The number one thing that tests your patience on the job

Some days are just awesome on the floor—you love your patients, coworkers and that amazing feeling that you’re making a difference. Other days? You’re ready to board a flight to Timbuktu ASAP! We were curious about what frustrates you the most at work, so we asked our Facebook fans: What’s the number one thing that tests your patience on the job? Read on and commiserate!

The number one thing that tests your patience on the job

Demanding patients who don’t even give you time to complete one task before demanding another!!!
—Stephanie Craig

Coworkers who think they know it all and are the best, yet they have a med error list, disciplinary list and call-out list longer than they are tall….
—Melissa Call-Utter

I know we ALL come across annoying patients, but what annoys me most is ignoring call lights. Even if they have “thumb Tourette’s,” they still deserve to be answered. It only takes a moment, and if you want them to stop, it only takes a minute of your time to give them your full attention.
—Nikki White

Patients who come to the hospital for care, then refuse treatment! Ughhh!
—Bobbie Jo Anthony

Patients who think they have checked into a five-star resort instead of a hospital—and they bring their family members, whom I also have to accommodate!
—Carmen Hernandez

A patient’s disrespectful family members who think they know it all. I will take abuse from a patient—I understand they are going through a lot. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna take it from the family, so I have learned to kindly ask them to exit the room. Then I take a deep breath.
—Aisha M. Holman

Doctors who put patients on q2h pain schedule and the patients who call every two hours for said medication. They write down the time they get it and set their alarm to wake up in exactly two hours for the next.
—Rose Dorval

How about not having the right supplies or the right tools for the job? Gets me every time.
—Tracey Hughes-Novak

“Skirts and suits” (who never show up on the units) telling us the best way to run a shift.
—Sally Thierer

Any time we get a patient marked “VIP” because they are friends or family of an administrator. We should treat all patients the same way.
—Tera Edison

The way the least sick patient out of six will keep you so busy with their list of ridiculous demands, incessant calling and complaints that you end up spending the least amount of time with your most sick patient who really needs you.
—Kelly Johnson

Cattiness and backstabbing. This isn’t supposed to be high school, people.
—Jeanie Walker

Assuming I am an idiot. I know you are not allergic to everything but Dilaudid.
—Diane Demers Herring

Let me put it this way: EVERYTHING tests my patience after 16 years in the field. The only thing keeping me going is taking care of truly sick patients who truly appreciate my care.
—Rebecca Conway Mayo

Nurses who are in the field for the good pay with absolutely NO care about being a good, caring, loving nurse. The patients are sick and deserve to be treated as if they were your mom, dad, grandmother, etc. Be understanding…always. I love being a nurse, every day! I LOOK FORWARD to going to work because I love my profession—that’s WHY I’m a nurse. 😉
—Amanda Adams

What’s the number one thing that tests your patience on the job?