Its hard to have compassion sometimes.

[badgirl]

I sometimes have certain patients that I start out doing well with, but 3 or 4 hours into the shift I am sorry I cannot have compassion I may need to have. They are the ones who will ring that damn light off the wall I mean every 3 minutes. They want this and they want that, and at some point I will end up telling them "Your not the only patient on this floor, we have 20 other ones who also need our help."

She wanted orange juice so I took her some, then she rang out and said "I can't get this orange juice open" I told her she could open it there was nothing wrong with her hands to keep her from opening it." She said "I thought you were a nice nurse" i said I try to be.

I lose it with these kind of people and only people in the medical field could possible understand what its like. The ones who have never worked in a medical field probably think this is terrible way to be.

When you have a middle aged person who wets the bed although they don't do it at home and act like they can't walk to the bathroom to me is just being lazy when there is no diagnosis that says they cannot walk.

Ok I am blowing off some steam and it could go on forever

[DeezNutz]

I'd imagine that there are some patients who are real pieces of work, and I could understand how this could get old quickly...

But...you're talking about opening a ****ing thing of orange juice. I can't imagine there are duties more minor than this, so complaining about it casts everything else in a much different light.

[Katipan]

Fax is even polite when he's curbing a bitch.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I'd imagine that there are some patients who are real pieces of work, and I could understand how this could get old quickly...

But...you're talking about opening a ****ing thing of orange juice. I can't imagine there are duties more minor than this, so complaining about it casts everything else in a much different light.

Yep, it's healthcare "professionals" like this that all us of have to look forward to if we ever get sick or god forbid we can't do things for ourselves. Most of them are awesome and sacrifice untold amounts for the good of other people, but this crap makes me nervous to get old or sick.

[Dartgod]

.

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

Yep, it's healthcare "professionals" like this that all us of have to look forward to if we ever get sick or god forbid we can't do things for ourselves. Most of them are awesome and sacrifice untold amounts for the good of other people, but this crap makes me nervous to get old or sick.

ahem hamas has an idea to avoid it

[Fat Elvis]

ANTIFREEZE!

...sure, she's probably served it while on duty....

[FAX]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

Yep, it's healthcare "professionals" like this that all us of have to look forward to if we ever get sick or god forbid we can't do things for ourselves. Most of them are awesome and sacrifice untold amounts for the good of other people, but this crap makes me nervous to get old or sick.

You don't have to be old, Mr. raybec. Or deathly ill, for that matter. The problem is that patients sometimes actually get worse in the hospital. It's difficult to believe, I know, but it happens. I have long declared hospitals to be very dangerous places. I, myself, once had a reaction to an injection at UCLA that stopped my heart. Had it not been for a friend in attendance, I would have died because the onset took several minutes, the docs and nurses had left the room, and I was unable to reach the call light. Close one, that.

I can easily imagine a scenario in which Ms. badgirl decides for herself that a particular patient is being overly demanding and eventually ignores a call light for 10 to 15 minutes and it's during that delay that the patient has a reaction to a medication and chokes to death on their own vomit.

Others have said it better than I, but the attitude described by Ms. badgirl is indicative of a person who should not be responsible for the care of others in an hospital environment. Eventually, someone will die.

Oh. And, by the way, it's called "neglect". Lawyers love that stuff.

FAX

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by FAX

You don't have to be old, Mr. raybec. Or deathly ill, for that matter. The problem is that patients sometimes actually get worse in the hospital. It's difficult to believe, I know, but it happens. I have long declared hospitals to be very dangerous places. I, myself, once had a reaction to an injection at UCLA that stopped my heart. Had it not been for a friend in attendance, I would have died because the onset took several minutes, the docs and nurses had left the room, and I was unable to reach the call light. Close one, that.

I can easily imagine a scenario in which Ms. badgirl decides for herself that a particular patient is being overly demanding and eventually ignores a call light for 10 to 15 minutes and it's during that delay that the patient has a reaction to a medication and chokes to death on their own vomit.

Others have said it better than I, but the attitude described by Ms. badgirl is indicative of a person who should not be responsible for the care of others in an hospital environment. Eventually, someone will die.

