THE MOST IRRITATING THINGS...

Ok, so this week has exposed me to some really rude and inconsiderate people. It has been an exceptionally busy week at work with only two staff on shift. I have also found another skill a small hospital RN needs. They need to be competent and stress free receptionists -as they get to wear the mobile on their hip!
Now the first annoyance is that the phone never stops, and in the middle of hanging bloods, re-siting a cannula or doing S8s...the phone will invariably go off. The problem is...YOU MUST ANSWER IT! Ok, so the patient thinks your rude as you hold their hand still with a needle hanging out of it and blood dripping on the floor, the person on the end of the phone can sense your attitude as you try and wiggle your fingers one handedly to transfer their call. The Doctor calling always wants something that is at the other end of the hospital and of course another patients relatives are waiting in ninja style ambush attack mode ready to pounce the minute you step into the corridor! So, the phone call gets managed, the cannula is in, the doctor is happy. Then the relatives grab you as you try and get past to a long overdue check of that room that you havent even gone into yet. "Mum needs a pan"...."Just a minute"..."Mums Busting- she needs a pan NOW"...ok....(everyone else hold cause this ones an emergency)...enter room, Mums twiddling her ear doesnt have a clue whats going on. We whack a pan under her and await the emergency flush of water...nope...nothing...."Mum Needs a new pad cause this one wont stick"...we will be with her in a minute...Mum needs to settle for the night....Mum needs to be moved....Mum needs a dry pad.....the pads dry allready...the pad doesnt NEED to stick! Shes been moved 10 times this shift and under my breath I feel like telling them to move her out or go home themselves! This one patient they have lied to us about in order to get better "service". Never mind the other patients! This is but one patient and at the other end of the ward the same thing goes on with another family but its over a pair of winter long pjs being urgently needed to be put on! There is no need whatsoever for this particular patient to need long pjs! In the middle is a family whose relative is being flown out. Well this has been a logistical nightmare. The ambos wont take him with no nurse escort. The hospital does not have enough staff to send an escort. The flying Doctors are called in and agree to do the flight-(needs no escort this way). The recieveing hospital is organised...but no....they cancel the bed cause we cant get the patient there on time....this interchange is all being done on the annoying little mobile on your hip that rings every 5 minutes! Hurrah..success, a bed is available, the ambos ring..."oh we were told you have an escort" "NO...this is why we have taken 2 days to get a patient to a hospital 3 hours away"!...Oh, theyll call back...they call again...we need an escort to get him from our hospital to the helipad in an ambo! "JUST GET HIM OUTA HERE!".....the ambos come with a 2 man crew all is good and calm. I ring the Next of Kin...she agrees to ring the huge family that have been in and out for days visiting....But no.....one ...by... one they all call........that damn mobile is going to have to be hidden in future.
To top it all off there are the visitors that simply are rude! "move that chair".....I ignore her...."Can you move that chair over their a bit"....." NO, YOU CAN SEE ITS BACK UP AGAINST THE WALL (you silly old cow) but YOU can move that one there" and i walk out! The next day the patient is all apologetic for her friend and tells me she made her sit on the commode and got a great laugh to herself over it :)
These days are sent to try us. We try to remain polite and calm although underneath we are seething. Another day is over. Patients should be happy (and God knows they "are paying enough for this service"...I hope tonight is quieter.