We all have our pet peeves, something that we are SURE is rude whether it bothers others or not. So I'm wondering -- what bothers you?
Things that bother me:
In a nurse's station with four or five unused computers, why does anyone have to sit down at the one I'm using, clearly marked with my scut sheet, my pen, my drink and my charting all pulled up and not finished? They take my spot, log me off (so I have to start over with any charting I didn't sign before the arrhythmia alarm jolted me out of my seat) and log in over me. Then when I return, they tell me "I didn't see your name on it." Why not just use the computer with the screensaver up and no ones stuff there?
People who put their feet up on the chairs in the nurse's station. Not only does it look totally unprofessional to anyone who visits the station, including families, but the C. Diff that that they' we picked up on their shoes is now transferred to the impossible-to-clean fabric chairs in the nurse's station.
Saying "no prob" in response to a thank you.
Taking the nurse's chair. Our rooms has a sofa and two chairs for visitors, a recliner for the patient and a chair at the computer station for the nurse to use when charting. So why do the visitors always have to take the nurse's chair? Clearly, the nurse can't chart from the sofa.
After you've taken the nurse's chair, why give me attitude when I ask you NOT to sit in front of my computer, but to sit in one of the five spots provided for visitors?
Visitors using the patient bathroom.
Staff who let patients use the staff bathroom. I've never been able to figure that one out.
I'm guilty of staking out my "spot" at work depending on which rooms I have. If I'm at the back of the unit and the only nurse back there I will block off the computer with the call bell right next to it. Or if I have the bed jumper right across from a certain computer I want that computer so I can see in the room.
I don't mind family members using the patient's bathroom if the patient isn't using it or is male and using the urinal for I&O's. Hate trying to do them when everyone else is either peeing in or removing the hat.
Oh and crazy family members who either refuse to let the patient talk or who want you to do things the wrong way. I had a family member repeatedly tell me that condom caths shouldn't be fitted and that I needed to get an XL and tape it on with silk tape for it to stay. No wonder the poor guy had skin breakdown! And she kept stopping the tube feeds because he was "aspirating" at 20ml/hr with HOB up 60 degrees.
Non-nursing related: When a member of your close family visits your home with a new guest, and the new guest does not introduce themselves let alone even say hello!!!
Um excuse me... you just entered someone's home for the first time, can you show some respect?!?!?!
Maybe it's just me, but I should not have to press you for a proper introduction. I shouldn't have to say hello first, I invited you into MY home. The least you can do is acknowledge the lady of the house!
Shouldn't the "close family member" who brought the guest over be the one making the introduction?
Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
Shouldn't the "close family member" who brought the guest over be the one making the introduction?
Yeah. That would be nice lol. I agree with you on that.
Just for arguments sake though, say I come in from work. My younger sister is visiting for the evening. She has a friend over she already told me about ahead of time. They're in the living room watching a movie. The friend is sitting on my couch and my little sis has gone to the kitchen to make them a snack or something like that. In any sense she is not there to introduce her.
I walk in, and the new guest doesn't say a thing...
For some reason I've experienced this type of thing enough times to be annoyed by it. Time for me to have a little talk with my siblings I guess lol:facepalm:
I'm the big sis with the house everyone comes to, including mom and dad. I love it though. Even though I complain about it. Weird
Co-workers who go outside to take smoking breaks repeatedly during a shift, leaving the non-smoking staff to cover everyone's patients. This is my favorite: "I'm gonna run to the bathroom", then returning twenty-five minutes later reeking of tobacco smoke when the bathroom is within a few steps of where they were working.
Nurses who discuss their personal lives loudly at the nurses' station or make off color jokes or comments within earshot of patients and families. I used to work with a nurse who would yell out things like "Hey, why don't you take me out to dinner and a movie? I put out!" across the nurses' station where family members, doctors, and who knows who else could hear her. Very professional.
Co-workers who call off a lot (and are not dealing with illness) and cause everyone else to constantly get nagged to come in on their days off. If you don't want to work, quit your job. You don't have the right to leave holes in the schedule every time you have a party to go to.
family members who expect to be waited on as if they were the patient. "Honey, can you please bring me some pop and a cup of ice from the kitchen? Oh, and I need a blanket too." So out of line but God forbid you upset anyone who might be filling out a Press Ganey survey in the near future.
Wow! You couldn't have said it better!! You covered all the things I was thinking!
-When I come into work and am told so-and-so has had a high fever all day or an injury or a peg tube came out etc and I ask "What did our on call nurse say/do?" and just get a confused look in response. (I work in a group home and we only have a nurse staffed for 15 hours day but, there are nurses on-call 24/7).
