Terrible nursing care: How do you deal with unprofessional staff?

Regarding how they handle medication distribution... it was always the same routine. Around 9:00 PM, the staff would just wander into our rooms asking who needed painkillers and who needed something to sleep... those sleeping pills were handed out like candy—just a way to knock everyone out in order, passing around Xanax, Ativan, or Lorazepam just to keep things quiet.

I still remember one night while I was a patient there, an emergency case came in right in the middle of the night. This woman, probably in her fifties, had been stabbed in the abdomen with a knife; she was from Afghanistan and didn't know a single word of English or any other language we spoke. Of course, the second they tried to get her out of her clothes, she started screaming. She spent the entire night wailing in pain, but those mindless drones—honestly, calling them nurses feels generous—instead of actually calling for help, they just stood there mocking her because they knew she couldn't understand them. In the end, they just tied her to the bed. Absolutely horrific... It was actually the patients who finally stepped up; we rebelled, told them to back off, and tried to calm her down ourselves using soft voices and steady looks. We gave her water and just talked to her... nonsense talk, really, but it helped. It didn't matter that she couldn't understand the words; what mattered was the presence we offered.

And don't even get me started on the nursing staff at the clinic reception desks... those are the worst kind of bureaucratic gatekeepers you'll ever meet... they’d practically let you drop dead on the floor if you were missing a single lab report, a referral, or some other trivial piece of paperwork...

Michael Miller39 said:I'll admit I might be wrong, BUT... what kind of "protocol" are we even talking about? There's a patient list, a med list, some cups, and then you hand them out. I honestly don't see what part of that is complicated. All you need is thirty minutes of peace and focus, and you're done. They aren't the ones prescribing the meds; they're just supposed to distribute them. If I'm missing something here, please, enlighten me.

Also, we aren't talking about holding hands or weeping with the patient here—in fact, they *should* maintain professional distance. We are talking about actually doing the job. If your job description includes maintaining hygiene for an immobile patient, then I really don't know what excuse you can make when they find someone covered in dried feces. That doesn't just happen instantly.

There is a huge difference between keeping your distance and simply failing to do your job.

Everything said is true, and the work should be done right. But calling this job not especially difficult because of those who do it correctly is just ridiculous. Personally, I think bathing bedridden people would be hard, and turning them every day to prevent pressure sores would be exhausting. Do you really not think that’s tough?
Especially given the staffing shortages, the lack of supervision, and the absence of psychological support—because working with terminal patients is indeed mentally draining and requires support—making burnout incredibly common in this field...

Otherwise, I can't tell if it's just me, but it feels like this conversation isn't going anywhere constructive and is turning into a total smear campaign (with exceptions, of course).🤷

Personally, I've had far more good experiences than bad ones. The bad ones were negligible.
But I wouldn't generalize based on my own experience. I know there are all kinds out there, some doing the work with heart and others who just wandered into the profession by mistake...

Michelle Evans said:Everything said is true, and the work should be done right. But calling this job not especially difficult because of those who do it correctly is just ridiculous. Personally, I think bathing bedridden people would be hard, and turning them every day to prevent pressure sores would be exhausting. Do you really not think that’s tough?
Especially given the staffing shortages, the lack of supervision, and the absence of psychological support—because working with terminal patients is indeed mentally draining and requires support—making burnout incredibly common in this field...

Otherwise, I can't tell if it's just me, but it feels like this conversation isn't going anywhere constructive and is turning into a total smear campaign (with exceptions, of course).🤷

Personally, I've had far more good experiences than bad ones. The bad ones were negligible.
But I wouldn't generalize based on my own experience. I know there are all kinds out there, some doing the work with heart and others who just wandered into the profession by mistake...

Well, it would be hard for you, which is exactly why you didn't choose it.😳

And I don't consider it anything special or difficult, true. My mistake.

says:
Look, maybe I’m wrong on this one, BUT... what kind of protocol are we even talking about here? You have a patient list, a medication list, some little cups—you just hand them out. I honestly don't see what part of that is complicated. You just need thirty minutes of peace and focus, and you're done. They aren't the ones prescribing the meds; they just have to distribute them. If I’m missing something, please, someone tell me.

