Is it me, or are patients getting ruder and more disrespectful each time you clock in for work?
I don't usually let rude patients/families get to me, but last night I had to deal with the most insane people ever. I had the misfortune of informing the patient and his family that he had gone into rapid a-fib and his cardiologist was not on call. The patient didn't believe that he was having a rapid ventricular response since "he didn't feel that his heart was going fast," and had me count an apical pulse and call the monitor tech to see if she concurred with my rate. (I was off by 2 beats).
I was also instructed by the family to print a set of strips indicating that he was in fact in a-fib. Mind you, this patient has a history of a-fib and was on amiodarone for a while, but the family decided to stop it b/c the patient is allergic to iodine. Despite the allergy, he never had a reaction to amiodarone, but the family still didn't want him to have it and... ta-da! He went back into a-fib.
I was also yelled at because I had to start a Cardizem gtt and as this patient has a habit of going hypotensive, decided that BP checks q30 minutes was a prudent thing to do. Oh, I was also a bad nurse b/c I put him on 2L NC. Oh, and my hospital is ridiculous because we don't have those donuts for people to sit on... oh and there CAN'T be a good reason for us to not have them in central supply.
Did I also mention that I was lazy because I left the BP cuff on him and set the machine to recycle every 30 mts? Yes... I did that so I wouldn't have to go in the room all night. (He told this to the PCA and she came and told me) So he refused to leave the BP cuff on, and preferred for me to go in every 30 mts to put the cuff on and off (this only went on for 3 cycles... at this time, he fell asleep and I slipped it on over his gown). This is the same man who complained that us night shift don't let him sleep.
I just had to run out of the room at this point and cry... I usually handle these kind of people really well. Before last night I don't remember the last time I let a patient/family make me cry. I actually felt bad giving report on this patient in the morning... I felt horrible to pass this person on to another nurse!
*oh and the KICKER. During one of my visits for a BP check, I accidentally bumped his foot which he REFUSES to leave on the bed. He prefers to let his foot hang off the bed on the side I do my care on. He totally went off on me! Apparently during my BSN program I was taught not to be careful, but to bump patients' feet and cause them pain. I also after 3 years of working cardiac, am unfamiliar with caring for dialysis patients and I don't know how to monitor an a-fib patient. He can't wait until I'm sick in a hospital bed so he can give me what's coming to me. this is the most hurtful thing ANYBODY has ever said to me. I couldn't even respond. I just turned around and left the room.
Sorry this is so long, guys. I just really needed to vent.
years ago i worked briefly at the county jail (they paid pretty well). a suspect had raped an 80 year old woman with a bottle & she died from her injuries. anyhoo, this pillar of society was brought to the exam room to get blood drawn and dna evidence collected. he jumped when i stuck the needle in to draw blood & made me miss the vein. i had to stick him again. he called me everything except a child of god!!! the detectives just stood there and let him cuss me because they were trying to be his "friends" so he would talk to them. he threatened me and my family. my knees were knocking together because this was one scary dude. i did get some satisfaction when i had to pluck head hairs and pubic hairs while he was restrained. instead of one at a time like you're supposed to, i got a whole bunch at one time. he really hated me by the time that was over. i quit soon after.
btw, the dna proved he did it and i hope he's rotting in prison still. :angryfire
Specializes in Utilization Management, Informatics.
1st day of clinicals, first time ever stepping foot in a nursing home, 1st patient ever. I walked in the room with the supplys needed to take her a bedbath. She sat up and shouted! Get Out! Get Out! you fu*king Bi*ch. I burst into tears, ran out and told the teacher I Quit, after getting reassurance that it would be ok, and being told that i've come to far to quit, I went back in and did what I had to do. 5 yrs later when I remind that same patient of our first meeting all she does is laugh, yes I ended up working there after graduation and of all the pts there she is the closest to my heart. I learned later that she hated bedbaths.
Specializes in Utilization Management, Informatics.
I have another one, I had this male pt. who was screaming Nurse! Nurse! early one morning. I run into his room thinking he was in distress, he pulls back his covers to reveal that he's naked below the waist and has his erect member in his hand shaking it with a big gingivitis/rotten teeth Smile... Close the Casket!! , I was dead!! all I could do is walk out the room and complain to the RN. It was disgusting!
The worst thing I had, was a gunshot patient. He told me to get F@#$% off of him. He was mad because I wanted him to get up and sit in the chair. Then he told me to go and f*#$ myself and kiss his azz. Well I had enough of him. Not to mention his mother and family members was also in the room. Instead of his family speaking up and telling him to stop acting like his shoe size, they sat their and condoned his behavior.
Well, let me tell you, when I got done telling him off, he was nice to me everytime I entered that room. I got down on his level. (without the foul language of course) I told him, to get mad with the person who shot him. I also told him, I am sick and tired of your nasty attitude and he is going to cut his foolishness out!!!! I also told him to get his behind up and out that bed and get into chair. Then I told the family to stop treating him like a baby. Don't get me wrong I understand how the family feels, I also sympathize with the patient, but their is no reason to act like a complete jerk. Later on that night the patient did apologize in so many words. I did accept his apology and I told him, that I was standing firm with him and that I am not playing with him.
Specializes in Utilization Management, Informatics.
is your patient a Dr? they know quite a lot of medical info. I hate working with the pts who want to know what they are taking, where it was made, what its for, when it was created, It kills me to hold in my words!
I think patients and their families are definitely more rude and demanding than they used to be. There is such an attitude of entitlement and they seem to forget that we are healthcare, not hotel, restaurant or spa. They have no concept that a nurse has x amount of other patients to care for, some of whom may be way sicker than they are and that their cup of ice water is not a priority when the next room's B/P is 60/40.
