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.
I also get miffed when they wont put down their cell phone when we come in to assess/etc. If you are so well that talking to whoever is just fine, maybe your truly a level 5 and lets discharge you now.
I had a pt walk around the hospital with tele on. He said his tele box started making a lot of noise, and he was surprised the nurses on this other random floor didn't drop everything to check on him. I told him that since he was walking upright, they assumed there was a problem with his box (which there was), and that he wasn't having a cardiovascular event. Also, the tele box doesn't have a GPS, so maybe he should stay in his room if he wants immediate help. Some people are just so dense!
I also wish I had a dollar for every random patient and family who expects me to know if Dr Whoever called, and when can not-my-patient be discharged. They always look so annoyed when I ask them to direct these questions to their nurse because I left my friggen crystal ball at home again.
Our ED is experiencing record breaking volumes and acuity in the past 3 weeks. Yesterday I think I triaged 90 patients. I became quickly annoyed with the amount of " I've already got the flu but I still don't feel good" patients. In addition to returning to our over crowded ED with 6-7 hr waits - many had requests before I bounced them to the lobby after triage. " Can you get us something to drink" " we didn't eat before we came, could we have crackers?" Along with visitors of pts asking for Tylenol or Motrin. " Cant you get my daughter a soda?"
I am usually a very compassionate RN - I've walked to the cafeteria to get a popsicle for a child, or a coffee for an elderly visitor who sat in the dept all night. If someone vomited all night I will surely go get them ice chips. But seriously, you think that I should stop triaging to go get your 18 yr old with a headache a ginger ale. Um, no. I think 15 people asked me for a drink for them or a family member as they walked out to lobby. I pointed them in the direction of the vending machines.
Any of the posts in this thread could have been made by nurses in the UK and I wouldn't have been in the slightest bit surprised.
Even the wife's family got angry when the sister in law was in hospital with ?appendicitis, they were oh so annoyed because no one had offered her anything to eat or drink. I tried explaining it was because she was listed for surgery, but tbh, when people are like this it's often a waste of your time and effort trying to explain why.
NewYorkerGirl
348 Posts
I had a pt walk around the hospital with tele on. He said his tele box started making a lot of noise, and he was surprised the nurses on this other random floor didn't drop everything to check on him. I told him that since he was walking upright, they assumed there was a problem with his box (which there was), and that he wasn't having a cardiovascular event. Also, the tele box doesn't have a GPS, so maybe he should stay in his room if he wants immediate help. Some people are just so dense!
I also wish I had a dollar for every random patient and family who expects me to know if Dr Whoever called, and when can not-my-patient be discharged. They always look so annoyed when I ask them to direct these questions to their nurse because I left my friggen crystal ball at home again.