"The police are on the phone for you"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I was just sitting here thinking about the two times I have had the police call/show up to the unit because someone called to report they were either A.) Being held against their will or B.) Needed to go to the ER.

One lady was an MS patient with neurological damage in her brain that made her sort of ok, but mostly a little off. I remember being so panicked when I got the call from the police because I had been having a good night and everyone seemed so settled. Apparently she thought she had been there long enough and we were now keeping her against her will. I went in and chatted with her and she was like "oh, I see, ok thanks."

I was going to put this in the humor section, but overall it isn't too funny, just freaky when a cop walks in at 3am and surprises you.

Tait

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Specializes in LTC.
I was just sitting here thinking about the two times I have had the police call/show up to the unit because someone called to report they were either A.) Being held against their will or B.) Needed to go to the ER.

One lady was an MS patient with neurological damage in her brain that made her sort of ok, but mostly a little off. I remember being so panicked when I got the call from the police because I had been having a good night and everyone seemed so settled. Apparently she thought she had been there long enough and we were now keeping her against her will. I went in and chatted with her and she was like "oh, I see, ok thanks."

I was going to put this in the humor section, but overall it isn't too funny, just freaky when a cop walks in at 3am and surprises you.

Tait

I had this once.. a resident called his wife saying he was choking. So his wife called the police. The police call us. My supervisor answers the phone for me because I was elbow deep in tube feed.. and lets me know that this mans wife called the police. So I cap the g-tube and go to the mans room. He was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt with the zipper all the way up. lol I'm like cancel the police please..

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Worked in a LTC facility where a LOL had her own personal phone in her private room from when she lived at home. It had a 911 predial on it which she loved to press at all hours of the day or night. The police were quite acquainted with her and would call our nursing station to let us know that she called them again. The instructions for the phone were long gone and nobody in the facility could figure out how to disable the 911 predial. Some nurses were thinking about deliberately, accidentally killing the phone. Our meanie DON thought that her calling was a sign that the staff was not doing their job in keeping her placated.

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Specializes in ER, Pediatric Transplant, PICU.

I have had a patient call 911 from the ER room saying we were neglecting them because we weren't giving her narcotics.

And another patient who had a toothache who called 911 from the waiting room because we weren't getting her back before everybody else.

Wow

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

on the other hand...

A lady called 911 from the cardiac floor saying she felt she was having a heart attack and no one was answering her call light. When staff checked on her, she was having a heart attack. It's true, no one was answering her call light...

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

When I worked in LTC, the police called us a few times. They called once because a few residents were reporting theft. Another time it was a "courtesy call" because an aide was being arrested. Turns out the aide was stealing from the residents.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

When i was younger my great grandmother, a little old lady, called 911 because her garage door opener battery was dead and she couldnt open the garage door :-)

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

Had a demented lady in a locked assisted living years ago. She eventually figured out that if she pulled the fire alarm the door magnet would release and she could get out. The good news...we got to see the good looking firemen an awful lot for awhile. :lol2:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
on the other hand...

A lady called 911 from the cardiac floor saying she felt she was having a heart attack and no one was answering her call light. When staff checked on her, she was having a heart attack. It's true, no one was answering her call light...

Ouch.....:eek:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
on the other hand...

A lady called 911 from the cardiac floor saying she felt she was having a heart attack and no one was answering her call light. When staff checked on her, she was having a heart attack. It's true, no one was answering her call light...

Wow! So what became of this. I am sure it wasn't good.

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Specializes in OB.

A long time ago when I worked in psych we had a patient who would call the White House. One of his delusions was that he was Ronald Reagan. Since he was also deaf his verbalizations were not understandable and resulted in a visit from men in suits after they traced the call.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
A long time ago when I worked in psych we had a patient who would call the White House. One of his delusions was that he was Ronald Reagan. Since he was also deaf his verbalizations were not understandable and resulted in a visit from men in suits after they traced the call.

I wasn't aware you could just call the White House. :yeah:

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