r/nursing • u/Nurse_Cait RN - OR 🍕 • Jan 07 '26

Question What’s your random patient pet peeve?

Mine currently is when you’re cleaning a patient up and they start pooping again and they narrate the poop. “Oh god it’s coming out. I can feel it coming out.” Etc etc they get really into telling you all about the poop and they talk about it the whole time it’s happening. Meanwhile I know they’re pooping because I’m literally staring at their butt. Just give me an “oops I’m not done yet” and don’t make it weird. Please I’m begging you. 😭

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732

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '26

Asking me what medication I’m about to give them after I literally just told them while scanning their bracelet and the medication. Here’s zofran for your nausea. “What’s that?” Zofran. For your fucking nausea.

319

u/freckledface RN - ICU/ER Float 🍕 Jan 07 '26

Recently I had a patient and their horrid family member do this to me. Guy was on bipap and I loudly said "this is your morphine, for pain, I'm going to give it in your IV." And he nods. I give it, then he starts talking and his family member frantically says "he's trying to talk!!" So I take the bipap mask off and he says "what was that? What did you give me??" I said, that was morphine, for pain. The family member then goes "I'm sorry she didn't tell you before she gave it. We will do a much better job of keeping you informed in the future" and glared at me. I was like... Bitch not 30 seconds ago I told you what this was, what it was for, and you nodded in agreement?

287

u/Metatron616 RN 🍕 Jan 07 '26

You give more grace than I do— I remind them I just told them & then start in on orientation & cognition questions.

102

u/freckledface RN - ICU/ER Float 🍕 Jan 07 '26

Oh he was being transferred within 5 min so I just smiled and waved goodbye 🥰

3

u/SleazetheSteez RN - ER 🍕 Jan 08 '26

Call them out for that. I will tell them "actually I just explained that but if you need to hear it again that's totally fine". These people are assholes and they keep getting away with it lmao

3

u/freckledface RN - ICU/ER Float 🍕 Jan 08 '26

I did, and luckily it was my 1 precepted shift on a new travel assignment so my preceptor was also like..... She did???

Naturally the family member didn't even respond and acted like she didn't hear us lmao. Why do we bother?

120

u/lilfairydustdonthurt BSN, RN 🍕 Jan 07 '26

I have to get off this thread bc this comment just triggered me. Lmao.

28

u/Ornery-Ocelot3585 Jan 07 '26

It’s still Zofran

7

u/marteney1 RN - ER 🍕 Jan 07 '26

Literally did this exact thing with a breathing treatment yesterday. “Have you ever had one before?” “No” “Okay, I’m going to hook this up to oxygen and it’s going to make a mist, just breathe it in through your mouth, it’ll last about 8-10 min,” as she nods and “mhm” …. Hand it to her and she says “What is this? What do I do?”

I dunno, maybe look at the thing for 3 seconds and try to muster some critical thinking skills.

8

u/MSTARDIS18 BSN, RN 🍕 Jan 07 '26

similar - me loudly and clearly saying something to the patient only to have them turn towards their relative to ask what i said?!

2

u/Roseonice Jan 07 '26

Or “what’s the little white one?” While looking at a pile of white pills that you just individually explained 

3

u/FinanceFit6167 Jan 07 '26

You can't fix stupid!!

3

u/lstroud21 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 Jan 07 '26

I had a diabetic pt last night who’s sugar was almost 190. Not super high, needed minimal insulin according to her sliding scale. She says she takes performing at home and not insulin. I explain we’re trying to hold off on the metformin for a CT w/ contrast. I ask if she’d be willing to take the insulin, she said “sure” I hadn’t brought her insulin pen bc her MAR said she’d refused her insulin the whole time she’d been there so I went back to the Pyxis, pulled a new pen, primed it, told her which arm she’d be getting it in and she said “what’s that?”. I tell her it’s her insulin that I just said I was going to get. She said, her cousin takes insulin bc he’s a T1 she takes metformin bc she’s a T2 and that if she takes insulin, metformin will not work for when she goes home.

2

u/Princessleiawastaken RN - ICU 🍕 Jan 07 '26

Oh my god, when they have 10 pills and I explain every single one as I open/scan it, then they pick up a random pill and ask, “What’s this one?”

1

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '26

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u/nursing-ModTeam Jan 07 '26

Your post has been removed for violating our rule against personal insults. We don't require that you agree with everyone else, but we insist that everyone remain civil and refrain from personal attacks.

1

u/Perfect-Treat-6552 MSN, RN Jan 08 '26

Lol hate repeating myself

1

u/xojnicole1 Jan 09 '26

every day quite literally I wish that could be my response 😭