7. “No, I Will Not Give You a Sponge Bath.”
You’ve heard this before, more likely from patients who think they’re being hilarious than those trying to be rude and disgusting. This joke was old decades ago. Sponge baths for babies and disabled patients are one thing, and requesting sponge baths from busy nurses when the patient is perfectly capable of doing it himself is quite another. Don’t let a patient harass or bully you — you’re the medical authority here. If things get too uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to take it to your supervisor. Ugh!
You’ll be a part of countless crazy situations in your career as a nurse and hear some pretty outrageous statements. From answering insane patient requests to repeating the same answer for the millionth time (“The bathroom is that way sir,”), don’t let the stresses of the job get to you. You can do it!
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