Rude Staff

[reginadpruitt]

We all experience the hospital from time to time and the staff gets to know us pretty well. I also know that these same staff members encounter some nasty attitudes and some whining. However, we are not ALL that we, as CF patients. I am currently in the hospital and have had several incidences of various staff members being rude and having very short/curt responses--from nursing staff to housekeeping to dietary. I know their jobs can be very demanding (I'm a Physician Assistant so I'm very acclimated to the "other side" of the coin), but at least they have a job and at least THEY are not a patient.
When you don't feel good and you're struggling to just do activities of daily living, a rude person can really negatively impact you. Well, they can negatively impact me, anyway. Speaking for myself, I find that I am more emotionallly sensitive when I'm in the hospital. I guess it is b/c of several things: I feel crappy (obviously); the reality of my disease is in my face; I feel lonely at times; I'm unable to work and thus feel like I'm not contributing to my work, my patients, or my family; the reality of not just my disease but its progression is in my face. I always bounce back and my crying sessions are usually short-lived, but it only took one rude person to get that avalanche started.
Does anyone else experience this emotional swing when they are in-patient? I do this from time to time when I'm just doing IV abx treatment at home, but it seems to be worse when I'm in house. Also, the older I get, the worse it seems to get. I guess I need to change my attitude and my thought processes. I should also change my expectations of other people. If I expect people to be rude, I won't feel so hurt and disapppointed when they ARE rude.
Regina Pruitt--37y/o CF pt-married w/2 biological sons; Delta F508;psedomonas aeruginosaonly for now. Hx of MAC,MRSA (cultures neg. for past2 yrs!),BC, aspergillosis; Also w/Still's disease (major issue lately!!!), CF related, insulin dependent DM--currently in hospital for acute exacerbation w/frank hemoptysis

 

[Printer]

Whenever someone comes into my room, be it a Doctor or the person who washes the floor, I will, without exception say THANK YOU. I always say PLEASE.

I bring my own enzymes, and I explain that I need them at first bite. That I don't expect them to stop what they are doing to give me my pills and I don't want my food to get cold either.

I try to approach my stay like it is a team effort and I'm half of the team. So far I have the reputation of being an exceptionally pleasant patient.

As a result, if I need something, the nurses will do it.

Bill

 

[nmw0615]

I'm much like Bill. I know how I act will impact how people act towards me. I always thank anyone who comes into my room to help me out and always give them a smile, even if I'm having a bad day. In return, they're a lot more willing to help me out and treat me the same way.

I very rarely feel annoyed towards any of the staff, and anytime an issue comes up, a simple talk with one of the team usually clears it up. For instance, I'm currently in the hospital and the first couple days between my RT schedule and IV schedule, the only time I was free to shower was 3am. I talked to the RT team and asked if my 3rd treatment of the day could be moved back about half an hour, and they were more than willing to comply and now everyone is happy.

I think to remember that I'm not the only patient the staff sees, and if I can make working with me a good time, I'm going to do it. It makes the stays much more pleasant.

 

[reginadpruitt]

I agree with you both. I am ALWAYS very cordial to staff. I go out of my way to thank staff and show appreciation. I'll even bring goodies to the floor when I'm not actually in the hospital as a patient. I agree that you have to treat others the way you want to be treated. I, too, bring my enzymes and my insulin. I hate to feel like I'm being a burden on staff. I think this is the primary reason that I get so offended by rude staff.
I think my original post was just a need to vent at that moment.
Thank you so much for your input and response!!!!
BTW-I'm going home tomorrow!!!
Blessings and best wishes to you!!!

 

[megan420]

I can relate big time!!! I always say thank you, sometimes twice to the same person just for that action lol. I think I can be a very likeable person/patient, I love talking with the nursing and staff and they seem to just love me.....most of them. Im not one to be walked on and take it quietly lol. So when they r depriving me of food after a surgery and at least 12 without food I am less than polite, especially if its just a matter of telling the kitchen I can eat again. Im not a morning person either, so I think the staff is very aware of that and try to be as quiet as possible and bug me as less as possible, I assume they do this in the kindness of their hearts and because I really am a nice person.