Oh. And, by the way, it's called "neglect". Lawyers love that stuff.

FAX

All great points, Mr. FAX.

The long and short of it--what a confusing and worthless cliche, this is--is that some occupations necessitate an actual love of the work. Not because of the money, not because of the hours, not because of any other perceived benefit.

Doctors, nurses, and all the folks that are essential care providers, must first and foremost have a deeply rooted love of their fellow man and an equally deep desire to want to help, in any way possible.

It takes a special calling, I'd say, to be in this line of work.

[Iowanian]

Someday, badgranny will be laying in her own urine and feces, tapping on the nurse button like its her job. I hope on that day, the half ass CNA taking calls decides to play 1 more game of solitaire before shuffling down to see what the racket is all about.


Those people are someone's mother, father, loved one.

Maybe, they're needy because they're in pain? maybe they're a little off because the pain killers temporarily reerun/cloud their judgement/thinking/temperment?

I remember when my dying grandmother ended up getting some neglectful treatment at a Belton facility, my mom and her sisters stayed pretty much full time and made damn sure everything that was supposed to get done, got done. I remember how sad they said it was for the people that didn't have someone to watch out for them.

[Fish]

Thanks for reinforcing my contempt for hospitals.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

All great points, Mr. FAX.

The long and short of it--what a confusing and worthless cliche, this is--is that some occupations necessitate an actual love of the work. Not because of the money, not because of the hours, not because of any other perceived benefit.

Doctors, nurses, and all the folks that are essential care providers, must first and foremost have a deeply rooted love of their fellow man and an equally deep desire to want to help, in any way possible.

It takes a special calling, I'd say, to be in this line of work.

I know I couldn't do it, that's for sure, Mr. DeezNutz. However, there are many who can and who do a great job.

I think you're right, though. Ideally, a person who pursues a career in health care should possess a committed desire to assist others, a true love for their occupation, and a diminished sense of smell. It's not for everyone.

Of course, hospitals have any number of systems in place to try and ensure that patients are treated well and not neglected. That doesn't, however, prevent individuals who, for whatever reason, decide that a particular patient is being overly demanding and placing them on the back burner. It's cases like that (which I've experienced first hand) that make you worry. Also, it's a sad fact that care providers eventually become immune to the needs of their patients to one degree or another. You simply can't wear your heart on your sleeve day in and day out. Over time, they begin to view their patients as just another body in a room - not as individual human beings. From a self-preservation perspective, it's natural and actually very normal.

And that's the entire point. Ms. badgirl worries me because it is obvious from her post that she's placing the blame on her patients. Frankly, that's not where the problem lies. Rather, it's her attitude that is wrong and her own mindset that needs adjustment - not the peeps under her care. In my opinion, once a care provider finds themselves dehumanizing their patients, it's time to find another job.

FAX

[Iowanian]

I will say this though, there is no way....and I mean NO WAY I could be a nurse or a CNA.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I will say this though, there is no way....and I mean NO WAY I could be a nurse or a CNA.

But, you have to give yourself credit for recognizing that. Some people are just not smart enough to admit that they are not suited to their career choice and move on.

[Iowanian]

brideowanian has told too many stories of the types of things she's had to do for tasks in both hospital and public health type settings. There is just no way I could heft a shoulder into a 600lb fupa to push it back so I could clean out and medicate the rotting fold. I just can't see myself cleaning up the "sick smelling" feces of an adult either, mostly because I've got a terrible gag and puke at stink and grossness pretty often.

No way I'm cut out for the CNA work....for $8/hr.

[Sully]

My best friend's wife is a nurse and worked for a few years at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I was up there for a visit one time, and since he had the day off we just laid around the house all day watching SportsCenter and making up games using bar coasters.
She gets home and notices neither one of us have moved since she left and starts complaining about her day. She says, "I worked with two blind guys and a woman who couldn't speak a word of English today."

My best friend... Without missing a beat...


"so, I guess you won at charades, huh?"


I still get tears in my eyes thinking about it. The comedic timing was perfect. Add to that she didn't even react...

Funny as hell.