What are the Craziest Things Patients Say to Nurses
Whether inappropriate, inconsiderate, or just plain weird or whether it's a fear of hospitals or vulnerability that comes with health problems and wearing a hospital outfit, nurses hear wild statements from patients' mouths on a near-daily basis. Patients can say the craziest things, and that's not even counting the ones in mental health institutions.
Here are some craziest things that patients say to nurses:
- If you touch me, I'll scream. Patients who say this might require some calming words beforehand to relax. Nothings better than someone who doesn't want their body touched when something’s wrong with their body.
- Have you ever done this before? While part of being a nurse is making patients feel like they're being paid attention to and they aren't just a number, it can be tough to avoid seeming insulted when a patient asks a question like this. It's like patients think this is the first time a nurse has drawn blood, taken a blood pressure or seen someone with a painful condition.
- I am allergic to everything. The key in this situation is to ask the patient to list off everything they can remember that they're allergic to, or if you know what medication they'll require, ask if they are allergic to specific medicine or anything similar. Here's a person who feels like the world is against them.
- My Last doctor fired me from his practice. If you're in an office that is in a position to refuse patients, this is a patient you should probably think about turning away. What this patient is telling you is that they are absolutely horrible to work with.
- Do you have insurance? The only response to this question is to let the patient know that if they don't have insurance, they're going to need to think carefully about how they're going to cover any of the expenses incurred, because as we all know, there will certainly be expenses to cover.
- Are you married? Nurses are in a position to help patients, which often gives the patient the illusion that there's a deeper connection.
- Okay, but you have to take everything off, too. Make sure to warn the other nurses on staff that there's a patient that has a problem with boundaries. If the patient's leering ways are giving you a bad vibe it might be better to make sure to bring a co-worker in with you to deal with this kind of patient.
Published at: 07/16/2015
