Why

[nebrgirl]

I'm sure when I worked in other places fellow employees did this too...but it is anoying to be around medical personnel who insist on daily reporting their aches, pains, and symptoms....hard enough to listen to whiney patients, but unless I'm doing an assessment of your health status I don't really want to hear about your stuffy nose, your headache, your back pain, or your indigestion. Now if because of your health status you need my help great just ask...but don't whine and make me guess what I'm suppose to do about it. If it is really that bad, go home, or call 911 and see if they'll give you a ride to ER.

[gentle]

i worked w/a nurse sev'l yrs ago, who had more things wrong with her...

she would incessantly talk about dx 1, 2, 3 or all of them, every day of our working life.

and it wasn't just me.

she had quite a reputation for being a hypochondriac.

'mary' eventually quit and got a job elsewhere.

months later, a cna arrived at work, announcing that mary had died...

from one of her sev'l diagnoses.

from that day forward, i have never rolled my eyes or become frustrated w/one of 'those' types.

her death totally blew me away...

just never saw it coming.

but yeah op, i do understand.

i've just been humbled into silence, for life.:)

leslie

Thanks Leslie. :redbeathe

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

The way I diffuse a long, depressing medical complaint soliloquy is to say, "So....what good happened today?" Yes, I've done it. The reaction is typically a somewhat stunned look and sometimes a decent response. If no response, I'll say something goofy like, "Hey, your shoes remained tied all day. That's good!" or something else equally silly. It seems to convey the hint for a while without being terribly rude.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I have learned to think of these kinds of people as "characters" and their annoying tendencies as merely quirks.

If the patient care is not compromised, I can tolerated a lot.

A polite nod that the person has been heard is plenty and does not encourage more discussion.

[nebrgirl]

Thanks leslie for the perspective, I think sometimes I come home so tired if forget that the people I work with are "human" too...meaning they really do get sick. I should be grateful that I'm really a pretty darn healthy old horse, but not everyone has that same blessing.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

A long time ago I learned never to ask "How are you?". I always say "its nice to see you".

I will have to remember to use that one from now on. Thanks!!!