For all the Nurses out there

Enforcer25
Enforcer25 Posts: 350 Member
edited October 4 in Chit-Chat
       My wife is a nurse in a very busy ER. There is a reason she is a nurse and I am not. She tells me stories of how some of these people act and I know my nursing career would be short because from what she says, these patients act like *kitten*.
       She had a bad night last night where she and her fellow nurses were called C***s, *****es, etc. To the Docs credit, he and another guy confronted the patient who used that term and told him that *kitten* is unacceptable here. Why was this D-bag in there, he decided to get drunk, do some cocaine and then get into a wreck, so he is there because of his own stupidity.
       Then you have the patients who think they are at the Ritz, they want pillows fluffed, water, food, snacks, etc brought to them whenever they want.
       You have others that want to take everything that isn't nailed down.
       Your scraped knee, small cut, and other ailments you think are an emergency are not when there are gunshot victims, accident victims, heart attacks, etc. That is why you might be sitting for hours. You are visiting an emergency room, no they aren't going to drop everything to treat your runny nose.
       You also get the occasional patient or family member who is happy with the nurses and thanks them for what they did, unfortunately these people are far and few between.
       I'm not saying all nurses expierance this, nor am I saying all patients are bad. I'm saying some are and if you haven't expierenced this, you are lucky. I would just like people to remember that the nurses are trying to do thier job with the resources they have. They are there to take care of you, but they aren't your servants and they don't deserve to be treated like crap because you wound up there.
     I just wanted to say I appreciate all you do and even after this crap, she and others still go into work everyday and still treat each patient with respect. Great job and props to all of you.

Replies

  • nursee67
    nursee67 Posts: 503
    Thank you! I love being a nurse. Definitely take the good with the bad though!
  • sjtreely
    sjtreely Posts: 1,014 Member
           My wife is a nurse in a very busy ER. There is a reason she is a nurse and I am not. She tells me stories of how some of these people act and I know my nursing career would be short because from what she says, these patients act like *kitten*.
           She had a bad night last night where she and her fellow nurses were called C***s, *****es, etc. To the Docs credit, he and another guy confronted the patient who used that term and told him that *kitten* is unacceptable here. Why was this D-bag in there, he decided to get drunk, do some cocaine and then get into a wreck, so he is there because of his own stupidity.
           Then you have the patients who think they are at the Ritz, they want pillows fluffed, water, food, snacks, etc brought to them whenever they want.
           You have others that want to take everything that isn't nailed down.
           Your scraped knee, small cut, and other ailments you think are an emergency are not when there are gunshot victims, accident victims, heart attacks, etc. That is why you might be sitting for hours. You are visiting an emergency room, no they aren't going to drop everything to treat your runny nose.
           You also get the occasional patient or family member who is happy with the nurses and thanks them for what they did, unfortunately these people are far and few between.
           I'm not saying all nurses expierance this, nor am I saying all patients are bad. I'm saying some are and if you haven't expierenced this, you are lucky. I would just like people to remember that the nurses are trying to do thier job with the resources they have. They are there to take care of you, but they aren't your servants and they don't deserve to be treated like crap because you wound up there.
         I just wanted to say I appreciate all you do and even after this crap, she and others still go into work everyday and still treat each patient with respect. Great job and props to all of you.

    Yeah ... ^^What he wrote.^^ Ditto. Thanks!
  • Erindipitous
    Erindipitous Posts: 1,234 Member
    Thank you. :)

    I've had some unruly patients.. To the point where I didn't know if I wanted to be a nurse anymore. Trust me though, the good experiences outweigh the bad.

    We definitely learn to develop thick skin.
  • lorig_2000
    lorig_2000 Posts: 106 Member
    My sister-in-law is a nurse and she has told me about some of the abuse they take.

