Perhaps there's been a thread on this already, but can it be ok to start a new one? When I have a patient who is, or whose family just makes me want to go in the back room and tear every hair out of my head out, it's really frustrating at the time, but then I find myself laughing about it the next day...then if I think about it too much I get all fired up again.
So I've a few:
The young, likely affluent couple- the husband was being treated for a mystery respiratory issue. He was in pretty rough shape, and I bent over backwards to cater to what he needed. The second night I had him, he had his wife staying the night. She had pushed the fold out couch over next to his bed, and when I came in to assess, she promptly began complaining that the doctor had said that "all these interruptions wouldn't be necessary!" To which the husband gave me this irate look and told me rather condescendingly "you're doing a good job, but I'm with my wife, I'm fine". When lab drawing time came around (of COURSE he had a central line) I, per their request, pushed lab draws to like...0715 (you know...when I should be giving report to the day nurse about what a pain in the fanny you've been so I can get going home to MY husband) and wifey pulls the chair right up to the bedside...literally 3 inches from me, so she could stroke hubbywubby's hand (awwww :barf01:) and sip her cold drinkie winkie. While nursey (worsie) futzes around with sterile fields and needles and BLOOD!! Oh man... and you should have seen the rock on her finger too. About the size of the puking smiley.
I'll be brief about the other one...53 year old lady who seemed to need to be repositioned every 10-15 minutes...all. night. long. Ohhhh and she WHINED, she whined in a way that would put a child to shame. Tsk tsk tsk. The patients who might be found in the am, hog tied with the call light. :flamesonb