What Baffles You?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I have come across this a few times. I am holding a straw to a persons lips and they drink and drink and drink and pretty soon they are waving their hands for me to stop. Stop what?! You don't have to keep sucking on the straw just because it is in your mouth. I think the universal sign of I'm done please remove the straw should be to stop sucking on it and open your mouth! I have had a few people have to catch their breath and make comments about me giving them too much! What? I don't get it.

amoLucia I don't know why but I've started doing it! I don't know if it's because I'm getting older (40), or what. But it feels as if it's a like letting a small pressure valve open - it helps a bit with the battle to do whatever I'm doing. Yes, sitting down on the floor is sometimes a battle, and I'm not overweight or disabled in any way, it just gets harder!

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
There is a difference .... at home they don't have the dang hi-low control. So they're not sitting in a high fowler's position. Gravity just drags them down and it's difficult to push up against gravity. I they were flat, flat in bed I'd question it too.

But for the now, I'd love to take away the hi-low control. But we can't ...

Why can't they just stand up, take a few steps towards the head of the bed, and get back in? I'm not cutting those pts any slack. Hi-lo, hi fowlers....Nope. No excuse for a fully capable person to risk my back for no reason.

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

because the side rails are up?

Why can't they just stand up, take a few steps towards the head of the bed, and get back in? I'm not cutting those pts any slack. Hi-lo, hi fowlers....Nope. No excuse for a fully capable person to risk my back for no reason.
because the side rails are up?

Even better because they can hold on to the side rails to help boost them up.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

What baffles me....

Are the family members that INSIST that their loved one is in pain when it is abundantly clear the the patient is sleeping peacefully. I mean, what does the complaining family member get out of doing that? It's not as if we're going to hand the narcs over to the family, or anything....

I've often wondered if it's a control issue - that unless the nurse is IN the room, doing something nurse-like, the patient must not be receiving quality care.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
because the side rails are up?

SR X 2 not 4. Able bodied means they walk to the BR. They get out of the bed for that.

I'm not blasting the people who are too sick or weak to care for themselves.

I'm talking about the patients who want to be helpless even though they're not. It baffles me that independent people want that kind of assist.

Another baffling question - why do folk 'ooh & aah & oomph' when they sit down or get up when they have aches & pains? It's not like making the noises make them get well.

Actually there was a study that said that swearing when you're in pain actually decreases pain, so maybe it's along the lines of that. Also it might be a noise of surprise?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Another baffling question - why do folk 'ooh & aah & oomph' when they sit down or get up when they have aches & pains? It's not like making the noises make them get well.

Can't explain it, but it just happens. Just you wait....:yes:

Specializes in Med Surg.
It just seems that the older people try a little bit harder than the younger ones. And to my male nursing comrades please forgive me but the young males seem to have a harder time than the older ladies in recuperating.:arghh:[/quote'] This is so true! I work post OP and have learned to greatly respect the little old lady. Of course, this is a generalization, but old women are tough.
Specializes in Hospice.
Why would a completely able bodied person put the call light on for staff to pull them up in bed, instead of just wiggling a little as they would do at home?

Even if the pt is 70 something and sick. I don't get the whole "I'm helpless" thing.

I had patient inform me that since he was in a nursing home, he didn't have do anything for himself anymore. I attempted to educate him on why I was encouraging him to do what he could himself -- use it or lose it. I so was not his favorite nurse for a while...

I know. I know. I'm supposed to remember to put customer service before nursing care;)

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
There is a difference .... at home they don't have the dang hi-low control. So they're not sitting in a high fowler's position. Gravity just drags them down and it's difficult to push up against gravity. I they were flat, flat in bed I'd question it too.

But for the now, I'd love to take away the hi-low control. But we can't ...

​Some people do need the hi/lo control, myself included.

because the side rails are up?

Then they can lower the head of their bed (since they raised it) and use the rails to pull themselves up.

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