Crazy Family Member!

[scooby72]

I could not believe it! Kinda long but bear with me.....

My Mom had a stroke on May 1. She is currently on the rehab floor. If

any of you have rehab experience I could sure use your insight - the

thread is in the Rehab Nursing section of the site.

Anyway - there are four girls in my family - one EMT, an LPN, me the RN,

and the oldest - has a coshy job with the government - who is the

smartest of us all! We try to be GOOD family members. We totally

appreciate the staff and let them know it - because we "get it."

So me and my LPN sis are hanging out with Mom at PT today. Pretty

slow day being that it's Sunday before the holiday. An aide comes

running in and says "There's a crazy lady at the nurse's

station - she's screaming at the nurse and she's throwing things!"

PT hesitates while me and sis instantly go into "nurse" mode. No one

messes with nurses! We tell PT to stay with Mom and tell the aide

to call security.

We get out to the station and this lady was crazy!!! Yelling,

throwing anything within reach. Nurses ducking behind the counter

in bunker mode. One nurse trying to defuse her. Still no security.

My sis is a toughie who wades right in. She had grabbed a patient

belonging bag from somewhere and made a BIG production of picking

up things that went sailing, plants, charts, pens, etc. Tsk, tsking

loudly the whole time saying "Oh, gosh - someone could trip on this,

etc." Now crazy lady is confused. Should she listen to this lady who

is picking up her mess or keep yelling at the nurse? Meanwhile I am

standing ready to grab her if she suddenly decides to launch herself

over the counter. Still no security. Crazy lady loses some steam but

at least she is only yelling - not lobbing objects. Floor Supervisor

shows up. Does the whole yada yada thing - you know how it goes.

"Let me know what those nurses did to make you angry crap." Takes

her to an empty room to talk. Still no Security!!!!!

Come to find out - she was upset because Dad was not up and

showered by 8:00 am. It was today - Sunday. She was also upset

because her Dad could not get a good night's sleep because of the

other patients on the floor and that "that nurse" kept waking him

up ALL NIGHT!! Hey lady - it's a hospital - your Dad is ill - DEAL!

What makes me the most angry is that after the ordeal sis and I

asked why security didn't show up. Nurses said that they were

told that they always had to call the floor super before bringing in

security. That's CRAP! Now we have crazy lady roaming the floor

that Mom is on. And the staff has to continue to deal with her as

well. IMHO she should have been banned from the floor. Too bad

if she gave them an "F" on their survey.

BTW - Mom was mad that she missed all of the "action." That tells

us that her cognition is fine. Bless her!

Scooby

[psalm, RN]

What could have been done differently to prevent the situation? Pre-filled syringes of haldol? But I don't think that's allowed...

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

What could have been done differently to prevent the situation? Pre-filled syringes of haldol? But I don't think that's allowed...

I'm still a proponent of aresolized Versed blowers for hospital entrances

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

What could have been done differently to prevent the situation? Pre-filled syringes of haldol? But I don't think that's allowed...

I've calmly told the offending person that her behavior will not be tolerated and that if it continues, I WILL call the police.

It worked.

[Ms.RN]

we once had a wacko family member take out her dentures and throw them down the hall. just when you think youv'e seen it all.....

oh my goodness. imagine a family member taking his denture out from his mouth and his denture flying in the air. i will roll on the ground and laugh my orificee off. :lol_hitti:lol_hitti:lol_hitti:lol_hitti:lol_hitti:lol_hitti

[ImMrBill3, RN]

To those who wondered where a policy like not calling security but calling a supervisor comes from, it helps keep the facilities record nice and clean. Remember if it's not documented it didn't happen. No security call, no security report, no incident, next review, audit or inspection NO PROBLEM.

This kind of policy is getting pretty widespread. How many things are we told to write up in an incident report but NOT put in the chart???

I strongly suggest that anyone encountering a problem make their own private notes (full documentation, times, dates, full descriptions, names, verbatim statements etc) and hold on to it. Find the appropriate time to bring these issues to the attention of mgmt or better yet the JC. In this case having a discussion with the supervisor and mentioning that you felt pt and family endangerment occurred and it may need to be reported to the BON might get the supervisor to think about their responsibility more than the threats of mgmt.

This type of problem is something that really needs to be addressed by professional orgs and by nurses as a whole. If the health care system is going to be changed soon we need to get involved in making it a change for the better.