What is your biggest nursing pet peeve?

Nursekatydid · Mar 24, 2004

These young nurses werent raised with the same work ethic I was raised with

And what work ethic would this be? Because I KNOW I was raised with a damn good work ethic. I might not be an RN yet (4 wks), but everytime I go to work (as a tech.) I give it my all, reminding myself that its all about the patients. If you meant this the way I think you meant this, I am quite offended. :crying2:

Ortho_RN · Mar 24, 2004

And what work ethic would this be? Because I KNOW I was raised with a damn good work ethic. I might not be an RN yet (4 wks), but everytime I go to work (as a tech.) I give it my all, reminding myself that its all about the patients. If you meant this the way I think you meant this, I am quite offended.

Hehe.. I was thinking the same thing... But whats the point of arguing...

bunrab · Mar 24, 2004

nurses who say aw-toe-log-us instead of autologous. emphasis on "log" instead of "tol".

nurses who say orientated instead of oriented.

people who don't know the difference btwn good and well, as in i did good on that test instead of i did well on that test.

i know they are silly, but butchering the english language drives me nuts.

NS_RN · Mar 24, 2004

Full code patients who are terminally ill , have end stage disease or are over the age of 80!

VioletX · Mar 24, 2004

nurses who say aw-toe-log-us instead of autologous. emphasis on "log" instead of "tol".
nurses who say orientated instead of oriented.
people who don't know the difference btwn good and well, as in i did good on that test instead of i did well on that test.
i know they are silly, but butchering the english language drives me nuts.

tehehhehe! This drives me insane too ... especially the orientated part. What's up with that?? Another thing that doesn't really qualify as a pet peeve but it does make me laugh is when in report nurses say things like "he didn't vomit on me today" ... meaning on their shift ... I always want to say "I should hope not". :rotfl:

newgrad2004 · Mar 24, 2004

Family or patients that act like the hospital is the "Hilton". Ordering extra trays for everyone who visits and complain about everything they get to eat, WE ALL KNOW HOSPITAL FOOD STINKS, get over it. If it were that good you would stay! Even better a relative taking up the bed next to the pt on the call light.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 24, 2004

Pet Peeves:

1) The nurse who won't get off his a$$ all day except to eat and gossip.

2) When said nurses gives report and has a LONG list of excuses why his work didn't get done.

3) When said nurse gets reported to management for being lazy and then takes an attitude with everyone he works with, since he didn't know who exactly reported him.

(OK, so it's been a bad week working next to this lazy a$$, and my back is KILLING me!)

4) Families who want to know how "Uncle Jimmy" is doing, become incensed when I quote HIPAA laws to them, and then claim they don't know how to get in touch with the patient's family to as them how he's doing. (Excuse me, but if you don't know how to get in touch with "Uncle Jimmy's" family, perhaps you don't know him well enough to be visiting him in ICU.)

5) People who lie to me about their relationship to the patient. Listen, I really don't care if your divorce was the biggest mistake of your life or not, but if you're not CURRENTLY married to the patient, you have no business signing the surgical consent.

6) People who lie to me about their relationship to the patient part 2 -- I don't care if you're engaged, not engaged, living together or just having a really hot and heavy fling. If the patient gives you POA, you're in. If not, NOT. Period.

7) Families who insist that their needs supersede everyone elses. Even the needs of the patient next door who is coding. Even the needs of their loved one, who hasn't slept in 3 days and really wants a nap right now.

8) Managers who insist that "In my day, I could do more with 50% less staff." Yes, and your day was 20 years ago. Patients weren't as sick then. I remember. I was there then, too.

9) Managers who believe that anyone who works in the ICU for a decade must be mediocre. And managers who then announce that belief to everyone at a staff meeting. And then laugh and say they really didn't mean it THAT way. Of course you did. And it shows.

10) People who lie about their drinking or the patient's drinking. Believe me, we're not asking because we're gossipy or judgemental. (Well, most of us aren't). We really want to know how likely it is that we'll be wrestling with DTs. Literally.

newgrad2004 · Mar 24, 2004

well said Ruby!!

kari k · Mar 24, 2004

what annoys me most is nurses who talk about what annoys them to everyone but to the person who is causing the grief. Also political correctness, people who don't say what needs to be said to manipulative and lazy people for fear of retrobution or courtesy and because they believe it will do no good. It may not but when our coworkers are causing trouble I've found calling them a spade at least lets them know, I know it and I will tell anyone I feel like about it and their crap won't fly by me.

And staff who see unpleasant changes coming and preemptively complain their way into a meeting with management and find themselves solving the problem to managements benefit, still upsetting themselves and simply didn't sit back and let management figure it out. For example with their schedule, when an established worker is forced or coerced into working someone elses hours because management can't keep help, we should stand firm that our personal time is just as important as this job.

kari k · Mar 24, 2004

I thought of some more, control freaks, people who can't go with the flow and nurses and techs who feel every minutia of detail is performed better by themselves or they always tell you how to do it better (even if your competent) instead of doing it themselves. Also busy bodies who get involved in everyones business and cause trouble simply for the joy of messing up your day, usually because their some old bitty nurse, never been married, no kids, no life, no personally fullfilling hobbies, certainly not a Christain, and think their finger point and whistleblowing is doing some justice.

Blackcat99 · Mar 24, 2004

:angryfire I agree with rn500. I can't stand it when the next shift nurse wants to chit-chat instead of counting narcotics and taking report. Sorry nurses but the only thing I want to do at the end of my shift is to get the hell out of my LTC ASAP :angryfire

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Mar 24, 2004

Full code patients who are terminally ill , have end stage disease or are over the age of 80!

YES :angryfire

(BTW love your quote ROTF)