Then they get angry at me for telling them obvious things :) And turn sullen for the rest of their shift :) Or quit my case altogether :)
I am aware that it is rude to tell people things that are generally considered obvious. However, I do not have the energy or social adeptness to figure out how to deal with people who act this way. To avert seriously dangerous situations while convincing them I think they are actually great at this? Beyond my current capacity.
They do this with high stakes medical tasks as well. Last week we were disconnecting the IV and I asked the nurse to pass me a saline flush. (She should have known to do this, but whatever.) She brought me a package of wipes.
She knew what task we were doing. She is supposed to know how the task works, on account of the whole reason I have to have nurses here is because THEY are supposed to be handling my day to day medical needs.
If you don't understand how this mistake reveals a grave failure of competence: imagine you are a surgeon, in the middle of the procedure. You ask a nurse for a scalpel. She hands you a pool toy. Do we have concerns about this nurse's knowledge and/or skill level?
