Comments on: Pearls of Wisdom From An Old Psych Nurse http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/2009/05/pearls-of-wisdom-from-an-old-psych-nurse/ Sanity is madness put to good use. - George Santayana Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:50:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jessa http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/2009/05/pearls-of-wisdom-from-an-old-psych-nurse/comment-page-1/#comment-9003 jessa Fri, 29 May 2009 02:43:07 +0000 http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/?p=3060#comment-9003 As a former patient, I would like you to know that sometimes patients hate nurses for legitimate reasons. Sometimes the patients hate that same nurse that all the rest of the staff hates and for very similar reasons. Sometimes patients hate the staff, nurses included, because mental health care puts them in a perpetual catch-22. I don't deny that I hated some of the nurses for reasons like lacking my own boundaries, but nurses need to understand that isn't the only reason. To ignore that is to put the patient in the situation of hating a nurse for a legitimate reason that is assumed to be illegitimate on the basis of their patienthood, putting them in a catch-22 and giving them another reason to hate you. And I don't mean to attack. Patients might hate you for a legitimate reason related to something you are doing with genuinely good intentions. This doesn't mean I think nurses don't have good intentions (I have met only one nurse that I still think was mean and ill-intentioned toward me), nor does it negate those good intentions, it just means that you need to think twice when a patient hates you. You don't have to take it personally when a patient hates you for legitimate reasons either, just take it seriously and do what it takes to fix things. As a former patient, I would like you to know that sometimes patients hate nurses for legitimate reasons. Sometimes the patients hate that same nurse that all the rest of the staff hates and for very similar reasons. Sometimes patients hate the staff, nurses included, because mental health care puts them in a perpetual catch-22.

I don’t deny that I hated some of the nurses for reasons like lacking my own boundaries, but nurses need to understand that isn’t the only reason. To ignore that is to put the patient in the situation of hating a nurse for a legitimate reason that is assumed to be illegitimate on the basis of their patienthood, putting them in a catch-22 and giving them another reason to hate you.

And I don’t mean to attack. Patients might hate you for a legitimate reason related to something you are doing with genuinely good intentions. This doesn’t mean I think nurses don’t have good intentions (I have met only one nurse that I still think was mean and ill-intentioned toward me), nor does it negate those good intentions, it just means that you need to think twice when a patient hates you. You don’t have to take it personally when a patient hates you for legitimate reasons either, just take it seriously and do what it takes to fix things.

]]> By: Suzanne Pennise http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/2009/05/pearls-of-wisdom-from-an-old-psych-nurse/comment-page-1/#comment-8994 Suzanne Pennise Wed, 27 May 2009 22:58:34 +0000 http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/?p=3060#comment-8994 Amen to that sister! Love ya much! Amen to that sister! Love ya much!

]]> By: Judi http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/2009/05/pearls-of-wisdom-from-an-old-psych-nurse/comment-page-1/#comment-8993 Judi Wed, 27 May 2009 16:18:15 +0000 http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/?p=3060#comment-8993 Your pearls are right on- and not just for psych nursing. These days they make perfect sense in any nursing arena. I especially agree with #1- too many times patients treat nurses like punching bags. I was originally taught to accept it as "the poor patient is sick and not responsible for his actions" but that changed 22 years ago when a MS patient stabbed me in the abdomen because I wasn't quick enough. I hauled off and socked him in the nose, flattening the little sucker. My surprise- my employer backed me up! Nurses shouldn't take any abuse! Your pearls are right on- and not just for psych nursing. These days they make perfect sense in any nursing arena. I especially agree with #1- too many times patients treat nurses like punching bags. I was originally taught to accept it as “the poor patient is sick and not responsible for his actions” but that changed 22 years ago when a MS patient stabbed me in the abdomen because I wasn’t quick enough. I hauled off and socked him in the nose, flattening the little sucker. My surprise- my employer backed me up! Nurses shouldn’t take any abuse!

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