--Co-workers who disappear once I come in to work (my shift overlaps theirs by an hour).
-People who are on a perpetual smoke break. (I used to smoke, I get it but, when you're out smoking 25-30 mins of every hour that's a problem).
-Co-workers who for some reason think their the boss of everyone else.
-When no one orders meds. Coming in on a weekend to a med being out but, someone put the empty bottle back on the shelf. Ugh.
-People who answer their phone call/text/Facebook message during patient care.
-When a co-worker is more interested in gossip and starting drama than caring for their patients. (This is just the worst) Seriously, I'm trying to tell you about why someone is on antibiotics or has a new treatment, I could really care less about who "dissed" you or who's filling bankruptcy etc...
-Bilingual families who ALL speak fluent English who choose to chat in another language in front of me.
On the flip side of this, I absolutely love the reactions I get when they realize that white girl understands Spanish (or much more rarely, Dutch). A lot of the population by me is Hispanic and they assume I have no clue what they just said about the doctor/their treatment/their CC/each other/me. I almost never admit that I understand and we're required to speak English when talking about anything medical unless we're certified translators, but sometimes I can't hold back a laugh at something they said.
AutumnApple-The buzzword thing makes me crazy too!!! We have administrative personnel who can us "it is what it is," "skill set," and "employee engagement " all in one sentence.
-When I come into work and am told so-and-so has had a high fever all day or an injury or a peg tube came out etc and I ask "What did our on call nurse say/do?" and just get a confused look in response. (I work in a group home and we only have a nurse staffed for 15 hours day but, there are nurses on-call 24/7).
--Co-workers who disappear once I come in to work (my shift overlaps theirs by an hour).
-People who are on a perpetual smoke break. (I used to smoke, I get it but, when you're out smoking 25-30 mins of every hour that's a problem).
-Co-workers who for some reason think their the boss of everyone else.
-When no one orders meds. Coming in on a weekend to a med being out but, someone put the empty bottle back on the shelf. Ugh.
-People who answer their phone call/text/Facebook message during patient care.
-When a co-worker is more interested in gossip and starting drama than caring for their patients. (This is just the worst) Seriously, I'm trying to tell you about why someone is on antibiotics or has a new treatment, I could really care less about who "dissed" you or who's filling bankruptcy etc...
I wish I could like this a thousand times! My inlaws, who are in their mid-70's, think nothing of taking phone calls in the middle of dinner at restaurants. The cherry on top is that they never talk with the phone to their ear, it's speakerphone all the way I have to excuse myself from the table any time they do this, I think it is unbelievably rude and disrespectful. I love them to bits but I want to chuck their phone into a flaming pot of fondue every time they do this.
I had a 73-year old fellow answer his cell phone in the middle of an appointment with me. If I'd reacted faster, I would have told him thanks for his time, the visit was over (and it was almost over. I could have wrapped up in literally a minute or two), and he could finish that phone call somewhere else so that I could see the next patient, and could schedule his next appointment at the front desk when it wasn't so inconvenient for him (it's our standard for the nurses to schedule the next visit then the patient is free to go). As it was, I just kind of stared at him dumbfounded until he hung up. Next time...
I'm a new nurse and I never was too bad with giving report (I've gotten better) but my pet peeve is when the next shift has to make report a pain to give. If you're asking pertinent questions...kudos to you; you are on top of your game and I love it because it's also helping me. When the question is in no way at all pertinent to a pt's care and then when you ask and I offer to look it up the information on the computer right then in there and you say...."I'll... I'll look it up." it's not necessarily rude it's just annoying. I always try to be ready with the best report I can give. In a way, maybe I should thank those ppl for being annoying:unsure: (thank you)
I have to excuse myself from the table any time they do this, I think it is unbelievably rude and disrespectful. I love them to bits but I want to chuck their phone into a flaming pot of fondue every time they do this.
barclaykitteh
2 Posts
I'm guilty of staking out my "spot" at work depending on which rooms I have. If I'm at the back of the unit and the only nurse back there I will block off the computer with the call bell right next to it. Or if I have the bed jumper right across from a certain computer I want that computer so I can see in the room.
I don't mind family members using the patient's bathroom if the patient isn't using it or is male and using the urinal for I&O's. Hate trying to do them when everyone else is either peeing in or removing the hat.
Oh and crazy family members who either refuse to let the patient talk or who want you to do things the wrong way. I had a family member repeatedly tell me that condom caths shouldn't be fitted and that I needed to get an XL and tape it on with silk tape for it to stay. No wonder the poor guy had skin breakdown! And she kept stopping the tube feeds because he was "aspirating" at 20ml/hr with HOB up 60 degrees.