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:

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Specializes in med/surg.

Sounds almost better than actual nursing - how much are they paying?:lol2:

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Usually, a hospitals uses the techs or CNAs to do pt sitting. I've had to do it several times. Sometimes, it was a God-send, as I had a test coming up and I could get some heavy duty studying done. Sometimes it was a nightmare. Usually, sitters are there to prevent a pt from hurting themselves. So every drug OD, every suicide attempt, and sometimes just plain old crazy people. Sometimes the pt really doesn't like you sitting there starting at him. Definately has it's pros and cons.

Oh, sometimes the staff is so busy that you don't get a potty break for hours. All in all, it's a good job for a student....

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I used to love to sit when I was a student. One night I got 5 case studies done for my Psych class in a 12 hour shift. However, it is not always that easy. Especially if you are sitting with a very confused pt who is trying to climb out of bed every 15 seconds. But overall I would say it would be a fabulous opportunity for a student. Good luck!!!

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Specializes in OB.

I wouldn't count on getting any studying done while on the job. It is not only impossible if you have a pt that is confussed, but I think it is very unprofessionsal to show up to work with a bookbag full of homework. I understand that there is lot's of downtime, I was a sitter and a CNA before I was an RN. Just imagine how this looks to the family members who come to visit gramma and her sitter is in the corner with her laptop and books pilled all around her, or to your manager who is paying you good money. You should be focussed on the patient, and if time permits maybe just doing a little reading. Please don't flame me, just my 2 cents!

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Usually, a hospitals uses the techs or CNAs to do pt sitting. I've had to do it several times. Sometimes, it was a God-send, as I had a test coming up and I could get some heavy duty studying done. Sometimes it was a nightmare. Usually, sitters are there to prevent a pt from hurting themselves. So every drug OD, every suicide attempt, and sometimes just plain old crazy people. Sometimes the pt really doesn't like you sitting there starting at him. Definately has it's pros and cons.

Oh, sometimes the staff is so busy that you don't get a potty break for hours. All in all, it's a good job for a student....

Did you ever experience any out and out hostility from the patient? How would you explain your purpose in the room? Makes me wonder how it is explained to the patient?

And to the poster who was afraid we might neglect the patient we are sitting, don't worry I would know what my major objective is:wink2:

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Specializes in ED tech on a resp. therapist adventure.

In our hospital we have to sit with any patient that has tried to commit suicide or who has suicial ideations.

I have only sat at night up on the floor so all of those patients were asleep the entire time I was there. The nurses on the unit take care of the patient I am simply there to make sure he/she does not hurt themselves.

Now when I sit in the ED that is a different story because I work in that unit and the patient is not usually asleep. I am the CNA at that point and I do take care of the patient. We are still allowed to read magazines, watch TV etc. and I have only had one patient who was mad that I was there but she got used to it after we explained the hospital policy to her.

What these patients really do not like is that we take all of their clothes and possessions away from them and put them at the nurses station.

All in all sitting is not bad, staying awake is the hard part, esp at night up on the floor!!

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[quote name=CNANancy

What these patients really do not like is that we take all of their clothes and possessions away from them and put them at the nurses station.

All in all sitting is not bad, staying awake is the hard part, esp at night up on the floor!![/quote]

Can't blame them about the clothes issue, those gowns don't leave much to the imagination! glad to hear it is not that bad!:rolleyes:

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Specializes in ED tech on a resp. therapist adventure.

The gowns in our hosp are not that bad. They go down to the pts knees on an average size person. I will make sure that if you need it you get two gowns, one frontways and one backways......Don't wanna see no hiney....

:rotfl:

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The gowns in our hosp are not that bad. They go down to the pts knees on an average size person. I will make sure that if you need it you get two gowns, one frontways and one backways......Don't wanna see no hiney....

:rotfl:

I can think of a few things worse than hiney!!:uhoh21: :roll :roll :sofahider

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

We have "sitters" basically whose job is to sit with the patient and keep them safe. Often the patient is a suicide watch and a very easy sit where a student might have a chance to study.

Other cases are confused patients, climbing out of bed, pulling out tubes etc. We usually give these cases to CNAs because they can work with the patient, the sitters only sit and don't touch the patient.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Did you ever experience any out and out hostility from the patient? How would you explain your purpose in the room? Makes me wonder how it is explained to the patient?

And to the poster who was afraid we might neglect the patient we are sitting, don't worry I would know what my major objective is:wink2:

Oh, of course. If they can't be contained with a sitter, and using other techniques, like distraction, and all that other stuff, then hostility usually warrented restraints. With all the restraint paperwork nowadays, I certainly prefer talking them down!

If I needed to be there due to an OD or Suicide attempt, then I would flat out tell them why I was there. If it was a confused person, then I would just tell them I was there to help them during the day.

I actually learned a great nursing lesson while I was sitting for a pt one day! Pt was very agitated, restless, angry and figity. His confusion was new, and we just couldn't calm him down. I took him in a ride a wheelchair around the unit for like an hour! He just kept getting more and more restless. He ended up coding and dying later that night. It was a very long and complicated story/code. His only sign that something was wrong was his restlessness (until he crashed, anyways).

Keep an eye out in nurisng school for questions with the word restless in them! Ever since then, I take restlessness very seriously.

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