked himself in the med room, where it took him 20 minutes to draw up I.M. Haldol, Cogentin, and Ativan. The patient knocked out 4 of a cop's teeth and tried to take a header out of a second story window (before he finally got maced), while I was trying to heard 10 confused and frightened patients back to their rooms. :angryfire
And this fool STILL has a job! :angryfire

overs the computer screen so it won't look back at him!?!! that'S funny

CCU NRS · Apr 9, 2004

WOW MAMBEAR you work in a hell of a field and it sounds like some ofht Dxs are catching with some of your co-workers!!!

frann · Apr 9, 2004

It sounds like we have a lot of pet peeves.

I can't stand care plans. Why are we still using those things??????

Is it so someone above will have ajob?

I mean really does anyone eaver pay attention to them? Besides putting adate on them and your initials?

I would like to start a movement to end careplan use. think of the trees we could save! :rotfl:

adidas99 · Apr 9, 2004

.....

renerian, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2004

Not being paid for over time.

renerian :angryfire