our patient:
- doesn’t take his medication, we inform him about the risks and document. He says he’ll take them ‘later’, never does.
- refuses his insulin, we inform him about the risks and document as well as chart.
- refuses his blood thinners, we inform him about the risks and document.
- turns his phone obnoxiously loud, also talks loud.
- insults us several times every day, gets passive-aggressive.
this is not psychiatry, patient is a young, AOX4, fully competent adult.
Fine, you’re a free man and free to do with your life what you want. But why go to a hospital in the first place if you are going to behave like this?
Yesterday we found him unconscious on the floor, vitals were normal, didn’t hit his head. He is being released tomorrow. Doctor agrees.
I have the feeling we’re going to see him again very soon, but he is the biggest asshole I’ve met in my nursing career.
Why do people behave like this? we are literally trying to give him some quality of life and he attacks us each time we open the door. why?
If any of you is a nurse and has some insight, I’m all ears.
Do please notice that I’m not asking how to deal with people like this: we document, chart and move on, but to understand why in the fuck people are like this.
Shitty people raised by shitty or uncaring parents. Couple that with an unprecedented pervasiveness of misinformation—especially related to the medical industry—and you get people like these.
Sorry you have to deal with these a-holes.
Undereducated and unknowing of how much they don’t know, maybe. I’m appalled at the lack of empathy itt, and yes, I was in healthcare for a few years.
That being said, some medical side effects and costs (especially in hospitals) give pause, in the USA.
I’ve had difficult patients. Empathy and kindness work wonders. Yes, the busy pace of institutional environments aren’t conducive to that aim. Contact your union representatives.
I think OP is looking to change careers based on their post about not waiting to see if patients take medication and all the subsequent “How do you look for a new job” and “How do you deal with shitty coworkers” type posts.