Just....walk out of the room

[u/NursingManChristDude]

Here's a PSA for my fellow nurses, in case anyone hasn't realized they can do this:

If a patient is being rude to you, just walk out of the room. If necessary, don't even say anything beforehand. When you return, at the time of your choosing, simply ask them "Are you ready to be more respectful?"

I haven't had to do this often, because I am aware of he misogynistic attitude patients have in treating me, a male, with more respect than my fellow female employees.

But, it's like having a secret weapon in your back pocket at all times, and you should never feel disrespected/mistreated/abused by your patients. They need you, not the other way around. This certainly falls under the category of "nursing hack".

[u/iopele]

Had to do this just the other day. Usually I can check rude patients once and they quit it but this guy had a visitor who I'm 99.999% sure brought him meth and he was coming down and hating everyone and everything, and decided to try to make it my problem. Nope. Pulled out the Mom Tone™ and told him that he will speak to me with the same respect that I've shown him or I'll walk out until he can calm down. He continued to escalate, so I left.

Cue the surprised Pikachu face. He starts shouting "Get back here, bitch!" down the hall after me. Shockingly, this bitch did not get back there.

Check back with him about 20 minutes later, he starts yelling and cursing worse than the first time, I just shrug and leave again. Come back after another 15 mins or so and ask if he's done now, he decides to give me the silent treatment (oh no anything but that lol), I finish doing what I originally needed to do, the end. Kept my charge nurse informed throughout and documented everything with quotes.

Patients seem to think that the more demanding and rude they are, the more we'll jump to obey their every whim, and that shit don't fly with me. We don't have to take abuse and it's time these assholes learned that.