What do patients say that irks you?

BabyRN2Be · Jun 16, 2005

I absolutely hate when adults have unruly children visiting with them and when I come near they start saying things like "you better behave or that nurse will give you a shot!" No wonder kids are afraid of us!!!!!!!

My mom used to hear this one all the time when she worked as an RN on an ortho floor.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

"So what time is the baby going to be born?" If I could predict this I would be very rich!
"How much does the baby weigh?" Right after birth, while the baby is still on mom's chest, or as the NICU team is bagging the baby. Maybe we should make sure the baby is breathing first.
I know my job is to educate people, but sometimes it takes all of my willpower to not say something I would regret.

I was second midwife during a water birth and post birth the baby didn't breath too well and needed bagging, we then had to get the baby fast over to NICU. In the Ambulance on the way to the main hospital the Father said to me ' so how much does she weigh'

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

I absolutely hate when adults have unruly children visiting with them and when I come near they start saying things like "you better behave or that nurse will give you a shot!" No wonder kids are afraid of us!!!!!!!
Vickie

I guess I was in a crabby mood once when a mother did that to me. As soon as she said it I ask her "Is there a particular reason why you want that child to be deathly afraid of me?"

JoniL&DRN · Jun 16, 2005

I hate coming in a room to see the grandmother feeding the baby as much formula as she can stuff in there. Me: "the baby's only 6hours old, why are you feeding him" her: "because my daughter doesn't have any milk yet". :angryfire When I say the word 'colostrum', they nod like they've heard the word before.
Why, dear Lord, don't OBs teach those mothers anything? I just don't get it.
I need a patience supplement.

This drives me crazy too and I'm not even a nurse yet! But I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say that I needed to give one of my infants formula because they were "starving" only having colostrum. Give me a break.. I'm pretty sure God knew what he was doing when he designed the female body!

NurseforPreggers · Jun 16, 2005

This drives me nuts..when I admit patients and start EFM I explain the US and Toco. I explain the Toco can tell me how often and how long the contractions are BUT not how strong. That the number means nothing as long as we are using it externally. So when I come back in the dad or family members are saying WOW did you see how big that contraction was, it went all the way up to 60. So again I explain why the number is what it is only to come back in later to the same thing. DRIVES ME NUTS!!!!
Have a great day!

OMG YES YES YES!!! What is particularly funny is when the mom is watching the monitor and says something to the effect of "Wow, that must be a strong one!". Well I don't know ... you tell me, is it? I have had dad's come out to the desk and say, her last contraction went up to 75. Sometimes I want to say, "Oh yeah, well the girl in the next room's contraction went up to 100".

BabyRN2Be · Jun 16, 2005

I guess I was in a crabby mood once when a mother did that to me. As soon as she said it I ask her "Is there a particular reason why you want that child to be deathly afraid of me?"

Just curious Dalzac, what was her answer? I'd love to know what she said if you don't mind telling. As a side note, I'm just up the turnpike from ya. :) Hope all is well in OKC other than those storms last night. Those really snuck up on us! :)

Back on track here, I think that when people use the phrase "taking the baby," it adds a little more drama. I've seen more than one sort of hysterical mom get on the phone from the doctors office and say to whoever, "Get my stuff! They need to take the baby, right now!" When in fact she was just being admitted so they could start Cervidil in antipication of using pit in the AM. Sometimes it's a drama queen just wanting more attention. I know this really isn't nice to say this, and I really don't want to sound harsh, but there are people who really demand and want a lot of attention. In some people, pregancy is an entitlement to act like a drama queen.

I really don't mean to sound harsh. In fact, these are the type of people I like to work with in the hospital as a volunteer doula. It creates a win-win situation between the nurses and me. The nurse isn't being "dragged down" by constantly attending to this pts whims, and while I don't indulge the pt, by being with her during labor in it's entirety, she feels like she's getting the attention and I'm being kept BUSY. It can get to be crazy, but I do like working with these women.

jkaee · Jun 16, 2005

[quote name=BabyRN2Be

In some people, pregancy is an entitlement to act like a drama queen.

[/quote]

never mind

rpbear · Jun 16, 2005

I know what you mean. I don't work L&D, but between my sister and I there are almost 8 kids (her 4th is due in a few weeks) and let me tell you, if I have to hear one more time from my sister that she's crampy, or having BH contractions, or has heartburn....I think I will scream! She went to the hospital to be checked out last night because she calls me up and says "I'm crampy!" Now, I have been over and over this with her, that it's her 4th child and her uterus may be a little irritable, she's at the last weeks so her body is gearing up for labor, and she just had an internal exam the day before so she might be a little achy....but no....we have to call me, my dad, my mom, everybody. Finally I just say, "Then call your doctor!!!" (Honestly, I just didn't want to hear about it anymore....it's been 37 weeks of constant moaning and groaning :uhoh3 So, she gets there and gets mad at the resident when he kinda gives her an attitude, because she's acting like a drama queen. Well honey, you've had 3 other kids, you should know what it's like at the end....and most likely, if you were in labor, you'd know it!

I am with you on this. I have an RN that works L&D with me and if I have to hear about her feeling sick or throwing up one more time I might go over the edge! And she is only like 24 weeks or something, it is going to be a long 16 more weeks! You work L&D, it's your second baby, you should know what it is all about! She just makes me crazy, calling in all the time, going home early, "can you go see my pt I just need to sit for a minute?" No I cannot go see YOUR pt, I have two of my own to run between! Sorry for the rant, but it feels good to let it out!

Guest70758 · Jun 17, 2005

In postpartum we had an angry dad in the nursery telling off his wife's nurse and the baby's pedi. They had been there for 72 hours so their baby had to be seen immediately so his wife could go home and sleep! Understandable... but when the doctor explained that she treats all her patients equally and that discharges were done in the order of arrival on the unit the man told her off again talking about how important his baby was. The pedi said she understood that but that again she doesn't give any patient preferential treatment and she has all these babies to take care of. The dad said "well I don't give a damn about those other babies." This was in front of the parents of those other babies of course. That one really bothered me.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2005

I am with you on this. I have an RN that works L&D with me and if I have to hear about her feeling sick or throwing up one more time I might go over the edge! And she is only like 24 weeks or something, it is going to be a long 16 more weeks! You work L&D, it's your second baby, you should know what it is all about! She just makes me crazy, calling in all the time, going home early, "can you go see my pt I just need to sit for a minute?" No I cannot go see YOUR pt, I have two of my own to run between! Sorry for the rant, but it feels good to let it out!

Have you ever had a baby and if you have did you have morning sickness? If you did i am sure you would be more understanding, I had it until 3 hours post delivery and then I felt normal again for the first time in 39 weeks, it was such a relief. Morning sickness has no consideration to whether it is your first baby or your 10th unfortunatly. I used to deliver babies and placentas then run to the nearest sink very embarrassing

I do however totally understand the frustration you feel as a co-worker of somebody who is using her pregnancy to shy from work. As we have had more of these kind of workers recently-absolutly no-one seems to be blooming in pregnancy, and we spend all shift carrying them!!!!!!!!

Dayray, RN · Jun 17, 2005

I work nights and I hear this one from time to time. Mostly from primips that are high society types after I explain a plan of care.

"What does Doctor xx think of that?"

I always want to say "Well Doctor xx is at home sleeping and probably isn't thinking about it at all" Of course I'm good and say "Doctor xx gave me orders to do this"

Others that crack me up are

When they walk up to the desk and say, "my doctor is meeting me here to check my cervix" - Cool that makes my job easy, I'll just call and wake her up at 3 am to let her know she needs to come in.

*Smiling ear to ear* "Hi I'm in labor". -Wow you must have incredible pain tolerance. This wouldn't happen to be your first baby would it?

"Can I have a pillow for each of my 15 family members that are spending the night for my prostin induction?" -yes, they are all set out on their beds at home

"Can you take a picture of us right when the baby comes out?" -Sure, I've got all the time in the world right in the middle of a delivery.

"How long have you been doing this?" -Well lets see, what time is it?

"I don't want a dry birth" -Trust me none of them are ever "dry"

"Is the IV going to hurt?" No not at all, oh wait you mean hurt you? Well yeah but don't worry I won't feel a thing.

"What if I poop when I'm pushing?" - well it's going to smell kinda bad.

"When does the doctor get here?" -hopefully before your baby comes out but hell who knows?

None of these really make me mad it's just funny how many times you hear the same things from patients.

stevierae · Jun 17, 2005

Back on track here, I think that when people use the phrase "taking the baby," it adds a little more drama. In some people, pregancy is an entitlement to act like a drama queen.

I'm sure you're right. This is an age old dilemma. In fact, in the '80s, it was downright encouraged.

I graduated from nursing school in '81. When we were doing our L&D/post-partum clinicals, (the new moms stayed 3 days) everybody complained about the moms who wanted to lie around, demanding to be waited on, hand and foot. It was not at all uncommon for someone to get one her intercom and say demandingly, "I want a glass of lemonade in here," (or wine, or coffee) and you were supposed to jump.

When my classmates and I expressed our frustration, our clinical instructor told us to consider "the psychosocial issues that might be involved." She actually said, "Being in the hospital may be a woman's one and only chance to feel pampered, get some rest, and have somebody tend to HER needs, before she has to go home and tend to the needs of her family, and a new baby. There's no harm in indulging her."

LOL, I wonder if that's why some moms have 8, 10, 12 kids---because they love the drama and love being the center of attention once again, even if it's short lived.

That was really sort of a culture shock for me. In the Navy, (before nursing school) the moms were expected to get up and walk to the desk for whatever they wanted, be it coffee, lemonade, Tucks, peripads, hot packs for engorged breasts, etc. They also made their own beds. They sure didn't get DVT, as they were ambulatory ad lib as soon as possible, and they had to walk to the community showers down the hall--and take at least 3 showers a day, per doctor's orders. People were ambulated really early after C-sections in the hopes that they'd pass flatus earlier and not be in so much discomfort from gas pain, as they' have been had they not done so.

I don't know if they still do this, (or even if people stay on post-partum long enough,) but the '80s were around the time, too, that they started having steak and lobster dinners for the new moms and dads, and wine with their meals, if they wanted it--which was kind of nice, really.