Who does this stuff? Really, you can't make it up!

[ShayRN]

So a family wants their mom sat up in a chair. She is dead weight and exceeds our hoyer weight limit. Sorry, safety issue can't do it. So they try to put her up on the side of the bed themselves, she falls on the floor. A complete lift and one of our nurses ends up in ER and is off work for a while. Next day, they do the same darn thing. Put her up on side of bed and down she goes. Tonight, I walked in and found her sitting up at the bedside AGAIN. I told her daughter, if she falls, I am calling the ambulance crew for a lift assist and she will have to lay on the floor until they get here. Guess what happened? What. the. heck. I am so frustrated. Any advice for tomarrow, because I gotta be honest, my back really hurts right now.

[NurseBrittney]

refuse to take the assignment?

I don't know. Sounds like the physician needs to tell them not to do it for patient safety. People tend to listen when they tell them....

[NurseAdida]

I would ask them to see the trend...sitting up=falls. Do not sit your mother up!!! Emphasize on the consequences like head injury, fructures and tell them they will not be allowed to visit if they continue to put her at risk for falls.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Restraints! Just kidding. I hate dealing with family members who can't seem to use common sense.

[lisamc1RN, LPN]

It's time to get your social worker and your DON involved. Your patient is actually not safe and her relatives are the ones who are creating the problem. Be a patient advocate before she ends up in the hospital with a fractured hip.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

I would put her mattress on the floor with the patient on it and tell them that since she continues to end up there that she is going to have to stay on the floor on the mattress until they can assure the facility that they will not be getting her out of bed. While you are doing this someone needs to tell them that they are a liability and insist that they transfer her to another facility because you are no longer going to accept the liability of caring for her.

[HeatwaveRN]

Did someone mention restraints? Hah, I'd probably put these on the family when they come to visit. It's a danger to have them around the patient.

Anyway, my advice is to document what you have TOLD the family. What's their issue with sitting up anyway? Is sitting up more important than patient safety?

Can you alter the hospital bed so that she will be sitting up?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Restraints!

For the family?

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

How about one of those big boy beds that convert to a chair? Probably ruin the budget though.

[mom4josh]

Your manager or DON or someone higher up needs to tell this family that if this happens again they will not be permitted to visit. If the patient is alert and oriented, she also needs to reinforce that they are not to do this.

Geesch, some people's children!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Honestly, I would let her stay on the floor and call the squad.

Idiot daughter.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Oops, duplicate post