Also, we aren't talking about holding hands and crying with the patients here—in fact, they actually *need* to maintain professional distance. We're talking about simply doing the job. If your job description includes maintaining hygiene for a non-mobile patient, then I don't know what excuse you can possibly make when they find someone covered in feces—which means it didn't just happen two seconds ago.

There is a massive difference between keeping a professional distance and just failing to do your job properly.

That was just an example I used. Yes, you need concentration. You need intense, absolute concentration when, say, you've got a whole ward of patients hooked up to dialysis machines. You're checking on one person, then another goes into shock, then an alarm starts blaring, and some light starts flashing... And for all those emergency situations—which happen constantly on a ward like that—there needs to be a specific protocol to follow.
Not all jobs are created equal, and people aren't all the same.

As for getting the work done, I already mentioned that "distance" doesn't mean leaving someone to sit in their own waste, and there should be proper oversight and institutions in place to handle that.

Personally, I've dealt with plenty of nurses in my time, and I can't say I've run into any horror stories. I guess I just got lucky.

I’ve encountered some truly wonderful nurses lately; while some people might say they get overly emotional and end up crying right alongside their patients, I think it just shows they actually care. They do their jobs with heart and treat every patient like a human being rather than just another number on a chart, and honestly, you have to respect that. On the flip side, those medical professionals—and I don't just mean nurses, but doctors too—who treat patients like they're absolute garbage are nothing short of sociopaths, and in my opinion, they should be removed from our hospitals immediately because they are genuinely dangerous to everyone involved.

William Sanchez80 said:I've spent enough time in hospitals myself to know the score—the ratio of good nurses to bad ones is basically 40:60. And honestly? That 40% of decent people gets totally overshadowed by the other 60%. Look, it's true they’re underpaid, overworked, and stressed out of their minds, but let's be real—there are just a ton of incompetent, clueless people in the mix who can't even hit a vein or start an IV properly. I actually saw this happen once where some useless nurse missed a vein so badly the IV fluid was just leaking under the skin, creating this huge lump... and when we called her out on it, she had the nerve to claim the patient just sprained her wrist or something and basically told us to get lost. Since we weren't having any of it, we called over another nurse, who—of course—fixed the mess immediately and hit the vein perfectly. The kicker? That incompetent nurse actually got pissed at the competent one for "touching" her patients. Thank God the second nurse had the guts to step in and say, "Fine, I'll fix it," even though she knew she'd deal with the drama afterward. And man, did she...

And don't even get me started on that young nurse who was caught on video hooking up with two techs right in the middle of her shift while patients actually needed help. That footage ended up on porn sites and made headlines in The New York Times. I'm betting she didn't even get fired—everything was probably swept under the rug. If I were the Secretary of Health back then, I would've hunted her down myself. Every hospital director in the country would have been summoned to my office, and nobody would have had a moment of peace until they dragged her to the Department of Health just so I could look her in the eye and hand her a termination notice personally... just thinking about how many incompetent, godforsaken people are in that profession... it makes me BLOOD BOILING

It's a tough job and yeah, they're slammed, but the reality is they're protected like cornered bears. They can be ignorant and screw up constantly, but they'll NEVER lose their jobs unless they do something absolutely insane! If you actually have proof that medical staff messed up, you have to go after them—hit up the directors, the ethics boards, the legal system, and patient advocacy groups... you probably won't achieve much, but maybe things will change eventually. At the end of the day, if there's a constant stream of complaints against the same person, someone is finally going to get fired, and maybe they'll be at the top of that list... hopefully?

That girl in the video is just a student... filmed at a hospital in a small town somewhere... pretty sure she isn't even a pro yet..
I'm a nurse myself.. clearly the only one brave enough to speak up here..
Just wanted to say I personally never have issues with patients, even when they struggle to be polite or decent..
Maybe as I get older, I'll turn into one of those heartless nurses too...
I used to work in private practice, but now I'm in the hospital system..
From what I've seen, patients in home health care, for example, really value and look forward to seeing their nurse. She's their caregiver, but more than that... she's their advisor, therapist, personal shopper, and someone who actually listens..
I've seen real poverty and hardship.. and it's exactly in those families where I've found the most warmth and hospitality..

All this stuff you're saying about nurses being rude, harsh, or arrogant... I see it every single day..
It's just as hard being colleagues with those types, because the patients leave, but you're stuck working with them..

