Advise please...How the heck do I get OUT of pts room????

[jessi1106]

I am a new nurse working on a busy acute care medicine unit.

Yes I struggle w/ organization and I feel overwhelmed..but there is suprisingly another aspect of my new job that I am finding difficulty with...how do I get the heck out of the pts dang room??? After of course the dressing is changed, meds given, assessment done, all care given..

Don't get me wrong. I do care about my pts and I do listen to all concerns..but some pts just go on and on. I would love to stay and talk about grandchildren, current events or whatever...but I have other pts! I just find it so hard to abruptly end a conversation when the pt seems to want to talk...yet at the same time I have other pts waiting for me.

This is also hard when I do admissions questions as some people go on endlessly about irrelevant medical history...I have a hard time cutting them off. After all, I have been a pt and know I like to feel "listened to".

I have been falling behind in charting because I just end up spending too much time w/pts...any advise???

We have pagers where I work, and one nurse said to me today, "you mean you haven't learned how to fake a page yet"?

Any more experienced nurses have methods to make pts feel cared for, and listend to....but quickly?

[fins]

Respond to something they've said, while walking out the door. Whatever you say, make it long enough so that you can get out of the room while saying it, so you're not walking out while they're talking.

If all else fails, there's Diprivan :)

[bethin]

I just tell them that "I'm sorry we can't talk more but I have other patients to see. If I have extra time I'll come back and see you." And I do try to go back.

I do get nurses out of the chatty rooms by saying I need help or they have a phone call. Nothing wrong with that. I don't say what kind of help I need (could be mental) so technically I'm not lying. Right?? :)

I don't do the talking while walking routine. Had a dr do it while I was in the hospital and it made me feel really small, like he didn't care to listen to my questions.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Before I became a nurse, a nurse gave be a bit of advise. She pointed out that another nurse "Melly" always rushed through her patients first assessments, got out before the patients were finished asking questions. As a result, the patients never had much trust in Melly, and in their anxiety were on their call bells all day. Come to think of it, her patients were on their calls more than others. The nurse telling me this story advised me to take a little time on first rounds to develop a rapport with the patient. The time could be caught up later.

[jelorde37]

lol yeah i had the same problem too and i dont like to be rude so i just continue to stay and listen as the pt talks about property, politics, business, etc etc. the rescue page is good if your co workers arent busy, but a trick i learned to do is to try and make a silent moment. and when the silent moment comes, you ask them if there is anything else you can do and just walk out.

instead of spending up to 30 minutes with a patient talking about nothing, i usually ended the conversation within 4-7 minutes after i do what i need to do and it doesnt sound rude or whatever.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

I agree completely with the other posters, especially Taz. You can be polite and courteous to the patient and/or family that are doing this and still keep up. We usually ask another nurse or clerk at the desk to give me enough time for my task, ect, and then call over the call system or come to the room. When they catch on they get the hint. If they don't catch on to the ''trick'', you have your out without

being rude.

Anne, RNC;)