    Your words were very nice and I'm sure that all the nurses here appreciate it!
  • jennmoore3
    jennmoore3 Posts: 1,013 Member
    I am a Surgical Tech and get the same crap. I agree with you. Thanks for the kind works to us medical staff. And BTW your wife is so lucky to have you!
  • vanessaclarkgbr
    vanessaclarkgbr Posts: 731 Member
    I was an Auxiliary (un-trained) Nurse on a Medical ward prior to returning to college (not earning enough to buy a house) 13 years ago. I was once kicked in the head, I've been punched numerous times along with the drunk/drugged verbal aggression (whilst having the buzzer ringing in my ear for pillow plumping ;-) ) I'm guessing things have got substantially worse with time. My daughter has just come out of hospital where the staff were doing a grand job (daughter had a 'neighbour' who rang the buzzer all night for her box of tissues, drink passing etc....) Could you tell your wife I think she's great and is very much appreciated!
  • Unwrapping_Candy
    Unwrapping_Candy Posts: 487 Member
    I am a nurse, but my entire career has been in a nursing home, and I only just made the move into a hospital. I haven't faced anything similar to what you've described in the hospital, and nothing quite so severe in the nursing home, but some of the men there got pretty grabby sometimes, but only rarely would one of them use such language. I know it happens though, and I am sure I'll face worse as time goes on. lol It's one of the undesirable aspects of being a woman. :P

    Cheers to your wife and all the other nurses, techs, and other female care givers everywhere! :)
  • allie1904
    allie1904 Posts: 248
    Thankyou :flowerforyou:

    We've all been shouted out down the phone, been told to f' off, kicked etc

    ..but for every thing that may be poop, there's always 10 good 'uns who couldn't be more grateful and remember you're a human being.
  • AureliaCotta
    AureliaCotta Posts: 99 Member
    Thanks for the kind words. I work as a psych nurse and I've had my share of physically/verbally abuse, entitled, annoying patients. But for all the bad moments, there are some pretty fantastic moments that make it worthwhile :)
  • ansleya
    ansleya Posts: 192 Member
    Great Post! I am a nursing student and I appreciate your words!
  • alisonhayes266
    alisonhayes266 Posts: 58 Member
    What great admiration and support you have for your wife, and for all the nurses, of course we (nurses) are only a small cog in a large wheel of support for those in need. But it's lovely to think that others think of us too. Thank You.
    My husband has a severe aversion to hospitals and any discussion about work, he thinks it's all tea and biscuits and never listen's to my "expert" medical advice...... of course after 25 years that's understandable :-) ..... I don't listen to his advice either :-)

    :bigsmile:
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
    Aw, thanks! Some people are real ****. But there are the great patients and family members that make up for it :)
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    It takes a special person to be a Nurse. You can't do this job and have a thin skin.
    Happy Belated Emergency Nurses Week to all my ED Nurses!!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    I'm on a waiting list to go to school to become an RN. I can imagine how hard working in the ER must be and while all this sounds horrible Thanks for giving me a realistic perspective.
  • NewVonnie
    NewVonnie Posts: 683 Member
    It takes a special person to be a Nurse. You can't do this job and have a thin skin.
    Happy Belated Emergency Nurses Week to all my ED Nurses!!

    ^^^ He would know because he is one of the most amazing and special people I've ever known..so of course he must be a damn good nurse.
  • allie1904
    allie1904 Posts: 248
    I'm on a waiting list to go to school to become an RN. I can imagine how hard working in the ER must be and while all this sounds horrible Thanks for giving me a realistic perspective.

