Pt's Complaint? Warranted or not?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

I work in a 6 bed general ICU at a small hospital. Our rooms are all private with glass doors that are able to slide open. For the most part the doors to all pt rooms stay open . It's easier to get in and out that way, especially if a pt is having a problem that warrants immediate attention.

So, the other night I admit a pt with chest pain, r/o MI. Everything went fine. Pt not moved up to the floor due to tele malfunctions on the floor. So, I took care of the pt again this last night. Pt complains to the nsg supervisor this morning that I wouldn't close the door to the room the night before! It was so noisy that it prevented the pt from sleeping is what was told to the supervisor. Supervisor explained to pt the nature of being in ICU and that because the pt had JUST been admitted to ICU it was necessary to keep the door open.. The door was open part ways, with maybe a 4 ft opening to allow staff to come through. This past night, the door was shut all the way cause the pt was treated like a regular floor pt as that is where the pt should've been had there been any beds.

Now, I don't recall the pt asking me to close her door. I probably would have had she asked. At least part ways closed. And unfortunately, in ICU it CAN get noisy. We admitted FOUR patients between 9pm and 2am that shift.

I just cannot believe that the pt complained about this. Apparently the pt had a problem with my coworker on day shift. Pt then complained to daughter about all of this, who was livid and wanted to call an ambulance to have her loved one moved out of our ICU.:o :rolleyes:

Ive been an RN for 10 yrs and have never had a pt complain that I wouldn't close the door to their room.

I was upset that the pt complained about this and I'd better not get written up for it either. I feel that my supervisor did a good job in explaining to the pt why I wouldn't shut the door. And my coworker said that she thought it might be illegal to close the door to a pt's room in ICU. Don't know if that's true or not.

Anyway, I don't feel that I did anything wrong by not shutting the pt's door. After all, I had to go in and out of the room as did the lab to draw blood on the pt. It is a lot easier NOT to shut the door because continually opening and closing a door can be loud and disturbing as well. Especially with older doors.

So, what do you think?

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Specializes in ED.

I don't imagine that you would get written up for that. Some patients will complain like that, just go right over your head to administration. I would take it with a grain of salt.

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Well, I would say that if the patient never complained to you about the door being open then their complaint is invalid. Patients often seem to think we are mind readers. This seems to happen quite often; a patient will seem content, not complaining, and then the family member comes and all of a sudden there are a million and one problems. I try to explain to the patient and the family member that if they would vocalize their problems to me, I'd be happy to help them! Again, I wouldn't worry about this too much, you would have helped this patient if you'd known there was a problem. You can't fix things you don't know are occuring.

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Thanks! Like I said, the pt never asked me to close the door and the pt never even mentioned that it was upsetting because the door wasn't shut. I had NO idea until I was pulled into a conference room this morning by the supervisor.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Bottom line is that she never asked you to shut the door. If protocol is to keep the doors open, then why would you deviate from that without a specific request?

People sometimes forget that we are nurses -not mind readers.

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Specializes in pure and simple psych.

Don't worry about it. Your supervisor responded well, and that should be the end of it. I would have answered that it is easier for people to die behind closed doors, and left it at that. What about the ICUs that have only curtains or drapes to close the door???

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Specializes in Geriatrics, MS, ICU.

That is ridiculous. People need to understand that ICU is different...better yet they need to understand that they are in the H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L! All bets are off...We need to be able to see them and hear them, in case we have to jump to it quickly. She may have been upset but what if her heart decided to take a turn down hill instead of uphill! HELLO...she is in ICU! Things happen so FAST sometimes and every single second counts. You were completely right and the patient is wrong. I would not worry about it, although I know it must have really bothered you.

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

The last ICU I worked at ONLY had curtains/drapes separating the beds.

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Yes, It did bother me as I take pt complaints personally even when the pt is wrong. As usually complaints are reported to admin and that counts against you at eval time. That's happened to me before at this place I now work. Pt complained that I hurt him when I removed the tape off of his arm to remove his arterial line. But before I did, I had to leave the room to get some more gauze and then another RN told me that at this hospital RN's aren't allowed to remove art lines, only the physician can. Went back to the pt's room to tell him that I couldn't take the line out. Months later I am told about this by my boss that the pt complained to the doctor that I told him that I couldn't take his line out even though I'd done it a thousand times before. And I got written up for that!! For telling a pt the truth, I got written up.. Haven't seen the write up slip to sign it. Boss needs me to sign it, she'll come find me.

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I take patient complaints personally too and this pt was just griping to gripe. You can't fix what you don't know about.

I work in an ICU and our rooms have one wall that is all glass. If my pt is stable, no longer ICU status, and awake, I ask them if they would like the door shut and the curtain pulled when I am done with my PM assessment. I don't generally have problems with sleeping, but would find it difficult to sleep in our ICU.

It isn't illegal in my state to shut the door of an ICU pt, but nurses have to be able to see them at all times.

For the most part, I agree with the comment that people need to realize that they are in a hospital. Granted, hospital and hotel both start and end with the same letters, but it is really easy to tell the 2 apart. I really resent the people who think that I am there to provide room service or the patients that are friends of/related to certain doctors and get to stay in ICU for 3 weeks instead of being sent to the floor. Had one of those recently who put the call light on and when the nurse got there, she handed her a bottle of nail polish and demanded that her nails be painted. Her husband, the doctor, sat there and watched the whole thing. The other thing that irks me is when a family member whose loved one is vented and sedated will put on a call light because they want a cup of coffee or a pop. God gave them legs for a reason.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

seems to me that there are some really passive-aggressive patients out there. they have complaints, but don't want to be looked at as whiny or fear retaliation, so they complain to the family member who they know will be the most vocal about it to staff. then they get mad at the family member when it's all said and done for "making such a fuss".

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

nurse-lou. . .these people (patients, and others as well) are your basic passive-aggressive cowards and weasels, period, end of story. There's probably nothing you could have done to prevent this. Who knows what set this person off. That's a passive-aggressive for you. These people cannot be assertive or confront like a normal person. So, the first opportunity they have to find a kindred soul they can find some pity with is to dump on them. You got to be the target this time. The only thing that is worse is the people who don't understand this psychological behavior, buy into it and actually come back at you blaming you for something. They're most likely passive-aggressive themselves. Just because someone is a patient doesn't mean they aren't a certified liar either.

Hang in there. I think this has happened to all of us from time to time. I think it tends to happen to those of us who are more sensitive. These weasels just seem to have a special radar that picks up on that quality, you know? It really hurts. But, you know what? That's the true intent of the person who's doing the complaining--to hurt you. It's childish, it's petty and it's meant to be hurtful. Be one better and recognize this for what it is and let it roll off your back. Just goes to show you what kind of sorry character they are. You can't tell from looks, can you? People. You gotta love 'em. Even these goofy ones.

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