As an RN I see many people when I am working. Here are some tips on how to be a good patient.

• Please refrain from swearing at your nurse, nurses aide or physician.  We are trying to help you. We do not do this job for the glamour. Do not abuse your healthcare worker.  If you say something offensive or off-the-walI, we chart it. If your family member  creates issues, that goes in the chart, too.
• If you come to the hospital with an abdominal pain, don’t be surprised or angry if the doctor chooses to make you NPO.  (no eating)
• Don’t state that your pain is 10/10 while joking with the person who came with you or texting on your phone.  In addition, the pain scale is 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain imaginable.  Don’t tell us your pain is a “12”.  It is also in whole numbers.  Round up, we do. And please don’t say my pain is okay.  We need an objective way to assess and track your pain.
• Know the medication you take, the name, the dosage and how many times a day you take the medication.  Include any over the counter medications.  If you take illicit drugs please let us know.  We are not here to judge you, we are here to make you better. Keep an updated list of your medications and bring it with you to the hospital  This is so IMPORTANT.
• Remember your manners.  Just because your sick doesn’t mean you can be overly rude. A please and thank you go a long way.
• Don’t start a sentence with “WebMD says…”
• Don’t blame nurses or other staff for being too busy.  Blame hospital administrator for continuing to raise the patient to staff ratio.  We are doing the best we can.
• Please care more about your health outcome, and less about whether your nurse brought you a turkey sandwich and a cup of juice two seconds after you’ve asked for it.
• Have patience.   Your nurse has more than one patient to care for.  They may be sicker than you, or maybe having an emergency at the moment. Emergencies come first.
• Write down your questions. All too often the physician comes and questions you have are forgotten.  Write them down so you can pose them to your doctor. There are no stupid questions.
• Be safe.  You are in the hospital because you are sick. You may be dizzy, anemic, weak or on narcotics (pain medication or sedatives) if we put a bed alarm on, or ask you to call us if you need to get up we are only doing it to keep you safe. We are not doing it to belittle you or to be mean.  We aim to keep you safe.
• Ask your nurse, healthcare provider, nurses aide, etc, to wash their hands.  The single best way to keep from getting sicker in the hospital is hand hygiene.
• Nausea or vomiting isn’t an allergy it’s an adverse reaction to a medication or food.   If you have  an adverse reaction tell your nurse right away, do not wait.  It could save your life.
• Don’t allow your family members or friends to be rude to your healthcare providers. Again we are here to help you.
• Be knowledgeable about your diseases. You know your body better than us.
• We are the last line of defense between you and your doctor when it comes to medications.  Please allow us to concentrate on your medications when passing them to you.
• Real life in a hospital is not like Grey’s anatomy.