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What I Want My Patients To Know, From A Nurse Assistant

What I Want My Patients To Know, From A Nurse Assistant

My coworkers and I are trying to help you

I know it is annoying being hooked up to many different things and then you are constantly being woken up or bothered because we all need to get stuff done. I am sorry that it is basically impossible to get good sleep in a hospital. One of the things that I do for patients that is never popular are the CHG baths. CHG baths are given to pre-op patients and those with pick lines. It's important that they get done to those who need them. Nothing frustrates me more than a patient who questions me because they don't know what CHG is. The CHG bath is maybe five minutes long. If that pick line gets infected, its not good. To start you will get a blood infection that will cost a minimum of $3,000 and another month in the hospital.


Yes, falls are very serious

I have seen patients get brain damage and broken bones from falling, so yes we sprint to bed alarms.


When I say I am sorry for waking you, I really mean it.

I hate waking my patients up because if I was in their shoes, I would be really annoyed. I wish I could let them sleep, but since I work night shifts I can't do that. It's important that I check your vitals to make sure that nothing is wrong. If something is wrong, the first place it will show is in your vitals.


I totally understand how annoying it is to be hooked up to a bunch of wires and machines, but there is a reason behind each one

Nothing frustrates me more than tangled wiring and tubing. Each wire, tubing, machinery, etc is either keeping you alive or letting us know something is wrong.

What I Want My Patients To Know, From A Nurse Assistant


Please dont disrespect any of my coworkers.

We each have different skills and strengths. We work together as a team and everyone from the surgeons to the unpaid volunteers help the hospital run smoothly. If you have a problem with any of the employees, talk to their higher ups.


Degrees, licenses, certifications, etc held by myself and my coworkers will always override what you saw on webmd or what you just googled about your condition

I love when patients are interested in their health. It is a thousand times better than a patient who doesn't care. But my coworkers and I have gone through extensive training to get where we are. It is totally okay to ask questions because you watched a documentary or saw something about your health that worried you. You are more than welcomed to ask questions. At least tell us where you got your information, and we can also tell you what sites are good or bad for health information.

What I Want My Patients To Know, From A Nurse Assistant


Please don't be secretive.

I never, ever force personal views on patients because it's unprofessional. Please don't lie about anything like sexual history or how much you drink. I couldn't care less if you literally had sex on the way to the hospital or if thats vodka you always have with you and not water. Lying to us means that we don't run important tests or we aren't aware of something important because we didn't think we needed to. I am not judging, if anything I am worried.


Literally every single medical worker has patients they don't like or they complain about

I have gotten kicked, bit, spit at, called derogatory terms, groped, punched by patients all while holding my pee and on an empty stomach. Sometimes all the above at once. I love my job and wouldn't do anything else. I knew as a nurse assistant what I was signing up to. Like coming home in someone else's bodily fluids. I knew I would have combative patients from time to time, but that doesn't make it any less worse.


Please don't freak out.

We know what we're doing and we do everything to the best of our abilities while our higher ups watch each of us like hawks. Freaking out makes it a thousand times worse. The only time you need to be concerned for what is happening is if you see me or a coworker of mine sprint past you. We know every beep and buzz like the sound of our own voices. We are intelligent, skilled human beings that wouldn't do this job if we couldn't handle it.


We care more than you know

We are trained to keep a stoic face even when we are freaking out in our heads. After I am done doing patient care, my coworkers and I are quietly freting over your vital signs, your comfort, pain levels, mobility issues, how you look and feel, how soon you can go home, how you're eating, etc.

These are just a simple things we want patients to know. We want you to know that we do our jobs to the best of our abilities no matter the situation. While we would love to send you home, that is easier said than done. Patient care becomes easier when we have the patient on our side.

What I Want My Patients To Know, From A Nurse Assistant
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