For many patients, sometimes we see the the Nurses and Technitions more often than our own family.
We can too poke fun at ourselves!Katherine's Guide to Dialysis PatientsGrumpy Patient- the patient that comes in to the center grumpy. Dialysis has interrupted their day and they are looking for the first tech or nurse to take it out on. Beware: Talking to Grumpy can get your feelings hurt. Let Grumpy get on the machine in a timely manner and get a Benadryl and Tylenol cocktail and they will be fine.I am So Happy to Be Here Patient: This patient makes everyone crazy. "Hi how are you? I am doing fine. Everything is great." They wander the unit looking for people to say hello to and then talk for half an hour to them. Or they are talking to the nurse or tech in other area of the unit than where they will be sitting. They can be fairly loud. They are usually the ones techs and nurses are looking for to put them on the machine on time. They will often stay after treatment and talk to the nurses and techs.Late Great Patient: Arrives late to dialysis every treatment. Complains about their time being cut short to the clinic director, so their time is not cut, even though they were late. Backs up the entire unit because they are late. Blames everyone but themselves for being late. They need to buy a watch that works.The Burpers and Farters: These people get on the machine and their bodily functions go nuts. Burping loudly without an excuse me or anything. Farts are not covered up to dissapate into their own noses. Smells are left to run free around the unit. Just what is that smell?Loud old People: Old people who cannot hear what is being said to them. They answer in a very loud voice all of the time. Their TV is so loud you can hear it even if they are using headphones. Nurse and techs have to yell loudly while they are treating them. They do not bring their hearing aides because they think they center is too loud anyway.Criers and Screamers: These are the patients who cry or whine through the entire treatment. They are not happy and everyone knows it. Sitting next to a 4 hour crier will drive any sane person crazy! The screamer are the ones who scream they want off now five minutes into the treatment. Or they are senile and yell out they want a peanut butter sandwich. Or yell a tech's name over and over. Bring on the sedatives!Okay that is all I can think of tonight....Feel free to add to it. ( This is posted in fun, just like Dar's was.)
Very nice guide, thanks for sharing. What I wouldn't give to be able to stick some of the techs/nurses I've known.