William Sanchez80, you're wrong about the firing thing. People *do* get fired, but we're just the floaters and agency staff who end up being the first ones let go..

The only ones who are untouchable are the permanent staff with decades of seniority..

You end up carrying the weight of their mistakes, laziness, and sabotage..
You just swallow it all..

Anyway, I'll cover the rest in my next posts..

Patient Rights Advocate

Patrick Cooper2 said:I’ve encountered some truly wonderful nurses lately; while some people might say they get overly emotional and end up crying right alongside their patients, I think it just shows they actually care. They do their jobs with heart and treat every patient like a human being rather than just another number on a chart, and honestly, you have to respect that. On the flip side, those medical professionals—and I don't just mean nurses, but doctors too—who treat patients like they're absolute garbage are nothing short of sociopaths, and in my opinion, they should be removed from our hospitals immediately because they are genuinely dangerous to everyone involved.

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By the way, Sunshine, it's just not true that they aren't getting worn out at school; I mean, imagine staying up until 6:00 AM, dragging yourself to your clinical rotation by 7:00, working straight through until noon, then heading back to class for another six hours of lectures, only to come home and realize you have to pull an all-nighter to study for a big exam or a practical test the next morning... how does anyone actually survive that kind of grind?

Joseph King6 said:1. Have you ever actually had someone you care about as a patient, say, in a surgical ward?

2. Honestly, I rarely see this much bitterness paired with such wrong assumptions.

1. Yes. My mother.

2. Look, there’s clearly a reason for the bitterness. As for those (wrong) assumptions, I think they've already been addressed, so I won't dwell on them. It seems everyone has some horrific, nightmare story from firsthand experience—either they witnessed it themselves or heard it from someone they trust. This isn't just some isolated incident.

Honestly, I’m with Sunčica on this one—there’s zero reason to feel sorry for them. You should be filing formal lawsuits against every single person capable of taking action.

Someone just messaged me saying this was about some intern/trainee hooking up at a hospital in a place like Cleveland or something... Look, the fact that she could even pull that crap while on the clock drags every single one of her colleagues through the mud. They basically enabled her, and nobody bothered to ask what she was actually doing instead of filming herself with two idiots...

Thirdly, you NEVER get fired for making mistakes—you only get canned because of administrative quotas or someone else's pure stupidity.
You all need to be held accountable for even the smallest slip-up, because you aren't working behind a retail counter; you’re dealing with sick people.

And seriously, looking up meds from a list isn't rocket science. Plus, you didn't exactly kill yourselves studying—if you had, you’d probably be doctors instead of nurses. And if you’re gonna comment on nursing, you might as well mention that one nurse who missed a vein and then refused to fix it when called out. Is THAT a nurse? She should have been fired on the spot, because she sat there watching an IV go into a patient's tissue instead of the vein AND REFUSED TO FIX IT, whether asked nicely or not. Immediate termination. No discussion. Isn't it part of the oath to actually help a patient asking for aid?

Anyway, I could bring up a good example here, but it wouldn't be about nurses—it would be about the doctors in a certain GI department and the ER. I remember them saving this alcoholic patient, pumping his stomach and pulling him back from a coma, and the guy was literally beating them up and being a total jerk... I honestly felt like telling them, "Whatever, let him die." Seriously, they put in so much work. But overall, it was a young, incredibly talented team of doctors—not nurses—who are known for being professional and tight-knit. So, there are good examples out there too. My only gripe is that the doctors on that team were constantly bickering like old men in a tavern. It’s just how they are, I guess, but it’s obnoxious to listen to...

I know this woman who was dead set on becoming a nurse since before she even hit legal age. It’s honestly pathetic when someone calls themselves a nurse and then turns around on a forum to whine about how hard it is to deal with everyone's annoying aunts and uncles. Like, seriously... if you hate people that much, why even go into nursing? Why not just grab a job at Chase or something? At least there, you couldn't just brush off customers without getting fired immediately. But in a hospital? You can just act like you don't care...

Linda Castillo6 said:.

