Monday, August 3, 2009

patient stalkers

I took care of a very difficult patient, or should I say a patient with a very difficult family, for two 12 hour days. I bent over backwards to keep the family from going over the edge, and to keep from calling security (as the night shift had done). I went out of my way to deliver on all kinds of bizarre requests, and tiptoed around their ever-changing moods. I was exhausted by the end of those two days, but I was also tired because the family stalked me around floor, trying to convince me to join a Jewish group and go to Israel. I told them several times that I wasn't Jewish, but they didn't believe me. The stalking got out of control, to the point where if I left the conference room they would be standing outside of it, waiting for me.

I spent the next two days at work under an alias, at the opposite side and end of the hall, because they were looking for me. I think I did really good work with them, considering how hostile they were to the rest of the hospital staff, and I'm glad that they liked and trusted me. I also got much closer to the PAs on the cardiac surgery team, and one even gave me a hug at the end of the day and told me I did good work. Still, I'm more than relieved that they'll be gone the next time I go back!

1 comment:

LivingDeadNurse said...

good grief! i have never heard anyone that stalked to join a religion. you handled that better than i would have.