My daughter is a nurse and the chief hauncho of the "general" care floor at her hospital. She lives less than a mile from the hospital. She has the gift of being able to diffuse volatile situations and is often called at home to come in to 'fix' things. She would heartily agree with you that sometimes people's mindset can be beyond fixing, only to do a complete turn around at discharge.

It is the ones that go home and write letters to the newspaper telling their onesided gripe that really irks her.

You guys need to get those little plastic tent-like signs that hotels often set on their beds (telling you about linen service, etc) that say "Please do not sit or put personal items on bed as we will need to remake the whole bed again for the next patient", or something along those lines. Of course you'll always get the people that don't read it or don't care, but I bet it would save you guys some awkward interactions.

Jenn, there are signs on the tables that are right over the beds. It says they've been cleaned but I can't remember the exact wording. I'll have to check next week when I go back and if they don't say something to that affect I may ask about it in the next meeting.

Working in a hospital, we see people at their worst. They, or their family member, is sick and it is a stressful time. Sometimes that brings out behavior different from normal for them. Sometimes they are just that way in "real life". Doesn't make it any easier to deal with, but that's our job.

Back to Kathsgrdn... you do wonder if she HAD left a child at home alone... depending on the age -- that can get you in trouble with Child Services...

Cate she looked to be my age, near 50. Of course, she could've had a young child but probably a teenager or pre-teen.

I will admit I am probably guilty of sitting on a clean bed. (not being crazy though! lol) If it is a shared room there is often not a place to sit and I can only stand for a short time.
I will keep this in mind next time I am visiting in a hospital...

Kathleen,

I'd be willing to bet that the hospital would get a LOT more cooperation from folks if those signs on the tray tables said something to the effect that "if the bed has to be remade and the table cleaned again, the cost of the labor and materials would be charged to the other patient in the room."

"I just wish people going into the hospital would be more understanding."

i think nurses and other hospital personnel might take a page out of that book, just saying. i have spent more than my fair share time in a hospital and have been on the receiving end of impatient attitudes from staff. being in a hospital as either a patient or loved one is very stressful and often frustrating. as a patient who buzzed twice for a problem, over a year ago, who has yet been replied to (and no, i'm not still there, just being sarcastic)it's not always our fault.

Kathleen, I know what you're talking about since Harry's been in a VA hospital many times. People don't understand how hard it must be to work where there are 5 men in one ward room. It seems there's always someone there to fill that empty bed and I've seen those beds be cleaned and disinfected before they're barely cold from the last patient. I guess I'm trying to say I sure do appreciate you nurses!

Our VA just opened a new wing and every patient has a private room (or so the PA at Harry's pacemaker appt. told me last Tuesday). Each room has a couch for visitors, too. Now they are remodeling the old wards and making them as nice. Before, there were like two chairs in the room for visitors of all 5 beds.

As for the crazy lady, you can find a lot for crazies at our VA--and panhandlers, but they've mostly gotten rid of those. They used to try to hit you up for money by saying they'd just been discharged and didn't have any way to get home. Sigh!

God bless our doctors and nurses who work at VA and at any hospital!

Lindsey_ca, I would disagree. People like that generally just don't care and are selfish. They feel they're owed it. I don't think the difference would amount to more than a handful.

I don't understand why people have to bring a whole tribe of gawkers into a hospital room anyway. Good grief, when I'm in a hospital the last thing I want is a bunch of people around wanting to be entertained, fed, and other special accommodations and more. And no, my family and friends with whom I'd allow in there aren't that way but so many are. Having finished a hospital stay recently I went to measures to NOT let people know I was in there. I have a peeve with the hospitals and their digging for phone numbers ("emergency contacts" which we know are more for collection options) and such. And who they can tell about my condition when they call, etc. I said they shouldn't get any calls - the only way there should be contact is if something goes wrong and I can't be revived or something, then YOU call THEM. I will give them credit (and for a lot of things). I called my sister to try to arrange a "release" for the next day when I'd be discharged (more on this peeve later!) The goofy phone system there wouldn't let me block the number and when I left a message, my sister saw the CID of the hospital and panicked, exactly what's not needed. So she called and got a hold of the night nurse but he wouldn't put the call through, just said that I was "resting comfortably" and not release any more info. Good for him, except that I actually was awake so I guess I could have taken the call.

Now for the discharge procedure: When someone is conscious and alert, why can't a person take a cab or drive themselves? This ticks me off. I still drove home after I left. I told the nurse I could get to my car fine and since she had other things to do she went to do them, I got in my car, Sis got in hers and off we went. I didn't want anyone knowing I was having surgery and not letting you take a cab a bus or something? That's crazy. I don't think that's their position to dictate that.

Now, short kudos deserved. The entire hospital staff was overall EXCELLENT during my recent stay and during the months of followup. This hospital gave me nightmares 40 years ago when I was there. Poor care but now, totally opposite. I don't think I could have asked for better care. They have thankless jobs and right down to the ones who cleaned the rooms, delivered food and otherwise, were respectful, cheerful and would ask if they could do anything for me, and that's not their job! I was amazed.

Now for the crazy people. Generally, in my experience, it's not so much they're acting "crazy" because they are, it's because they're selfish and childish and grew up with getting what they wanted by throwing temper tantrums. Also they have heard the expression "squeaky wheel gets the grease" and often that probably works for them too. They're probably just spoiled brats and could use a smack in the chops and a wake-up call to reality. There's other people in the world besides them but that doesn't matter to them. It's no different than people butting into line. Back when I dealt with them directly I, a couple times, told people that if they could get EVERYONE else (patiently waiting in line) to agree to let you go first, then I would, but I wasn't going to ask them. Of course they were insulted and oh, I guess I wasn't "nice" to them but the world doesn't bow to them and they might as well start learning it.

Often when I see a person like that who is (let's face it, the term is) "abused" by a patron, I try to give them a day brightener if I can. Go up and say something like "Who sh*t in THEIR cornflakes today?" or "Hope they don't step on a landmine on the way home, huh?" or something. Even a compliment on how they handled it or something. I've been on the receiving end of spoiled brat stuff and it is helpful to know that others appreciate the situation.

I suspect that I would have had the same thoughts as Kath in watching that scenario but I try so hard to remember that I don't know the whole story and can't make a reasonable judgment as to why a person flies off the handle...Same with the girl in Kath's room......Who knows what she had been through that morning or that day....She apologized so she at least owned her ugly acts. There so often is underlying reasons to which we don't even know....

Kath maybe the solution is to pull the curtain between the to sections and let the family know up front. I know when I was in the hospital, people often removed the chair from the other side to use visiting me. I never allow any amount of visitors when I am in the hospital and just don't understand that part.