What patients/behaviors/illnesses/injuries do you HATE the most?

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Specializes in Oncology.

I'll start with people who say "I went to nursing school" Okay, but are you a nurse?

I need my meds today. Also I can't pay for them.

Moms who let their kids run wild and scream. I get that stuff hurts, go ahead and cry. No need to run like a wile monkey or screech like you're dying, I assure you that if you were dying you'd have no time to yell like that.

And let's not get started on the drug-seekers!

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

Currently one behavior comes to mind, and it's from a doctor: Asking me a question that requires I look at the paper chart to answer it, when he/she is holding the chart, and then acting like he/she doesn't have either the chart or the ability to read.

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Specializes in ED/Trauma/Flight Nursing.

I love when patient's family members in the ED stand in the doorway and stare at you. Yea, that's going to hurry things along and get your family member out of here faster!

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Detoxers. Period and hands down my least favorite type of patient. And the family members who think WE are abusing the patient by restraining them.

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Specializes in ICU.

Trach's that have more secretions than I can possibly suction in a day. I did actually watch one guy shoot phlegm so far that I literally had to clean it off his foot....... and then go vomit

The family member that is "In the field" Come to find out they were a CNA at a nursing home 20 years ago, yet they are telling you your job as a nurse in ICU.

C-Diff

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Trach's that have more secretions than I can possibly suction in a day. I did actually watch one guy shoot phlegm so far that I literally had to clean it off his foot....... and then go vomit

I had one lady who coughed so hard during trach care that the nickel sized blob of phlegm hit the wall opposite the bed...a foot and a half down from the ceiling.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I dread taking care of post op patients who are used to taking MS Contin (or other SR morphine). I know that pain control is going to be incredibly difficult for these patients. I'm now a firm believer that these drugs should only be used as an absolute last resort. Also, surgeons should be far better at explaining what sorts of pain these patients will be likely to experience. Thankfully, we've started consulting pain management specialists, but even with their help, pain control is tough. I hate it b/c it makes me feel helpless as a nurse.

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Detoxers. Period and hands down my least favorite type of patient. And the family members who think WE are abusing the patient by restraining them.

I don't mind ours. The patients themselves have usually burnt so many bridges that we don't have to deal with family. And they're usually so out of it that they can't complain to PR or will even remember you after they're sober. They can get mean and aggressive but I'm quick to deal with any physical aggression (4-points, haldol) and I can discount the meanness on account of the altered mental status. Quibbling with their hallucinations can be amusing with the DTers who aren't ******** on the ceiling. (My fav. DT pt was a guy who was convinced that there was a cooler of ice-cold Buds sitting on his window ledge. We had many conversations about this & what I wouldn't have given for the same!)

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Specializes in med/surg.

30-40-something year old female with vague abdominal pain.

If I have a choice, I will choose the 85 year old dementia patient with the broken hip over that one-or the detoxer.

Changing wound vacs-I just don't do it enough to feel qualified, and when I'm done, it looks like a 5 year old's paper mache project.

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Any sort of dental trauma, not sure why but it really gets to me!

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Specializes in nursing education.

Learned helplessness, and staff who feed into it... give me trach blobs any day over that.

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Specializes in Psychiatric nursing.

I work inpatient psych and my least favorite patient is one who is thought blocking wicked bad. Give me a 300 lb psychotic patient anyday.

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