But the worst thing ever is getting a staff member that clearly doesn't want to be there or is grumpy/mean or they should've picked a job that doesn't work with ppl! UGH!!! I can be not so nice to them.

I deffinatly get moodier in the hospital and around when I get sick. I hate that because Im a crier and in the hospital when ppl come in at least every hour its hard to just cry and let it all out without someone seeing ur eyes all puffy and red, embarrassing!!!

 

[nhaggard07]

I was in the hospital last month. Ive been depressed lately, health has drastically declined over the past six months Ive gone from 68% lung function down to 19%! Ive now bounced back up to 30% as I just got home from an appt today. My girlfriend of 4 years and I also split up a couple months ago. Its been rough. Im not an emotional person and never really felt sad until this year. So while I was in the hospital I was a wreck. One morning around 7am a young nurse my age, I'm 24/male, came in to do vitals. I was having a horrible depressing dream at the time she woke me. She asked me so sit up so she could listen to my lungs and I don't know what came over me but I erupted. I said F**k! as I sat up, in a really mean voice. I get annoyed when I get woken up for vitals but its never really a big deal ya know? It was just at that moment, waking up from that dream and already being a wreck that I just lost my mind for a minute. Immediately after I said that I was embarrassed. She didn't even bother listening to my lungs, she turned around and started de-gowning. I saw the look on her face and she looked ANGRY lol. As she walked out of my room she slammed that huge hospital door and it was LOUD. I swear, it had to of woken my neighbor. My meds were due at 9am after all that happened and I was dreading having to see her again. I already had an apology rehearsed, but another nurse came in her place and said she was busy. That added to the embarrassment. I felt like a real jerk and now wish I could've apologized. I hope I don't get her next time I go in to stay because I know she'll remember.

 

[Printer]

Like all of us, I have been "visited" by a rude nurse. I have simply asked for the Head Nurse, expressed my displeasure and requested that I not see that nurse again. Very simple and it works very well.

Bill

 

[ILoveMyHusband]

thankyou for your post

My husband has CF, we both work in healthcare (I assist with bronchoscopies), and I think this is a good wake up call for all of us!

In a way it is good to experience the "other side" as a health care provider. I have personally been an inpatient, as well as been through so much with my husband. For me personally, it deffinitely gives me more compassion for those who others may roll their eyes at or complain about because they appear too whiny, sensitive or even "too upset". Not to justify all actions, but I do feel like CF is absolutely something that is hard to be "too" upset about.

My husband has CF. Even before I met him I like to think I tried my best to see things from the patient's perspective. But living with him, helping him with airway clearance, with his medicine, trying to help him gain weight, cleaning his breathing parts, going to his clinic visits, staying with him in the hospital.... Yes I will never ever know how terrible it is to have CF, but I have seen a lot of what to not say, how not to say the things that need to be said, etc...

Over the past years that we have been married, my eyes have opened to not only how rude, not compassionate, easy to say "man up" the staff are, but also how lightly MOST people take my husband's, and other patients care. Preventitive care (like hand washing, room cleaning, contact precautions, using equipment off the floor, giving my husband's someone else's nebulizer that was left from a previous patient...) Are the most important things, I feel, can be done for patients.... with any immune compromised disease. It is heart breaking to me how lightly these things are taken. And it's such an uncomfortable position to be put in to need to say something and then not be looked at the rest of the night! :/

After many many occasions of these things I have decided to write a letter to our facility's compliance office and clinical safety..... I hate hate hate to complain, but I think these things and the frank attitudes taken towards them need to, at the very least, be pointed out. We feel like nothing will change - but how can they if we dont say anything? I have struggled a lot because I honestly dont know when to let things go and when to speak up anymore. After my husband's last hospital stay the physician and nurse were giving him such a hard time about what they think is his problem, what he has to do or he "won't be able to get well" basically. But these two had only met my husband once and were making all kinds of presumptions about his care and treatment, etc. He was so upset, felt belittled, not listened to etc he told the nurse he was going to find a new facility (after 21 years of care here!!!)... This is so unlike him.

