I know that every relative has the right to say anything to the nurses that’s taking care of their relatives. I mean, if I were on their place, I will also be concerned about my own family member in the hospital. What I don’t get is why some relatives tend to become so all knowing that it’s almost as if they’re already telling the nurses what to do.
That’s what happened to me today.
At the beginning of the shift, I already went to see patient A, an 96 yr old, ventilated patient with resp. failure, sepsis and pneumonia. Did my assessment and positioned him on his back. Then, I went to see my other vented patient who was on isolation for MRSA.
While putting on my PPE’s or personal protective equipments, I saw the son of patient A coming towards the nurse station and asking about me. I told him that I am who he’s looking for. He then approached me and said, “I think my father hasn’t been turned” . I told him that I just came out of his father’s room and I just turned him on his back. He then started telling me that his father needs to be turned every 2 hourly, starting from this side to this side and then to this side because he had bed sore before and it’s now healed, blah, blah, blah… I just looked at him and told him that I know that and that I’m always turning my patients every two hours. He then started asking why the patient is not on air mattress and then started explaining to me why air mattress is much better etc. etc. As calmly as I can, I explained to him that special mattresses needs to be requested via my supervisor. He then asked me where is my supervisor. Before losing my patience, I asked our PCA to explained to him why we don’t have air mattresses. After the explanation, I asked him is there anything else that he would want me to do and he said nothing.
So, I then proceeded to do my nursing care for my other patient.
After I came out of the room, another RN told me that the son told her to tell me that his father needs socks. He said to remind me because I might forgot and then he left.
I started to give my medications for both patients and started to do my patient positioning for patient A when our PCA called me, I went to the nurses station and that’s when I saw the son again. We opened the door for him eventhough it’s not visiting hours anymore thinking that he only wanted to ask me something because that’s the reason he gave when he rang the doorbell. But instead, he just went directly to my patient’s room and telling me that I need to do this and that.
With all my courage and before the tone of my voice becomes rude, I told him that what he’s doing is offensive for me as a nurse. Do you think that he acknowledged what I said? Well, sorry for me because he just went on and on about how he was the one taking care of his father for 6 years and that when the patient was admitted in the stepdown unit he stayed with him and he was helping the nurses blah blah blah….
I just told him, okay, and then I left.
I sat in the nursing station doing my drug administration record in the computer and he came and told me that when I turn the patient, make sure that the skin doesn’t rub against each other (or something to that effect). I just looked at him and nod. I didn’t have the strength to say anything anymore.
After he left, I went to the toilet and calmed myself because I was already upset and furious.
Upset because I felt that I was looked down upon as a nurse. Furious because I’m the kind of nurse who works really hard and turns patient religiously even without help that sometimes my back aches because of the patient’s weight.
But what do I get for being such a good nurse? Nada. Zip. Nothing.
Do you think I’m overreacting? Do you think I’m being too sensitive? Do you think that I don’t have a reason to feel upset and mad with the son? Tell me please. ![]()
Posted in Blab | Tagged MRSA, NURSES, PCA, PPE, relatives, respiratory failure, sepsis | 3 Comments »