I Am Not Your Punching Bag

This week has been busy with work at both jobs, and I have done something this week that I have never done before-stand up for myself. I have two patients, one at each facility, that have been extremely rude this week to our staff, screaming at the employees, refusing to let us do our job until they have things done in the order and at what particular time they want it, regardless of the other patients in the building or what time we are supposed to leave work. This can be exasperating for caregivers, and is unfair to us as we try to do our job to be treated in this manner.

In all the years I've been working, I've never had the guts to stand up for myself, and I've stood in the room and allowed patients to yell at me and chew me out, to the point that I leave their rooms crying and can't go back in any more that shift as a result. I recognized this week as I heard one particular patient screaming at the nurse who was trying to give him insulin to manage his diabetes, that we don't deserve to be treated that way, and have a right to say something, so long as the way we handle addressing the problem is in a professional, adult manner, so I said something.

This patient was barking orders at me while we were in the bathroom and he was getting off the toilet. Despite his being in our facility for a lower extremity, he refuses to use his upper body, (which is perfectly capable) and that includes pulling up his own pants. He will yell if I don't get his shirt tucked in fast enough, etc. This time I was done being yelled at, so I stood in front of him, looked him in the eye and said "You need to use one hand and help pull up your pants. You need to be respectful to me, I am trying to help you." to which he responded by helping to pull up his pants.

I saw this on Pinterest and pinned it :) I couldn't help it. (I often can't with Pinterest; you all know what I mean!) You may be miserable being in a facility instead of home: no one understands that better than we do! If you think I prefer being chewed out, spit on, kicked, punched and screamed at instead of being at my house, you better think again. You may be hurting: I have helped and eased thousands of people in pain, most in worse pain than you, I understand! You may be unhappy with how long it takes for you to get your medicine, or your ted hose, or your juice, I understand! I have to hold my bladder for 5-6 hours at a time while I help you! I have to wait my dinner until 9:30-10pm b/c I'm making sure you got your stomach full. I make, and my coworkers do as well, more sacrifices for you than you will ever understand, so the next time you are tempted to raise your voice at a caregiver, remember that their whole point of being at their job is to ease your pain and comfort you and assist you wherever we can while helping you to heal and be as independent as possible; that is our primary goal! That is why I come to work and endure the things I do! So be kind to the caregivers around you: You have no idea what kind of beating they have taken in the patient's room next door.