Anyway, I always try to think that each person, no matter their state of health, has struggles. Whether they seem minute to me or not - those things are struggles for that person.

I can never understand what someone else is going through. CF is terrible. I'll never ever tell my husband he is too upset or make him feel like what he is going through is not a big deal. I'll never imply I know more about his health and what he needs than he does - because I don't. I haven't lived every single day for 31 years coughing so hard I throw up, can't catch my breath, feel like I am going to pass out, struggling to maintain weight, taking insulin and a handful of enzymes every time I eat, and everything else!

Know that I am in healthcare. I don't have the most high ranking job, but I clean very well before every one of you comes to my procedure room... I clean after so nothing is cross-contaminated on my watch, I take the very best care of you I can, hold your hand during bronchs, rub your back, wait when you need time... Tell others to wait. This is what I can do.... Please let all of us in healthcare know how we can better serve you. We should be there to help you feel better, care and listen.

You are precious!!! speak up! It's always best to hear from the patients themselves.

 

[Printer]

I love:

Does your husband attend an Approved CF Clinic/Hospital? Does the hospital follow the protocal as required by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation? I can't imagine a situation where a patient would get a used nebulizer.

Bill

 

[stonefly07]

I am one of the most polite people ever and when staff is rude to me, it's their first and last time, I don't put up with it. There has been many times staff has come flying in my room with an attitude. As far as dirty nebulizers in the rooms, yes, happens all the time. The cleaning people forget to throw away the nebulizers from the last patient that was staying in that room Pulmonology comes in and assumes that they are yours and tries to use them. You really have to watch for that. Also I have had them drop my nebulizers on the dirty hospital floor and pick them up to use them anyway. When you tell them your not using that neb because it just fell on the floor, they get all pissy with you because the have to go out and get a new one and gown up again. I have not time for those kind of people. Some people have no common sense or I find that some of them just don't care because they have had a long day... So yes, staff can be very rude for no reason and if you don't watch them, they will try and use a nebulizer that was in the room from the patient before..... Be careful.....

 

[Printer]

The clinic/hospital that I go to uses one time use nebulizers. One use and discard. I thought every approved clinic was mandated to use these with CF Patients.

Bill

 

[pancho]

Hi....!!! I've been reading yours posted and look the same everywhere you go and including Puerto Rico, maybe worse. But a soon I start to record the conversation and video, everything change for better for me. Course the going to ask why are you doing? I'm just said, I forget name, instructions and face easy. That way my family when come to see me, they can relax because you're guys taking care of me. Is work for me all the time and for them, to be better every single day. If anyone turn creepy or rude on me I got recorded, as long I'm keep nice and friendly. I have evidence for insurance and medicare to report. The way I think, just few of them (hospital employees) think not need us to do there job but we need all of them to keep alive.
(OXYGEN2)

Always looking for extra mile. ...from Puerto Rico.

 

[ILoveMyHusband]

The clinic/hospital that I go to uses one time use nebulizers. One use and discard. I thought every approved clinic was mandated to use these with CF Patients.

Bill

Bill,

Yes, the hospital my husband is a patient is an approved facility. It is unfortunate that it may be one of the better places to go. That is why I get so upset because where else is my husband supposed to go?

He may actually have to be admitted again here soon :/ .

They do use disposable nebs. But when it touches something it shouldn't I put it right in the garbage and i have them get a new one. There's no way they'd use it! That's just not right to make someone think they are helping themselves, meanwhile they are inhaling whatever is on the floor that isn't in their lungs already!

Ilove

 

[Printer]

Ilove:

I agree. The last time that I was in for a clean out, the RT had put about 8-10 just outside of my room. They were there for easy access for anyone who needed to get one. It is standard practice in the Boston Clinics.

Bill