Is it just me or does anyone else find it fun to antagonize Mean Patients?
You know the ones who come into the hospital but don't want anyone to do anything with them and are just plain mean and unruly. Now these are the ones I like to stay in the room with and just keep irritating them. The ones that yell "Get the hell out of my room!" when you come in. Now is the time to institute operation sarcasm, within limits but it can be a fun game.
Then there are the ones who tell you to "Get that f*&^ing thing away from me, I can't get any damn sleep around here." Well sir your not here to sleep only to get that infection out of your body and when you finally get home then you can sleep.
There are many patients who don't realize that a hospital isn't a place for rest and relaxation, no it's not R & R time, it's healing time. If your admitted to the hospital it's because you need some extra help that you cannot get at home and you will get this help all night long. In reality the doctor's don't care if you get much sleep, they just want to kill off that bacteria or virus you might have. They want to stop your lungs from bronchospasming by any means necessary and if that means we wake you up every 2 hours to get you better, then so be it.
Of course there are mean people due to confusion and there is not much we can say about them except that confused people are much more fun when they are happy confused and they say some funny stuff. I had one patient watching Tiger Woods riding a horse on the roof outside his room. He watched him for hours and I be it was interesting to watch.
I do like to tell my tired patients to take a extra day off of work when you get home to get some good rest because being in the hospital can become like a good jetlag and your sleeping pattern can become very disrupted. Sleep is needed but the hospital is not the place for R & R it's a place to get rid of a sickness or injury, sorry there is not Red Roof on this inn.
What's what my inspiration for this post, well that guy yelling at me to "Get the F*&^K out of his room" and then commenced to try to hit me with his call light, hmm what do I chart now.....REFUSED TREATMENT, PATIENT COMBATIVE. I'm off to see a patient who really needs help.
Drive on RT's
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4 comments:
I do the same thing.
I haven't even started working yet and I already feel unappreciated.
Just the crabby patients make you feel like that, just be a smart ass.
A little perspective from family of a patient with a touch of dementia and hefty dose of delirium.
I'm amazed at the ignorance of this issue. There are pamphlets in the hall about delirium and Dad is textbook. A respiratory therapist (RT) comes in to administer medicine through a breathing mask. The first time today he had to be talked into it but it happened. The 2nd time the therapist, on advice from the nurse, just straps it onto him while he's sleeping and he predictably freaks out and the treatment is cancelled. I was lying down in the room to help with these types of negotiations but can't undo that kind of misstep. Now he's going to be wary of anyone for some time..while his lungs gurgle. Thanks Mr. RT.
This exact same scenario has happened more than once.
I have to say..RT folks have regularly exhibited the the highest lack of consideration. Must be the training or selection process.
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