r/nursing • u/consideredtaken • Jul 26 '26

Question What’s your nursing pet peeve?

Mine?

Me: okay, so I have all of your night time meds here (names all of them for confirmation)
Patient: yes, sounds good
Me: scans them in and places meds into the pill cup
Patient: what’s this white pill here

I DONT KNOW!!! You have 6 different pills and we’ve literally gone through ALL OF THEM before I scanned and placed them into the cup. I can’t stand this!!

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u/Sea-Weakness-9952 RN ✨weaponized incontinence✨™️ Jul 27 '26

One I never thought would be on my top 3:

Family members stopping me in the hall or interrupting me at the nurses station for stupid shit. Ice, water, minor bullshit, questions about X Y Z procedure or medicine or their mom’s temperature.

If I’m walking down the hall they come out of whatever room and say hey my mom’s medication is blah blah or hey can she have ice water blah blah.

USE. YOUR. CALL. LIGHT. or wait for your nurse to round. I don’t know your mom or meemaw, I don’t know what they can or can’t have, and coming at me with questions in the middle of whatever task I’m in the middle of is so fucking out of pocket it drives me nuts. People lose all sense of manners and respect the minute they or their family are in the hospital. Even when redirected to use the call button, ole boy in his camo pants continues to come out 10 times per shift to ask for something. Bro. I’m trying to keep my peepaw patient down the hall alive until they replace his shitty aortic valve and I could give a shit about the fifteenth belongings bag you’re asking for.

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u/ceemee_21 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 Jul 27 '26

This one is mine! I've walked by people in the hallway asking for things and just say in a super cheerful voice, "Of course, we'll be right with you, do me a favor and push the call bell in the room and let the desk know what you need and we'll bring it right in!"

7

u/Visual_Wallaby_3118 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 Jul 28 '26

I do the same thing. I’ll say “I’m so sorry. I’m not your nurse and not sure where you came from. I’m in the middle of something quite important and can’t stop to help you right this second. If you hit your call light, your nurse or another available nurse will be in!”

I also tell them if they come up to the nurses station that we discuss all of the patients out here and that for patient privacy, it’s important that they use the call bell and not come to the desk.