Open visiting hours have compounded the problem, since there is never a break from these family members who are constantly making requests and never allowing a patient (or nurse, LOL) to rest. There are no limits set on patients and families and so they go hog wild. I love it when I ask family members to step out so I can put in a foley, clean up stool or have the patient use the commode and they say no. I guess they sit in the bathroom with their family member at home, too? I'm also tired of being tracked down by family members while in other patients' rooms because their mom (dad, brother, whatever) has to urinate - this would be after numerous explanations that the patient has a foley. And let's not forget the family members who obviously haven't seen the patient in months but are now compelled to be at the hospital 24/7 with their 14 other family members, bringing in fast food, pizza, crying babies, screaming toddlers and yapping on their cell phones. Did I mention I work in ICU???
At my one job, we give report in front of the patient's room. So many times a family member comes out of the room then (since the last 12 hours wasn't enough time, I guess) and stands by us, waiting (and eavesdropping, if we wouldn't quit talking) to ask some non-urgent question (When does breakfast come? When will the doctor be in? Will mom (dad, brother...) get a bath this morning?).
Adding to all this is management's lack of response (and this is at 3 facilities I have worked at in the past 10 years). The customer is always right, whether it's a legit concern or not, and regardless of whether this is an ongoing issue with the patient/family (e.g., other shifts have also had problems with the patient/family).
I really feel as if there is a total lack of respect for nursing now and every day it seems to get worse.
I really despise the term "customer". I think that is part of the problem with lack of respect for nurses and aides; the patient and family members are "customers" or "consumers" and not patients who need our critical thinking and skilled nursing care.
Specializes in telemetry, ICU, cardiac rehab, education.
Are pregnant or just fat...lol
That brought back to memory a time when I was eight months pregnant and an older 'lady' asked me that same question. I said I'm just fat, which was of course how I felt; funny thing was her roommate said, "oh my I can't believe you said that of course she's pregnant" ha ha
Sometimes I wonder why they think it is ok to verbally abuse us, but I have seen the same abuse toward cashiers, salespeople, teachers, bus drivers, and cops. Why would anyone treat someone who is only trying to help them badly? If you abuse the nurse how fast do you think she will come when you press your call bell? We are only human after all... I know they are sick, and I try to overlook it, but talk about biting the hand that feeds you. And when you are only trying to take care of them to the best of your ability it just plain hurts sometimes!
I think the thing that hurts the most is "No one else ever has a problem with this (finding a vein, getting blood, starting an IV, operating a piece of equipment, finding the opening, etc.)". It totally makes me lose my confidence when they say that.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i tell you what, that would have been the last time she would have thrown a cup of coffee or anything else at anyone. as the charge nurse i would have been in her room in a heart beat and we would have had a little come to jesus meeting. my goal would have been to make her mad enough to leave ama. i would have taken everything out of her room that she could use as a weapon and i would have told her that she is now considered a danger to the staff and that we would treat her as such. no one would be coming into her room alone and as such she would have to wait for things. security would be called and would have to be with the staff when they came into her room. so she would have to wait until security was available before staff would come into her room. housekeeping would not come into her room without a security escort. if she hit anyone else, assault charges would be made against her. verbal abuse would not be tolerated. if she became verbally abusive, staff would turn and leave her room immediately. she would not get anything else until she could speak to people in a calm, non abusive manner. her dinner tray would be brought into her room by staff with security escort only. this would probably be enough to either get her to leave to clean up her act.
it's all about customer service these days, and it's gotten out of hand. i'd love to take that approach to some of our more "colorful" patients -- but it wouldn't be good customer service.
wow, your ICU has open visiting hours?? the 2 i have been in are extremely restricted, you can only have 2 people at one time visiting, there is a 2 hour block around shift change so NO visitors are allowed from 0600-0800 or 1800-2000 and then i believe the hours are 0900-1100, 1300-1500, then one more block before 1800 then i think there are two hour visiting blocks thru the night too, but you have to have pass numbers to get in & everything, they are pretty locked down.
i like it, i wish the entire hospital would at least have a block around shift change...
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
wow, your icu has open visiting hours?? the 2 i have been in are extremely restricted, you can only have 2 people at one time visiting, there is a 2 hour block around shift change so no visitors are allowed from 0600-0800 or 1800-2000 and then i believe the hours are 0900-1100, 1300-1500, then one more block before 1800 then i think there are two hour visiting blocks thru the night too, but you have to have pass numbers to get in & everything, they are pretty locked down.
i like it, i wish the entire hospital would at least have a block around shift change...
unrestricted visiting seems to be the "wave of the future," and it's one "wave" that i wish would go away pronto!
I actually felt bad giving report on this patient in the morning... I felt horrible to pass this person on to another nurse!
gryffnsgram
16 Posts
years ago i worked briefly at the county jail (they paid pretty well). a suspect had raped an 80 year old woman with a bottle & she died from her injuries. anyhoo, this pillar of society was brought to the exam room to get blood drawn and dna evidence collected. he jumped when i stuck the needle in to draw blood & made me miss the vein. i had to stick him again. he called me everything except a child of god!!! the detectives just stood there and let him cuss me because they were trying to be his "friends" so he would talk to them. he threatened me and my family. my knees were knocking together because this was one scary dude. i did get some satisfaction when i had to pluck head hairs and pubic hairs while he was restrained. instead of one at a time like you're supposed to, i got a whole bunch at one time. he really hated me by the time that was over. i quit soon after.
btw, the dna proved he did it and i hope he's rotting in prison still. :angryfire