Pleasantly Confused

I use it too. Means they're a safety risk, self care deficit and all that but not a harm to other patients or staff but in shorter language. However, thinking about it, it's probably not pleasant for the patient to be confused and that's why the description maybe inappropriate?

Hey thanks for posting this, I've never thought about it before.

I use it too, to refer to pts who are confused, but are easily redirected and not combative, angry, or agitated.

I have never heard that it was inappropriate, not even during NS. I would also be interested to hear what others have to say.

I loooovvvvvee "pleasantly confused." I use it all the time - I'm a new nurse, I haven't really ever thought of the "appropriateness" of the term. I feel when I describe someone as "pleasantly confused" -to a family member or otherwise- I'm saying that no, they're not with it, but they're okay with it, it's not upsetting to them.

Have used "pleasant, confused (x2 or 3 if LOC varies), appears comfortable", or just "pleasant,
confused, no apparent distress".

Good question, O.P.

It's quite deeply ingrained in physician lingo as well. If you research the records of the elderly who end up in the nursing homes, it is a term frequently used. There are those patients who are confused, and remain pleasant (as in not yelling at you, not getting angry) even when redirected or reoriented. Even when you attempt to reorient them and they realize to a certain extent that they have forgotten something, or have awareness that they don't quite have it together, they have the ability to laugh it off, or even laugh at themselves and even apologize for being forgetful.

Then the not pleasantly confused range from those who are agitated and acting out, to those who are pleasant at first, but once you attempt to reorient them or ask questions to gauge their orientation, either attack you verbally for attempting to "correct them" or daring to contest their view. I personally have never thought it through, nor know of a formal reference, but I have through the years seen its manifestation!

When I was a CNA in a nursing facility I took care of a man and his wife. After giving AM care and dressing them I would wheel them out to the lobby as she loved to watch the traffic, passersby, etc. Every day, like clockwork, she told me how much she liked this "hotel" and I was her favorite "bell boy". She would go on about other hotels where the service was not as good as it was here.

This is what I call pleasantly confused. In her world she was being pampered in a hotel rather than spending her last days in a nursing home. I can only imagine what went on in her inner world as she looked out that picture window with her husband of 50+ years at her side. If you have to have dementia, this is the kind to have. I would go ahead and use "pleasantly confused".

Well, this is the first time I have heard of this phrase. I don't see anything wrong with it if it describes the situation well.

I hate the term..find in old fashioned and demeaning.
I had a doc write LOL in his progress note one day. I asked him if he was laughing out loud about something and he said, "No, it means little old lady". When I asked him if he would want that in a permanent medical record if it ever went to court he said Yikes...you're right and changed it to an appropriate term.