No failure to communicate

Nurses General Nursing Toon

Published

Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

nurse-sounds-in-head.jpg.0193bc6b53b56b05767d1c6b4a9db39e.jpg

It's like a song you get stuck in your head. You hear your patients calling, "NURSE, NURSE!!", even after you go home. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get it out of your head. And, now, I cannot for the life of me get the words from that classic film, Cool Hand Luke, out of my head: "What we've got here, is failure to communicate." Our patients have no problem communicating though. What do you say; does this happen to you?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Not so much the patients yelling "nurse, nurse!". For me it's the beeps of IV pumps and ventilator alarms. It's like those noises are burned into my brain. Sometimes at home it's almost strange to simply hear nothing.

Another one is call lights/bells. A co-worker who came over to visit me at home and I were hanging out talking and she and I agreed that it was weird to have a conversation that wasn't repeatedly interrupted by call bells. It's almost like we were expecting to hear one at any moment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

Yeah, its the bells and dings for me. Especially after a day with a code or two. Whoever invented beeping iv machines. I wish there was just a light that flashes, theres got to be a better way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I have learned to tune out "nurse" a little bit as when my residents are yelling nurse they really want their CNA. What's bad is when they know your name. No way then of telling yourself it's the OTHER nurse they want.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

Like other posters, it's the beeps, boops, dings & alrams for me. There's current info re 'alarm fatigue' at work, well, we make up for it when we go home.

Oh, the sounds of silence...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I sometimes hear call bells or scope/vent alarms when I go to sleep at home. I also sometimes hallucinate beeps and alarms at work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 3 years MS/Tele, 10 years total ICU, 5 travel.

Depending on the night, either vent alarms or call bells. I could SWEAR some days that there are alarms in my car.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Home / Prison / Hospital.

My personal favorite is, "I need some help, I need some help, I need some help" repeated x 1000+ q hr. Started using that line on my kids. They love it about as much as I do. "What do you need help with?" *blank stare* Repeat, "I need some help" x 1000+ q hr.

VT247

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

It seems every LTC has that resident famous for yelling "help" repeatedly. I know we have one. The biggest problem with this is someday she might actually need help and nobody is running to answer her yells, AKA the boy that cried wolf syndome. Second biggest problem is the image this portrays: imagine walking into this facility not knowing this residents history and seeing all the staff just ignoring this poor woman yelling for help. Makes the staff look real good, doesn't it?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment