require patience in mass quantities while others just remind me why in hell I decided to be a nurse.
To be brutally honest, most patients fall into the first category. We have this doctor who admits people for the most bullshit reasons. When we get an admission and his name is the admitting doctor the nurse getting that patient either sighs deeply with a sense of despair or starts campaigning for it not being their turn to get the admission. Without fail, these patients will be the ones who set the alarms on their celphones so they never miss a chance to ask for the narcotics and the Phenergan. They also want us to double as waitresses all night because they're up and have the munchies.
0200, any night, the call light goes off:
"Can I help you?"
"I... is it time for my pain and nausea medicine?"
"No, not yet. It's due in two hours."
"Oh."
"Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Can I get a Coke with ice, a sherbert and some crackers and peanut butter?"
Sure they can. They're feeling sick to their stomach and want that Phenergan (which has a sedating/narcotic effect) so we sally on over there with an armful of snacks so they can kill two hours before their next dose. It makes me want to scream.
Then there are the ones who come in with legitimate medical problems/post-op. They feel like they're few and far between, but they aren't. The others just make it feel that way. I had this wonderful gentleman as a patient through my last shift. He was a pleasure to help. His family were friendly and pleasant. He has a genuine desire to get better and is the ultimate in compliance with doctor's orders. He'll be discharged before I'm back Saturday night which is good for him, but disappoints me. I'll end up with a whole group of 8 of the previous type of patients.
Bitter is the soul of the already burned out nurse.
