What is wrong with this public?????

[bscn_rn_10_years]

So today I am at work at the triage desk (which I hate). I have a lady come in and she wants her child tested for asthma for something that happened 2 days ago - which all the ED nurses know- isn't done in the ED and we don't refer patients to areas like that , it is up to their family doc. Well the lady blows her lid stating that "Well she stopped breathing" the child is sitting eating a chocolate bar and talking on her phone..!!!!! I tell her again that it is up to the family doctor to refer her daughter to an asthma clinic and that her oxygen sats are 100%. She leaves the desk and walks 4 steps away from me and announces to the waiting room that "Man she is a *****". I just look at her and ask if there is something that she wants to discuss with me..and she stated "NO I am good"..... The next person was a real gem as well.. This lady is reading a chart and I say to her "sorry you can't read that chart as it is not yours (it was her mothers and she is not her mothers guardian)" she yells at the top of her lungs "I have every right to read this chart so leave me alone or come and take it out of my hands" The doctor intervenes and tells me he will handle it- and this lady had to be in her late 50"s !!!!!!.... The next guy tells me that "I am so sick of the ******* health care system or lack of it -that is why I am leaving this province the second I have enough money" . He is mad because he waiting 2 hours to be seen. By this time ...... I can't believe that I am having such a bad day....I tell him "well yelling at me will not get you anywhere , I can't fix the problems". He tells me that "I need to yell at you and then you can tell your bosses and then maybe they will do somethig about it"...I tell him "They don't care...You need to talk to your mla if you want any changes and then it probably won't help, now you can either tell me what your problem is today or I will give you sometime to gather your thoughts". Well he almost exploded...needless to say I left the room....

We don't have a drive thru in the ED department....there are people who are sick that should be there... but on the other hand you have people who are coming in to the ED's for coughs and colds or hang nails or bruises that they can't remember how they got.because they were drunk or for prescription refills and the list goes on and on and on....those are the people that are slowing down the pace of the department....it is not the nurses !!!!! So very frustrating....and who talks like that to anyone???? I wouldn't talk to anyone like that.... never mind someone that I want help from.....What is wrong with this public????

Ok I am done venting - thanks for listening..:) I knew you all would understand.

Makes me wonder why I am a nurse!!!!!!!

[itsmejuli]

I guess you've never worked retail, in a restaurant or customer service on the phone.

Rude people are everywhere; some worse than others.

Let go in one ear and out the other and remember that you are a much better person than they are. :)

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

Lovely isn't it? I see you are in Canada but no different here in the states regarding the bad attitude of the public. It's been my experience that the for the most part, the ones on medicaid are the worst ones. I see moms on their 8th kid and complaining on how back in the day when they gave birth to their first child, WIC used to provide much more and better etc; and how miserable the programs are (people who have no shame in living off the system).

Anyhow, you do have to learn how to let things like these roll down your back. It isn't going to get any better I'm afraid. Not anytime soon at least.

Hope you have a better week!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Some people are rude and then there are others that can't thank you enough. Used to get it many times in the UK re ' I pay your wage' my reply was I pay my wage as well cos I pay the same tax and national insurance you do

[bscn_rn_10_years]

I really need to let it roll off my back ....I get to emotional about what people say to me and not in the sad way...and I need a holiday...so frustrating... I find that people want a "drive thru" health care system...and unfortunately it will never be that way in Canada....they come in for their coughs and colds and then are mad because the MI is going ahead of them. ???? ..and don't even get me started about the MD's that only see 7 people in 8 hours...makes me want to rip my hair out....and those patients are the ones yelling at us nurses. Now.. I tell those patients to talk with the doctor regarding the wait times as that is who we are waiting on....that usually keeps them quiet for a while because they would never say anything to the doctor.....:angthts: ......

[linzz]

In my neck of the woods, the walk in clinics are not open at night anymore. It must really keep the local ED busy with all kinds of minor things that really could be taken care of elsewhere.

I don't blame the op for being frustrated, nobody deserves to be treated in an abusive manner.

[Canuckgirl]

Ugh I've worked in customer service since I was fifteen and it's helped to desensitize me to taking crap from the public. What helps the most is realizing it isn't personal, and the person is just frustrated and needs an outlet... Unfortunately that usually falls on the nurses because let's face it; it isn't a respected profession like being a doctor or engineer.

It's made me second-guess my choice to become a nurse (my other choice is to be an Economist- much more respect in the field in my experiences)... However, I wouldn't be able to help out my community the way I'd like which is through healthcare.

Every job comes with crap is what I'm trying to say. And as for those ******** you were facing, tell them to fork over half their lifesavings and get their procedure done in the States if they're so inclined (no offense Americans). Every system has its problems and their ******** at the people helpless to do anything about it sure doesn't help.

[justagirl1967]

Although it is very difficult, when I need to deal with people like this....."I kill em' with kindness"...saying things like......." I realize how long you have waited, that is terrible" " I understand how frustrated you are"" I understand how angry your are, and you have a right to be"...drown them in sympathy......sometimes it works.......sometimes they are miserable all the way around......nothing you say will help.

[Fiona59]

Oh, I hear you.

In the last week, I've worked with a patient who had been hospitalized in the US. He was so appreciative of being home. Yes, you read that correctly. He had a copy of the bill that his insurance company paid. He couldn't believe that he would have had to pay for the dressings and kleenex.

Next room we had a patient who has refugee status. He and his family were some of the rudest people we have had in a long time. We were treated as his personal handmaidens and verbally abused by one daughter (who was fluent in English and being educated locally) constantly. Then along came a doctor who spoke the same language as the family and was from a nearby country. He basically told us that he had told them to behave. The surgery he was having was in no means life threatening, was considered a "luxury" back home and to stop giving his people a bad reputation.

Well behaved family after that and the daughter stopped coming by the nurses station.

We want to clone that doctor.

[loriangel14, RN]

The doctor on our unit dealt with a nasty patient once very efficiently.This lady had a long standing dependence on Percocet.This doctor said"Oh the staff says you have not in very good humor, you know, irritability is a common side effect of Percocet.Maybe we need to take you off of them." She was sweet as pie after that.