Why do patients..??

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 7, 2010

why is it then when you spend an hour and a half in the patient's room fluffing pillows, dispensing ice chips, scooting him up, answering questions and trying to find out what he means by "helphelphelp", then you say "mr. h, i need to go to the med room to get your pain medication. i'll be back in 10 minutes. is there anything you need before i go?" and he says he doesn't need anything, the minute you take off your isolation gear, wash your hands and step out of the room he starts banging on the siderails with his urinal and yelling "helphelphelp"?

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2010

You all remind me of why my favorite patients are the intubated, paralyzed and sedated.

The best ever.

coolpeach · Dec 7, 2010

I also find that its usually right after change of shift on both ends that they suddenly become the neediest people on earth.

danh3190 · Dec 7, 2010

Some of my coworkers think I'm nuts because I try to tape my end of shift handoff reports at least 3 hrs before end of shift (I can always revise or update them if necessary). But I've found it starts getting weird about 2 hrs before end of shift and just gets weirder and weirder as the shift winds down. No way I can tape a coherent report in the last hour of my shift.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2010

Why do patients seem like they always wait until the last possible moment(6:30 when change of shift is 7) to tell you something that they should have told you 11 hours ago?? EX: This morphine that you have been giving me all day hasn't worked at all and my pain is 10 out of 10. I've had the worst headache of my life for the last 6 hours. Oh by the way, I forgot to tell them when I was admitted that I have a chronic issue and i am on 900 medications that I never mentioned to anyone (exaggeration, but you get my point). Does this only happen to me? I mean I do all my assesments and I always ask the patient several times throughout the day if they have any problems/concerns and they never seem to have any until change of shift. Sorry I guess I just had a rough day

I think they sit and stew about it all day long.......realize it's getting late and have that "SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE" moment of panic. They think OH MY GOD! if I don't do it right now it'll be to lat and the doctor won't be around!

Some I think also do it for fun because they like being the center of attention;)

pers · Dec 7, 2010

and you've made 6 trips. Then, when you ask them if they need anything else (listing every conceivable thing they might need), they become offended.
*Those* are the patients that don't have 2 brain cells to bump together.

I find family to be worse than patients in that regard, they can come up with a thousand little things my patients never think of! I'll make two trips, when asked for a third I ask if they have anything else they can think of because I only have time right then for one last trip but will be back later to see if there is anything else they need and of course they should use the call light if anything urgent comes up. When they get offended, I just remind them that I'm happy to get anything they need but I have other patients I need to see so I need to keep it to as few trips as possible and prioritize. They don't need the stuff for their morning bath (that they require assistance from staff with) at 9pm and I'm not making a special trip to get some.

cecilsgirl · Dec 7, 2010

And sometimes it is the other staff too, that seem to remember everything at shift change, or close to it, like mr. so and so hasn't voided all shift !! grrrrrr!! ;-)

jnrsmommy · Dec 7, 2010

My favorites are the ones that have either slept all night and tell the doc the next day "I couldn't sleep at all last night" or the ones that you've been in the room upteen million times and tell the next shift "No one came in to check on me all night."

mentalhealthRN · Dec 7, 2010

I feel your frustration....totally. When I feel like this though I try to remember that the patient may not realize its close to change of shift. (though some know this well! lol--then that's different) Maybe doing a round like an hour before the end of your shift might help, asking all of your patients if they need anything -- letting them know you are rounding on all your patients as the end of your shift is nearing to be sure they don't need anything,and tying up loose ends, and that it tends to be a bit hectic around change of shift and there may be a bit of a delay if they need anything, until the next shift is finished getting report so you want to be sure they are set for a bit. If you say this nice and with a smile it really helps.....I find anyways. You can't fix em all but it does help with many.

I think not having been on the nurses side of things some people just don't get how busy we can be sometimes. Hang in there. See if that final round helps.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 7, 2010

i feel your frustration....totally. when i feel like this though i try to remember that the patient may not realize its close to change of shift. (though some know this well! lol--then that's different) maybe doing a round like an hour before the end of your shift might help, asking all of your patients if they need anything -- letting them know you are rounding on all your patients as the end of your shift is nearing to be sure they don't need anything,and tying up loose ends, and that it tends to be a bit hectic around change of shift and there may be a bit of a delay if they need anything, until the next shift is finished getting report so you want to be sure they are set for a bit. if you say this nice and with a smile it really helps.....i find anyways. you can't fix em all but it does help with many.
i think not having been on the nurses side of things some people just don't get how busy we can be sometimes. hang in there. see if that final round helps.

i think the point was venting about the patients who don't get it even when you do all that.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Dec 7, 2010

Answering questions about pain seems to puzzle many of my patients.

Me: Are you having any pain or discomfort at all?

Pt: Well that's why I'm here.

Me: I understand, and right now are you having any?

Pt. Well, that other nurse gave me a shot.

Me: Did it ease the pain, did it help?

Pt: Was it supposed to?

Me: I am interested in what kind of pain you are having right now. Can you rate in on a 0-10 scale.

Pt:Oh, I don't like that scale thing.

Me: Are you having any pain right now?

Pt: Well not so much, just that pressure feeling in my chest, but that's been going on for a couple of hours. Do you think it's my heart?

Me: And the pressure, would you say it's very uncomfortable or mild?

Pt: Its pretty bad, that's why I'm here. Can I get I nitro? I used my last one a half hour ago, I been taking those things like candy. And a sandwich, too, if you have one.

belgarion · Dec 7, 2010

Of course there are also the paients or family members who ask fo everythig during shift change on the theory that since there are twice as many of us "hanging around" then they will get what they want twice as fast.