our patient:

  • doesn’t take his medication, we inform him about the risks and document. He says he’ll take them ‘later’, never does.
  • refuses his insulin, we inform him about the risks and document as well as chart.
  • refuses his blood thinners, we inform him about the risks and document.
  • turns his phone obnoxiously loud, also talks loud.
  • insults us several times every day, gets passive-aggressive.

this is not psychiatry, patient is a young, AOX4, fully competent adult.

Fine, you’re a free man and free to do with your life what you want. But why go to a hospital in the first place if you are going to behave like this?

Yesterday we found him unconscious on the floor, vitals were normal, didn’t hit his head. He is being released tomorrow. Doctor agrees.

I have the feeling we’re going to see him again very soon, but he is the biggest asshole I’ve met in my nursing career.

Why do people behave like this? we are literally trying to give him some quality of life and he attacks us each time we open the door. why?

If any of you is a nurse and has some insight, I’m all ears.

Do please notice that I’m not asking how to deal with people like this: we document, chart and move on, but to understand why in the fuck people are like this.

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
    7·
    10 months ago

    For the later half - some people are just assholes… ain’t shit you can do about obnoxious phone talking and being rude.

    For the first three issues, especially since he’s young, he may be in denial about his condition. Everyone wants a fair shake at life and some people are cursed to have cancer and type 2 diabetes (even with a healthy lifestyle) in their twenties. It fucking sucks but some folks just die young for stupid reasons… if you feel like that’s you it’s fucking hard and you may refuse treatment that will help you have a longer life because it constantly reminds you how short your life may be. If you’re in a head space like this you’re also more likely to be an asshole for the simple reason that life was a dick to you so why not be a dick to everyone else.

    Oh, lastly, as a person with ADHD, remembering to take medication is just fucking hard for some of us. Some areas (like BC) have free medication adherence programs that may come with in home dispensers, blister packaging or other strategies. It might be good to recommend a program like that.

    At the end of the day, though, the person is still a human being who deserves as healthy a life that we can give them. Sorry, some people are assholes but thanks for looking after them.