    There will be the good points though and don't forget that :) As much as we moan sometimes, for me, and I'm sure for many others, I couldn't imagine myself doing any other job. Even when I'm 5ft deep in poo, it's still better than sitting at a desk or in a shop.
  • Enforcer25
    Enforcer25 Posts: 350 Member
    To those of you who are students, keep at it, my wife wasn't always a nurse, she worked other jobs before she decided to do this. She is a SANE nurse for adults and children. She loves her job and has never thought about quitting, she loves the action of the ER. She was on a renal floor before the ER, I don't think she will leave the ER for along time. There are alot of opportunities for you as a nurse. The ER she works in is in an inner city. She has taken gunshot victims out of cars where the inside looked like a slaughter house, delivered babies, comforted people who have lost loved ones, done CPR on people as they are being wheeled into the ER. Her crew had t-shirts made up that say " ER, you watch it, we live it". So, keep at it in school because as others have said, it is a very rewarding career and you have a lot of options when you graduate.
  • ktdid626
    ktdid626 Posts: 185 Member
    Thank you! I am a cardiac intensive care registered nurse. Before that I was a nurses aide for two years while I completed my degree. How nice for someone to understand what happens to us!

    Oh, I also get the occasional old fart who wants to hit on me. If you are a dude, don't harass your nurses when you get to the hospital! I see a lot of body parts everyday and yours are nothing new! LOL

    With that being said, you can be totally comfortable around us 24/7. We've seen you at worst and at your best. It's just a part of life!

    I LOVE MY JOB! I see all sides of life from birth to death, and the most important thing I've learned is that we all deserve love and kindness. I want my life to be of benefit to others. Thank you for giving me a reason to JUMP out of bed each day. I am truly fulfilled and nursing is my gift from God. Thanks for letting me share it with your loved ones.
  • Troy67
    Troy67 Posts: 556 Member
    I have worked at the hospital for 6 years now and have experienced all of what you listed on numerous occasions. LOL It definitely takes a certain personality to not want to beat patients like that and family members who behave that way as well. We can usually tell within the first few days if a new nurse is going to last long. If they take it too personal or dwell on it for too long, they aren't going to last long. We just have to shrug it off and do our jobs. If that isn't good enough for someone, so be it. There are plenty of others who love everything we do for them and send us thank you cards after their stay. A simple thank you from someone sure goes a long way.
    Nurses are great.

    Troy
  • Tzipporah90
    Tzipporah90 Posts: 126
    I am a nursing student and appreciate the perspective you put out there!!
  • Tzipporah90
    Tzipporah90 Posts: 126
    I am a nursing student and appreciate the perspective you put out there!!
  • beach_bum_gurl
    beach_bum_gurl Posts: 200
    Just got home from 12 in an large ED. Thanks so much for the sentiments!
  • Troy67
    Troy67 Posts: 556 Member
    Just got home from 12 in an large ED. Thanks so much for the sentiments!

    No fair. You got off before me. LOL
  • bks1
    bks1 Posts: 32 Member
    Thank you for your acknowledgment of what we do. I am an ER nurse too.
  • moniquelessard
    moniquelessard Posts: 418
    Amen, I spent 3 days working in the ER on stage and realized I couldn't handle it... maybe in a few years. Those nurses work hard and deal with some really annoying people, many of which are suffering from self-inflicted injuries (ie. getting high on heroin, then climbing up the side of the house to enter through a window only to fall and fracture their arm...) UGH!!!

    xox
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    Amen, I spent 3 days working in the ER on stage and realized I couldn't handle it... maybe in a few years. Those nurses work hard and deal with some really annoying people, many of which are suffering from self-inflicted injuries (ie. getting high on heroin, then climbing up the side of the house to enter through a window only to fall and fracture their arm...) UGH!!!

    xox

    Quick rule of thumb if you ever want to try it again: Never, EVER, underestimate man's ability and willingness to harm themselves or others.
  • moniquelessard
    moniquelessard Posts: 418
    Amen, I spent 3 days working in the ER on stage and realized I couldn't handle it... maybe in a few years. Those nurses work hard and deal with some really annoying people, many of which are suffering from self-inflicted injuries (ie. getting high on heroin, then climbing up the side of the house to enter through a window only to fall and fracture their arm...) UGH!!!

    xox

    Quick rule of thumb if you ever want to try it again: Never, EVER, underestimate man's ability and willingness to harm themselves or others.

    Noted. ;)
  • AJay513
    AJay513 Posts: 187
    Aww how thoughtful! Thanks =)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories