case manager taught me a gem about families

Nurses Relations

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Specializes in ICU.

Sometimes I think that some family members are just so ignorant that they are beyond help. I try my best to teach things at their level, but when people look really confused when you tell them their father can't move his leg because "The brain is what tells the legs to move, but the stroke hurt his brain so his brain can't tell his leg what to do anymore," and then they say, "I get that he had a stroke, but why can't he move his leg?" what do you say? How do you make it any more simple than that? I think with this one particular family in question I tried to explain how a stroke affected the legs about five times before I gave up. :banghead:

myjade_84

15 Posts

Specializes in oncology.

A good story. Lesson i learned: Be patient with idiotic families!

Kencanwin

60 Posts

Kudos to the case manager for reminding that you gotta simplify it for the non-nurses/ medically unindoctrinated.

ktwlpn, LPN

3,844 Posts

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

In LTC many family members are in such denial that they focus on things like Mom's hair,Dad's nails,the contents of the meal tray, ANYTHING instead of acknowledging that they are LOOSING their loved one.Sadly many people can do this right up to the end and avoid the emotional work they need to do at the time and they will push futile and painful teatment on their loved ones and act out towards the staff.You folks get to see alot of that when we have to ship them out to you. Please believe,we do try to give these family members a reality check.

Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
A good story. Lesson i learned: Be patient with idiotic families!

Nurse Case Manager here! These patients and his/her family members are not "idiots"; they just cannot cope with their new reality despite the fact that this reality may have been in their faces for a long time. As nurses we need to be the professionals we claim to be. We need to assist the patient and his/her support system to be able to cope with their new reality in a short period of time. This way they are more receptive to working with us as a team and are able to learn to follow courses of treatment inside the hospital setting and after discharge.

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