[91WhiskeyM6]

Yesterday, I had one resident who past on around dinner time and I had to watch her only friend/family in the whole world breakdown at her bedside. And just before my shift ended, I had one resident fall so bad, she landed on the back of her skull. I've witnessed a thousand patients/residents fall, but that was the worst fall I've ever seen. Anyway, I made sure the CNA's didn't move her until I was sure she didn't have any fractures. Thank god there was no bleeding or CSF leaking out. Her pupils were unequal and non-reactive and she sustained a swollen knot on the back of her head. She didn't complain of pain, but then again she's in her ##'s. O2 sat was low RA despite me coaching her to breath deeply. What sucks is that she's an alert fall precaution resident who's stubborn and set in her ways. She refuses to use her FWW and likes to wonder around the hallways and the nurses station. Anyway, I called the on-call doctor and gave him my assessments. I ended the shift transporting her to the ED at a nearby hospital.

[Fly4Life12]

I'm sorry you had a sucky shift- I did too! Had a 20-year old girl hit by a car at 40-mph. Definately DOA but they worked her anyway. It was terrible. Family was worse. I hope tomorrow goes better. Hope your resident is okay too. Hang in there.

[earle58]

oh shoot....don't you hate when that happens?????

i'm so sorry for the lady falling; but we know the types who are just very set in their ways.
it's really a delicate balancing act between respecting their autonomy and keeping them safe.

sadly, this fall won't stop her.

it's frustrating, i know. but i wouldn't want anyone telling me what i can and can't do. we make our choices. now enjoy your days off.

leslie

[Mister Chris]

Originally Posted by earle58

oh shoot....don't you hate when that happens????? i'm so sorry for the lady falling; but we know the types who are just very set in their ways. it's really a delicate balancing act between respecting their autonomy and keeping them safe. sadly, this fall won't stop her.
it's frustrating, i know. but i wouldn't want anyone telling me what i can and can't do. we make our choices. now enjoy your days off.
leslie

I am sorry to hear about these things happening. I am even sorrier when I'm on duty and they happen and I am the only RN on duty. I now can thank God and the fact that I qualified a long time ago and have over 30 years of experience to call on. Still it hits me when I have to call the relatives and be the one to break the news, console the new nurses, fill out all the paperwork etc. etc. How can a few nurses be on hand to prevent falls, protect wanderers and try to counsel relatives, when you have so many wandering disasters waiting to happen?
Most all of our clients have a relative or some next of kin that can give some input with their ongoing care, if they want to. Even if it is only the occasional visit and little else. (Some do and some don't for various reasons!) But some clients have no-one at all to be concerned with their care at all or even their existence. To have only a nurse - a collection of nurses spending from a few seconds or minutes, or if lucky more than ten or twenty minutes with them, as there is no one else in their life at all, this is very sad.
I sometimes wonder why I do this job and how do I cope. It never ceases to amaze me - I just do, and then go home have a cry and pray.
Keep your compassion nurses and your love for your job, YOU ARE ALL SPECIAL PEOPLE.
Hang in there!
Mr.C.

[dragonfly954]

I had one of those shifts last night(because of management,not patients) .All I can tell you is today is another day and hope you have a better shift next time.

[hipab4hands]

Hang in there.
Tommorrow is another day ,and I hope it improves greatly.

We had one of the worst weeks last week, since I've worked for my present employer. For some reason, we had a plethora of pysch and drug seeking patients calling in , and demanding to be treated over the phone.

Each time I had to deny there request, they threaten to go to the ER. I had to explain to them that they would likely get the same reply from the ER dr.also. I also had to explain the them that if they wanted to go to the ER and sit for 4-6 hrs and pay a $100 copayment that I couldn't stop them.