As nurses, we often complain about how annoying patients can get. From the persistent call lights to being impatient and angry, we all have our own horror stories to share. The truth, however, is that nurses tend to be more stubborn than these patients.
Finding it unbelievable? This list of reasons will prove the point.
1. We can be obnoxious.
We often remind our patients and their relatives never to touch that IV line or to manipulate the machines attached to them. For nurses, it can be a very hard instruction to follow simply because, well, we can’t just resist.
“I had that one patient who happens to be a nurse. As I was checking on her line, she asked how fast her IV should be infusing. I politely answered and regulated the flow. I came back two full hours after only to find that the IV bottle was already empty. Apparently, my nurse-patient decided to increase the flow but fell asleep right after she made the adjustments,” a ward nurse shared.
2. We can be doubtful.
As nurses, we’re aware of the possible complications and risks associated with medical procedures. Because of this knowledge, it becomes tough for us to entrust ourselves and even our life to the care of other people. Although it’s not out of bad intentions, our doubtfulness can surely make someone else’s work miserable.
We can question another nurse’s skills and experience in carrying out the procedure. There are even a few of us who report asking where their health care providers graduated and earned their license. These questions are belittling, despite being harmless, making the nurse feel incompetent.
3. We dislike losing control.
Whether it’s an emergency or a typical day at the floor, we need to be always on top of our game. We have that sense of urgency to know what happens and when it happens. From patients that have to be turned every two hours to which patient is set for an MRI, nurses need to be in control of everything that’s happening in her area. This control, however, gets engraved deeply within us to the point that, even as patients, we still feel the need to be in charge.
“I nearly got into an argument with one of our patients the other day because she was insisting that she need to have her anti-nausea medication ‘round the clock. Her doctor only ordered it to be given as necessary. Turned out the patient, who is a nurse, doesn’t want to be kept waiting in case she’ll need the medication,” a nurse said.
“Last month, I had to take care of my senior nurse because she was admitted for elective surgery. Because she was my senior, she felt the need to boss me around my entire shift because, as she said, I was “losing control of my staff,” another nurse shared.