By the way, Sunshine, it's just not true that they aren't getting worn out at school; I mean, imagine staying up until 6:00 AM, dragging yourself to your clinical rotation by 7:00, working straight through until noon, then heading back to class for another six hours of lectures, only to come home and realize you have to pull an all-nighter to study for a big exam or a practical test the next morning... how does anyone actually survive that kind of grind?

I honestly believe their professors are more than aware of how much they're juggling😉

If you’re actually aiming this at me, would you please do me a huge favor and give my previous post another read? I didn't say anything about the specific examples of nurses mentioned earlier, I was really just pointing out how incredibly tough the schooling is—but hey, I won't ramble on too much, just take another look at what I wrote!
And as for those nurses being called out in the threads... yeah, they're definitely in the wrong, and no, I am absolutely not trying to defend them, but when it comes to getting fired, I suppose it all just depends on what kind of mistake was made, doesn't it?

This whole thread really got me thinking—just rewinding the tape in my head. Honestly, over the last five years, I’ve dealt with a bunch of different hospitals here in Chicago, both personally and helping others out. And look, I can say there have been some good moments, but let’s be real: every single positive experience I had was solely because of the doctors. Not the staff. Not anyone else. I’ve seen some of those physicians working themselves to the bone just to keep up. Meanwhile, you’ve got the ER docs trying to run outpatient clinics at the same time, sprinting up and down stairs like absolute idiots... and don't even get me started on the sheer volume of patients and procedures they're forced to handle. At least some of them aren't treating people like garbage or acting like they don't matter. But the kicker? For the pay they pull—which honestly isn't much better than what some mid-level bank manager makes—they aren't exactly getting rewarded for it either. It's ridiculous considering how much more blood, sweat, and tears they poured into their education compared to everyone else.

William Sanchez80 said:Honestly, I feel like having any kind of debate on this forum is just a total waste of breath, because there’s always going to be those certain "sensitive souls" who pop up and immediately take everything personally, right? And once you're dealing with people like that, there really isn't any room for actual conversation. You all are just so pathetic.

It’s almost funny, isn't it? As if other people don't also have to juggle a grueling schedule of work, school, and college at the same time! If I were to sit down and actually describe the frantic pace I had to maintain five years ago, I don't think you'd even believe me. But guess what? I don't take that stress out on my colleagues today, and I certainly don't take it out on my clients. Maybe all of you should just quit your jobs and move on with your lives. There are plenty of people out there who wouldn't hesitate to step on anyone to get ahead.

I am definitely not some pathetic little soul recognizing myself in your words; I simply have the right to express my own opinion.

William Sanchez80 said:This whole thread really got me thinking—just rewinding the tape in my head. Honestly, over the last five years, I’ve dealt with a bunch of different hospitals here in Chicago, both personally and helping others out. And look, I can say there have been some good moments, but let’s be real: every single positive experience I had was solely because of the doctors. Not the staff. Not anyone else. I’ve seen some of those physicians working themselves to the bone just to keep up. Meanwhile, you’ve got the ER docs trying to run outpatient clinics at the same time, sprinting up and down stairs like absolute idiots... and don't even get me started on the sheer volume of patients and procedures they're forced to handle. At least some of them aren't treating people like garbage or acting like they don't matter. But the kicker? For the pay they pull—which honestly isn't much better than what some mid-level bank manager makes—they aren't exactly getting rewarded for it either. It's ridiculous considering how much more blood, sweat, and tears they poured into their education compared to everyone else.

So, does one bad doctor mean everyone in the field is just like that?

William Sanchez80 said:I know this woman who was dead set on becoming a nurse since before she even hit legal age. It’s honestly pathetic when someone calls themselves a nurse and then turns around on a forum to whine about how hard it is to deal with everyone's annoying aunts and uncles. Like, seriously... if you hate people that much, why even go into nursing? Why not just grab a job at Chase or something? At least there, you couldn't just brush off customers without getting fired immediately. But in a hospital? You can just act like you don't care...

And just looking at how this person argues on a forum, I can only imagine what she would do to me if I were lying there helpless and actually dared to ask her for something 😲 😲 😲. Nobody can tell you more about yourself than you can say about yourself 😉

People are conflating different things here. Honestly, I don't care if you want to smile at me or hold my hand to make things easier. But I care immensely about whether you hit a vein on the first try or actually perform your job correctly. And I don't see the logic in using excuses like "it's a hard job" or "they're underpaid" (which they aren't, considering their level of education/certification)?

