What do patients say that irks you?

caregiver1977 · Apr 25, 2011

*****! Why were they even ALLOWED in your snack kitchen? Why does even ONE person need a meal voucher----haven't they known for 9 months this day was coming? Couldn't they set aside enough to buy a meal in the cafeteria? Didn't they pass numerous fast food places on the way in?
What the heck is going on in hospitals these days, that visitors expect to be fed, for FREE? I hear about ER nurses having to pass out sandwiches and snacks in ERs, and all I can think is, "If this patient is so sick that he needed to come to the emergency room, shouldn't he be required to remain NPO--in case he needs labwork that would be more accurate if he was fasting, OR, God forbid, he needs to go to surgery? And why can't his visitors purchase their OWN food and drinks?"
And a visitor handing a nurse clothes--dirty, at that--and demanding SHE get them cleaned for him? That is disgusting. I would have hurled them directly into a red bag, and called security to escort him out, and let administration yell at me all they wanted to. THEY can wash his nasty clothes.
I am a firm believer in the philosophy that people will only take advantage of us if we allow them to do so.
Maybe we need to go back to the '60s, where the expectant father (and visitors) waited in the waiting room, and went to the cafeteria or purchased food or coffee from the vending machines when they were hungry or thirsty.
I agree. Where, indeed, DO people get the nerve? How in heaven's name were these people raised, with their preconceived notions of entitlement?
Gosh, I can remember my (then) 4 year old (she's 27 now, LOL!) being hospitalized after an emergency exploratory lap for a liver laceration after an MVA. I WORKED in that hospital----but I would never have asked for so much as a popsicle or juice for my other toddler while visiting, let alone meals for myself; nor did I witness anyone else attempting to do so while visiting THEIR children. My goodness--my husband and I went to the cafeteria, and purchased our meals----why do people think that the hospital owes them ANYTHING? What has caused this paradigm shift?

That's the only part I don't agree with. I think things go better when there is helpful (notice, I said helpful) family/friends present. I have delivered alone and with family and having someone there is far better. However, I still don't understand people who want to have 10, 20 people there while they are in active labor.

caregiver1977 · Apr 25, 2011

How about when you go in a patients room and spend 5 minutes trying to get their baby on the monitor and as soon as you do, they say "I've got to go to the bathroom!". Now I'm always careful to ask first, but it is soooo frustrating still.

Believe me, it is just as frustrating to have to be hooked up to all of those machines and have to ask to go to the bathroom when you have been doing it yourself for many years. When you are hooked up to the IVs that the staff says "you MUST have" (which is true in some cases) and you are pregnant you are going to have to pee all the time.

caregiver1977 · Apr 25, 2011

i almost forgot how about when you do an sve on a pt and you have two fingers about 1-2 inches in thier lady partsl canal and they almost come off the table writhing in pain.... owwwwww...oowwwww breathing like they are in labor. it makes me wonder ummm how did you get pregnant in the first place? i understand if the cervix is in her tonsils, but 2 inches come on.....surely dad is larger than that:clown:
sorry this is so long but, i have to tell you guys...i love the patients that come in and they are all smiles and they don't want any kind of pain meds... " i am gonna do it all natural" i say ok... in my head i am thinking when you get a good three cm we will call anesthesia. sorry to ramble.... i love my job
bg

i have delivered 5 times and have never needed anyone's anesthesia. i hate when nurses assume every laboring woman wants some. at my local hospital they look at you like you are from the moon if you don't accept an epidural as soon as they ask if you want one. i actually had a nurse to raise her voice with me and get the anestesiologist (sp) anyway. she then yelled "when you want one, you might not be able to get it." i explained that i was 25 years old and would take responsibility if i waited too long, but i wasn't having pains that warranted receiving that kind of medication. i have had demoral and stadol, but that is it.

but i do understand your point. some of these "natural labor" folks can be down right annoying.

caregiver1977 · Apr 30, 2011

This one just kills me everytime it comes up!!!!
Patient (Mom or Dad) brings newborn to the nursery and tells us...."No pacifiers, No formula and don't bring the baby back to the room until the next scheduled breastfeeding" which they want to be about 3 hours after the last feeding!!! So what do they suggest I do with their hungry, rooting, screaming child??
OOOHHHHHH makes me soooo crazy!!!

