Patient Sitter

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi !

Our local hospital has started a new position, Patient Sitter, if you can believe it! Anyway, I believe this might be the key to working while studying....apparently the position entails staying with patient and helping them to meet their minor needs, like ambulating to the bathroom, water, etc...I have applied and hope to get in, sounds like it might have some time to study, whilst getting paid and helping people when needed, as well!,

Has anyone heard of such a position before? I believe it is a great idea, when my DH was in the hospital this summer, I was his (nonpaid, LOL) patient sitter, getting him what he wanted.

This could be the answer to the age old question of how to work while attending nursing school! Kewl.:cool:

I have used them for my mom when she has been hospitalized when i can't be with her. they are invaluable. i also used them for myself when i had pneumonia back in november/december. i was reacting to all sorts of drugs and i couldn't breath. we have 3 kids and no family close by so my dh couldn't be with me. i had someone for three days and would do it again in a heartbeat. not only did they help me, they got my mind off of how sick I was when we would visit. tney were right there if i had a reaction and they could help me walk around the floor to get my strength up. we paid about 22 an hour to an agency i believe. so worth it.

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I didn't read every post on this thread, but I hate sitting. Sitting is a nightmare. I can't sit still and stare at one person for 4-12 hours. I also can't study in a buzzing and beeping room. Sometimes your patient will be calm and asleep, but I've done a lot of agitated/confused/combative patients. Yes, the most challenging patients will try and hit you. Some people can do it and get work done, I would rather quit.

Also, if the room is on contact precautions, you won't be taking your textbook in there.

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I used to be a sitter at a local hospital here in OK, I was attending a scrub tech school at the time. And let me tell you...I was hit, kicked, bit, spat on, yelled at, I rolled one sweet little old ladies hair for her in those old fashioned pink rollers while she confused me with her granddaughter and couldn't understand why if I died in the war in Iraq that I would be there with her, she then refused her medicines...took out a bottle of hairspray and a lighter (that she had hidden in her pillow case prior to my arrival) and threatened to torch me if I "let" the nurse in the room to give the meds. A gentleman who got in a motorcycle accident constantly confused me with his wife and was always trying to get frisky with me and grope me when she wasn't there. The job didn't last too long for me (for other reasons)! BUT, I will say when I worked the night shift I did do some reading for class with the charge nurse's approval once the pt was resting soundly. Good luck but don't think its a gravy job....its anything but.

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I'm a sitter. Its an ok job. You get alot of down time. To tell you the truth, you will only get those hard patients (combative, confused, etc) maybe 20% of the time. 80% of the time you'll get patients who can't take care of themselves, who are fall risks, or suicidal patients who are self care and just need to be observed. The hardest patients for me are those with dementia.. ahh I remember this one patient.. hes in his 70's and the first time i sat for him, he tried to get out of the bed every minute(I'm not kidding when i said every minute) and hes hard of hearing too so I had to speak really loud. It got to the point that we had to call security because he was combative (he tried to bite my arm :eek:). I won't forget that patient. I sat for him for like 5 times and every time i sat for him, the more i understood his behavior (so cool) lol. Turned out, he just wanted to walk around the room and do things that he used to do like reading newspaper etc etc. :yeah: I also remember this one patient. I sat for him for like 7 times. He's suicidal and every 2 hours he would try to leave the room and i always had to block the door. He even called 911 twice using the hospital phone.. :eek:. I also had a patient who had a seizure during my shift :uhoh3:. It was a good experience for me. It was the first time i experienced a rapid response call. As far as studying goes, you can study if you don't have a difficult patient. I think its the perfect job while going to nursing school. Not very tiring physically and you can study. The only downside is its hard to get a break because most of the time, the techs and nurses are all busy.

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Where I work, a "patient observer" as they are known, sit no more than an arm's length away from patients who are suicidal or otherwise pose a safety risk to themselvwes or thers. An M.D. can put the order in. We have 2 locked psych units, but do these patients go on those units? Nooooo! They are on a med/surg floor! Explain that to me, please!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
I didn't read every post on this thread, but I hate sitting. Sitting is a nightmare. I can't sit still and stare at one person for 4-12 hours. I also can't study in a buzzing and beeping room. Sometimes your patient will be calm and asleep, but I've done a lot of agitated/confused/combative patients. Yes, the most challenging patients will try and hit you. Some people can do it and get work done, I would rather quit.

Also, if the room is on contact precautions, you won't be taking your textbook in there.

Ditto. :crying2::crying2:

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I am currently a sitter in the hospital i am working, i swear it is the best job i have done. i am also a certified nursing assistant and go to nursing school full-time. If i did not have this job my last two years of nursing school i do not know what would have done. I was able to get a lot of studying and work done. And time i would be extremely lazy. As some one said before you do get challenging patients but once you talk to them and make them fell comfortable every thing else will fall into place. Now i am getting ready to start studying for my boards.

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Are you willing to share any of the information regarding the sitter program? I am in the process of creating a sitter program for our organization. I am in stage 1 - gathering of information before putting it all together.

Rafe

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Yes, these are great jobs for people who have something to keep them busy and have a lot of patience.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I know this is an old thread, but I had to comment because I am a PCA and sometimes get assigned to be a sitter. At my hospital, the sitter takes over all care for the patient: vitals, bathing, turns, feeding, bathroom, everything. We are also NOT allowed to study or look at our phones. If the patient is watching TV we can watch it with them, but otherwise we are just watching the patient. A lot of the patients are confused and trying to climb out of bed...I have literally redirected patients for hours.

Sometimes patients will sleep, and then I will chart my vitals/care, and read their H&P or look up their condition on the WOW. According to my hospital that is probably toeing the line for what is acceptable, but I feel like it's a need-to-know situation. The main thing is ensuring the patient's safety, and if they are suicidal you are literally expected to never take your eyes off of them. Sometimes these patients will deteriorate quickly too, and you are expected to be alert to any small changes in their condition and report to the RN. And sometimes nothing happens. The last patient I was a sitter for slept all night, and I ended up pacing (quietly) around the room to stay awake!

My point is for anyone applying for this type of job, find out what your hospital's policy is before planning that you will be able to do homework and study all night, because not all hospitals will allow you such leeway.

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