I posted a link to a patient advocacy group above. Until people start taking action, nothing is going to change, and the bad actors (the ones we're discussing here) will just keep feeling untouchable.

EDIT: Is there an anonymous survey that patients fill out upon discharge? An evaluation? For instance, university professors have to go through tenure reviews every five years, and a mandatory requirement is positive anonymous student evaluations. I don't see why something similar couldn't be implemented for nurses.

Generally speaking, I think the entire American healthcare funding system needs a radical overhaul. Taking 15% of gross pay from non-independent labor and contract work isn't a small amount, yet so many people are dissatisfied with the service.

Michael Miller39 said:1. Yes. My mother.

2. Look, there’s clearly a reason for the bitterness. As for those (wrong) assumptions, I think they've already been addressed, so I won't dwell on them. It seems everyone has some horrific, nightmare story from firsthand experience—either they witnessed it themselves or heard it from someone they trust. This isn't just some isolated incident.

We could go down a rabbit hole talking about human psychology and how subjective everything is, but that’s a whole different conversation.
Sure, these aren't isolated incidents, but they're being generalized and turned into stereotypes, which just isn't right.

William Sanchez80 said:Honestly, I’m with Sunčica on this one—there’s zero reason to feel sorry for them. You should be filing formal lawsuits against every single person capable of taking action.

Someone just messaged me saying this was about some intern/trainee hooking up at a hospital in a place like Cleveland or something... Look, the fact that she could even pull that crap while on the clock drags every single one of her colleagues through the mud. They basically enabled her, and nobody bothered to ask what she was actually doing instead of filming herself with two idiots...

Thirdly, you NEVER get fired for making mistakes—you only get canned because of administrative quotas or someone else's pure stupidity.
You all need to be held accountable for even the smallest slip-up, because you aren't working behind a retail counter; you’re dealing with sick people.

And seriously, looking up meds from a list isn't rocket science. Plus, you didn't exactly kill yourselves studying—if you had, you’d probably be doctors instead of nurses. And if you’re gonna comment on nursing, you might as well mention that one nurse who missed a vein and then refused to fix it when called out. Is THAT a nurse? She should have been fired on the spot, because she sat there watching an IV go into a patient's tissue instead of the vein AND REFUSED TO FIX IT, whether asked nicely or not. Immediate termination. No discussion. Isn't it part of the oath to actually help a patient asking for aid?

Anyway, I could bring up a good example here, but it wouldn't be about nurses—it would be about the doctors in a certain GI department and the ER. I remember them saving this alcoholic patient, pumping his stomach and pulling him back from a coma, and the guy was literally beating them up and being a total jerk... I honestly felt like telling them, "Whatever, let him die." Seriously, they put in so much work. But overall, it was a young, incredibly talented team of doctors—not nurses—who are known for being professional and tight-knit. So, there are good examples out there too. My only gripe is that the doctors on that team were constantly bickering like old men in a tavern. It’s just how they are, I guess, but it’s obnoxious to listen to...

Honey, you're talking to a doctor, not a nurse. 😉 First off, we're all likely already aware of what happened at that hospital, but thanks for the enlightenment. Second, you don't have any right to decide who gets fired and who doesn't; neither you nor I set those rules. Third, I think you're a bit out of touch with the actual curriculum and training plans for medical schools (speaking specifically about major US metropolitan programs), so maybe don't judge how much others studied for their roles. And fifth—because it's basic knowledge—not all nurses are the same.

Linda Castillo6 said:.

By the way, Sunshine, it's just not true that they aren't getting worn out at school; I mean, imagine staying up until 6:00 AM, dragging yourself to your clinical rotation by 7:00, working straight through until noon, then heading back to class for another six hours of lectures, only to come home and realize you have to pull an all-nighter to study for a big exam or a practical test the next morning... how does anyone actually survive that kind of grind?

That is just the standard routine for anyone who went to a vocational school or lives out in the suburbs. It isn't some unique struggle specific to nursing students.

I used to roll out of bed at 5 AM, finish my internship by 1 PM, hit classes at 2 PM, and wouldn't walk through my front door until 10 PM. And look at me—I didn't turn into a complete psychopath.