If they suposedly know that much about breastfeeding they should know that breastfed newborns often don't have a schedule, and trying to put them on one is no good:uhoh3:, IMHO.

33-weeker · May 2, 2011

When I have a 'breast only, no pacifier' baby, I DON'T keep it if it is crying. I take it right back out if reasonable measures (diapering, swaddling, burping, holding for a few minutes, etc.) don't settle the child. I will take a little more time with the babe if mom HAS been nursing frequently and is really getting tired, but I don't just let the baby cry for hours on end. Sorry. Either you can feed it or you can ask me to feed it, but one way or another, it's gettin' fed.

33-weeker · May 2, 2011

*****! Why were they even ALLOWED in your snack kitchen? Why does even ONE person need a meal voucher----haven't they known for 9 months this day was coming? Couldn't they set aside enough to buy a meal in the cafeteria? Didn't they pass numerous fast food places on the way in?
What the heck is going on in hospitals these days, that visitors expect to be fed, for FREE? I hear about ER nurses having to pass out sandwiches and snacks in ERs, and all I can think is, "If this patient is so sick that he needed to come to the emergency room, shouldn't he be required to remain NPO--in case he needs labwork that would be more accurate if he was fasting, OR, God forbid, he needs to go to surgery? And why can't his visitors purchase their OWN food and drinks?"
And a visitor handing a nurse clothes--dirty, at that--and demanding SHE get them cleaned for him? That is disgusting. I would have hurled them directly into a red bag, and called security to escort him out, and let administration yell at me all they wanted to. THEY can wash his nasty clothes.
I am a firm believer in the philosophy that people will only take advantage of us if we allow them to do so.
Maybe we need to go back to the '60s, where the expectant father (and visitors) waited in the waiting room, and went to the cafeteria or purchased food or coffee from the vending machines when they were hungry or thirsty.
I agree. Where, indeed, DO people get the nerve? How in heaven's name were these people raised, with their preconceived notions of entitlement?
Gosh, I can remember my (then) 4 year old (she's 27 now, LOL!) being hospitalized after an emergency exploratory lap for a liver laceration after an MVA. I WORKED in that hospital----but I would never have asked for so much as a popsicle or juice for my other toddler while visiting, let alone meals for myself; nor did I witness anyone else attempting to do so while visiting THEIR children. My goodness--my husband and I went to the cafeteria, and purchased our meals----why do people think that the hospital owes them ANYTHING? What has caused this paradigm shift?

You know, on one level, I agree with you, and I realize this is an OB post. But I was in the hospital with my 6 yo son for 10 days - 4 in the PICU and 6 on the floor - a 45 minute drive from home, and that's NOT in rush hour traffic. I was the only one and best one to stay with my child, because he was critically ill and I am a nurse. I got to go home twice for a few hours during that time. My son has autism, and had shut down (verbally) due to the hospitalization, so I couldn't leave his bedside for long at a time.

I was so thankful that they had a washer and dryer for us to use. I was so thankful that they had a snack and coffee area that even had danishes put there for breakfast - for the families. When he was in the PICU, there was even a fridge that people could donate homemade food for families to use ad lib and heat up. I might have missed a few meals if it wasn't for that.

I had ridden in the ambulance from the outlying hospital in to the big med center and I didn't GET a chance to go home and pack for an extended hospitalization. Heck. I didn't even have my car. What started out as an ER visit for a 'stomach bug' turned into something we didn't expect.

I don't like patients who give me grief and act like they are entitled to have the red carpet rolled out for them-- especially the 'career' public assistance variety, but everyone's situation is different and we nurses need to keep that in mind.

