Just a thought that keeps popping into my head... How long has it been OK to be rude to your nurse? E.g. Demanding more warm blankets, sneering they didn't want ice in their water, etc.... I feel like the patient's perception as a professional has changed; from a respected nurse to a waitress.
Do you think the emphasis on patient satisfaction scores has changed this perception? Also, how is that every patient seems to know about socks, blanket warmers, sandwiches, bus/taxi vouchers, and that they are entitled.
Government says you should only be in the department 4 hours (4 hour target) so meals should not be our problem.
It seems our goal (in a US ED) seems to be sandwich within 5 minutes of clearing NPO status. Heck with door to balloon time. It's door to sandwich time that really matters.
For-profit corporations have taken over hospitals, and large corporations have bought more and more former community hospitals. The non-profits, where care used to be better, are now operating like for-profits.
What does all that mean to nurses? It means that nurses are treated like an expense. And just like private for-profit pirates in education (aka charters), and their GOP allies, have denigrated teachers and created an environment where too many people want to bring teachers and all other public employees down to the level of private employees with low pay and no benefits........well, the for-profit hospital industry has seen the benefit to denigrating the profession of nursing.
They do this by forcing overtime, not providing training, forcing everyone to work short-staffed every shift, forcing floats to areas that the nurses aren't proficient in, keeping pay at all-time record lows, cutting benefits, and having nurses do things like cleaning floors, feeding patients, doing laundry, wiping tables, etc. Also the amount of charting has taken over, taking away even more time for patient care......The lack of respect to nurses is shown by the wages - everyone knows the pay is low, and by the way they are treated by the hospitals in general, and by some prescribers specifically.
So the patient perception is that nurses don't do or know anything. In addition, it doesn't help that the profession has no well known spokespeople - although NNU is helping with that. Nurses do NOT volunteer with media to be contacts on health issues, don't write columns in newspapers, don't typically speak out.
Unionization helps immensely - and it's going to be the only thing that might save this profession and bring it back from being teddy-bear cute care givers, to professionals providing professional services that require knowledge, skills, and critical thinking.
I have and will continue to tell patients and families that while I don't mind getting their drink for them, they have to remember that this is not a hotel and my main job is to ensure that all of my patients' health is improving. Then I bring them their drink. If they complain about me, then they complain. Usually the opposite happens instead.
As a new student I found this advice very helpful, thank you.
Excessively demanding patients have always been there, but don't seem to be the majority. They might as well be the majority for all the irritation though :)
I like to front load people, explain things to them before they even ask (new admits) or if I hear about excessive demands in report.
It's even more rare to have a patient be persistent with their demands after I've spent time front loading them on 'what to expect'.
I dunno the cause. I think it's human nature. People are anxious for the lack of control over their immediate life, some much worse than others! Just LISTENING for a minute or two goes a long way most of the time.
I've walked into rooms that the day shift described as one annoying demand after another, and not found that to be the case. Each nurse perceives differently, too. Some nurses get up in arms much more quickly than others, so I like to see for myself rather than EXPECT to be ordered around like a servant.
WOW! I've been an RN for 34years, in all aspects of the profession. I've NEVER had a patient be even REMOTELY abusive in the manner you are speaking of, and it's always been please, and thank you, and when you get time. The only time I've been reported to the physician is when I had a momma dilated 9cm, and wanted to get out of bed to have a BM, NOT! You'll sit on the bedpan, or go on the underpads provided, and I'll clean anything up.( We won't be dropping baby in the floor today.) I didn't say that part. But she got really mad at me for having to go in the bed, nevermind the safety of her baby, let alone herself. After doctor heard my side, it all went away. Life is a peculiar business at best, it would seem. But a good business to be in.
It should be policy not to feed a patient until the doctor examines them. Tell them, "I'm sorry, but until we know the nature of your illness, you have to be NPO."
That is my policy. No water, food nothing until all the tests are back at the very least. Prepare for the worst hope for the best, fastest dispo.
Or take a phone call when I'm trying to assess them and expect me to wait while they chat??? What the f?? People, my time is limited. Call them back later.
Cell phone blockers should be legal in hospitals. And I should be able to disable the room phone while I'm in there. This phone thing is really slowing me down. (My patients are mostly entitled rich people)
Have to agree with newhospicern, it's not anything against nurses specificly it's the culture, the way people are being rsised, no respect for others, selfish, "ME ME ME" attitude . The idea of being entitled to everything, including being waited on hand and foot. It's a sad but very real trend.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
I honestly think this is a result of America's "ME ME ME" culture. People seem to think the world should revolve around them with no consideration for anyone else. This country encourages selfishness and greed over community and humanity. This is a symptom of the disease our culture has developed in the last few decades.
I dont actually think its unique to the US to be honest
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
How about aides treating you like poo too and you being told not to make them mad? Especially you are doing all their work for them. I don't mind helping but when they continue to hide, go out and smoke, extra? How is that fair when I have to pass meds, do TX's bandage changes etc?
A cleaner came into clean my patients bathroom yesterday. I was in the middle of something and asked her to come back in a few minutes. She said "I cant, I'm busy" and then proceeded to take the next five minutes arguing with me about it, plus a further 5 minutes to whine to her colleage about what a mean nasty nurse I was.
I got a whole 10 minutes for lunch Y day and my feet didnt stop from the moment I entered at 0645 until I left at 1530 and she wants to talk to me about busy?
psu_213, BSN, RN
3,878 Posts
It seems our goal (in a US ED) seems to be sandwich within 5 minutes of clearing NPO status. Heck with door to balloon time. It's door to sandwich time that really matters.