MommyandRN · May 18, 2011

I know I am late on this. But there was a message in 2005 about someone checking someone's fundus and the pt asked "are you a nurse?" The nurse was like, um of course, who else would be doing this. I would just like to say on the pt's side of things.... I would have liked an introduction before someone checked my fundus. I always introduce myself to my pts, Hi my name is ___ and I am your nurse" or "I am one of the nurses here helping your nurse". I dont blame that pt for asking that if there was no explanation. Not comfortable with strange people coming in and touching me without telling me who they are. Just my 2 cents.

With that said... gotta agree with so many of you! Esp the "you look too young" part. I get asked at least once a week if I am a new nurse, or "how long have you been doing this". When I tell them 12 years I get a "OH" surprise look. When I was pregnant last year, pts would assume it was my first. And give me advice etc. I would tell them this is my 3rd thanks. Always a shocker. You have two kids and you are working? Yes, many people do!

OH - and to the nurse who sais about their pregnant co-worker why dont they go home and come back after the baby is born? So not cool. Moms deserve to work alongside everyone else. I was working an agency job while pregnant once, I kept offering one busy nurse help since my pts were OK. I offered to draw her labs etc. She kept saying no. Finally asked if I could help pull up a 300 lb pt in bed. I said yes but can we get one more to help? She yelled at me "then why are you here working then you are no good". I received a call from the agency the next day that I "wasnt answering call bells" which was an absolute lie. That nurse was bitter that I was being paid agency rate probably. I told them what happened but that no thanks I will not return there if that is the type of people that work there. Again just my 2 cents, carry on.

Java_Wench · May 19, 2011

When I had my daughter, I wanted to room in exclusively with her. But I was so exhausted from no sleep (I'd been admitted the day before for low fluids, and was too worked up to sleep), labor/birth and a post-partum bleeding issue that the nurses (who were incredibly awesome) took pity on me and actually suggested that Molly go to the nursery for a little while. Apparently there was only one other baby in there, and the nurse said she'd be happy to snuggle my baby for awhile so I could get a few hours sleep. And that worked wonderfully. I got a few hours sleep, and they'd just bring Molly in to me whenever she was hungry, I'd feed her, and they'd take her back for a little while. It really, really helped. I couldn't sleep if she was in the room while we were in the hospital. If I dozed off and she made a sound, I'd freak out thinking she'd stop breathing or something. So those couple hours of rest here and there really made a difference for me. I loved my nurses!

AsatruRN · Aug 5, 2011

But sometimes I am amazed at what full grown woman do not know about their bodies.

That's the thing! I mean - you never noticed that you pee and have sex in two different holes? Maybe it is our society being so harsh about young girls and women touching their EGAAAAD private parts. Because they're apparently "dirty." I can remember being very young - maybe 5 years old and wondering where does the pee come from. One day when I was peeing I put my hand down there to feel where it was coming from....and at that point I knew there were two holes. Of course I washed my hands by the way. I imagine the part that irks an RN so much is when you have to hear it 30 different ways every day. It can wear on you. You think "if people weren't so ignorant it would make my life so much easier."

I imagine that if you can have sex you can know about the urethra vs. lady parts. Doesn't anybody masturbate? Was she not paying attention in health class? Srsly.

Queen2u · Aug 5, 2011

I am not sure if I posted this already because it IRRITATES me to hear this from labor patients' families!!!: "What time is she going to have the baby?".......AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: The next time a family member asks me that, i am just gonna make up a time.... like, "She will SURELY deliver at 6:27AM!!!"

Cindy_A · Aug 5, 2011

It's also pretty terrible when the family of a dying patient asks "How much longer will it be?"

obenfermera1 · Aug 6, 2011

Patient walks up to triage desk accompanied by her twelve family members, three suitcases and five pillows......

Patient: Hi! I'm having my baby, my doctor said he'd be here waiting on me, my contractions were every 20 minutes this morning, but they stopped while we were in the car. When can I have my Epidural? One of my doctors said I didn't have to feel any pain if I get the Epidural.

Patient's Mother: She's going to need a C-Section, I had to have one when I had her 30 years ago because I never dilated, so she probably won't dilate either, where's the doctor?

My all-time favorite scenario! And it usually happens between 2 and 4 in the morning.... :heartbeat