Patients who can do ADLs but want nurses to

Nurses Relations

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I've been coming across more and more patients that are perfectly capable of taking care of their personal needs, but simply don't want to.

Example: ringing the call light to ask for the box of tissues that is a whopping 4 feet away and they have no physical reason to inhibit their ability to reach or get up and get them.

Or the female pt that wants us to clean her after voiding yet she walked into the bathroom herself and did her makeup/ curled her hair that morning...

How do you get the message across that we are not the maids/ wait staff/ personal assistant without making pt feel bad or making them angry? It's so frustrating.

Landing in the hospital is like being a stranger in a strange land for some of our patients. They don't know what is expected of them.

Sometimes a nurse needs to do a little training and educating.

Regression, depression(big cause) or some dementia that is not obvious at home can cause this problem too.

I used to work with a lot of elderly patients who could function OK in their own familiar home, but would be unable to do most of their ADLs in the hospital.

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Saying, in a sincere voice, "I am very concerned that you're not able to do that. I'll be calling the case manager to look into your options for nursing home placement if you're not going to be able to take care of yourself at home." Miraculous cure often results.

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Saying, in a sincere voice, "I am very concerned that you're not able to do that. I'll be calling the case manager to look into your options for nursing home placement if you're not going to be able to take care of yourself at home." Miraculous cure often results.
And if you're a LTC nurse dealing with a pt like this who's *already* in a nursing home, just imply that they may have to be transferred to that even worse nursing home down the street they saw on 20/20 last night....
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Specializes in LTC.

The strangest thing I've encountered in this area was a pt with orders to straight cath for post void bladder scan greater than 400 cc that admitted she tried to hold in her urine while she was on the bed pan (naturally she was "too sick" to get out of bed to use the toilet) so she would have to be cathed. Many pts can magically void once you tell them they will need a cath if they are unable to go! I've never seen anyone who wanted a catheter before.

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And if you're a LTC nurse dealing with a pt like this who's *already* in a nursing home, just imply that they may have to be transferred to that even worse nursing home down the street they saw on 20/20 last night....

LOL.....the twists and tricks we sometimes have to employ to wheedle good behavior! :)

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The strangest thing I've encountered in this area was a pt with orders to straight cath for post void bladder scan greater than 400 cc that admitted she tried to hold in her urine while she was on the bed pan (naturally she was "too sick" to get out of bed to use the toilet) so she would have to be cathed. Many pts can magically void once you tell them they will need a cath if they are unable to go! I've never seen anyone who wanted a catheter before.

Ok, that's weird. Unless she thought that by having one she'd never have to get her butt out of bed??

I found, when working the med-surg floor, that the mere presentation of a 16F foley to most men would create a virtual RIVER of pee ;)

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I have been noticing this more and more in our patient population as well. My go to line is "Who does this for you at home?" If they say that they do then I just let them know that as their nurse it is my job to ensure they can saftely and adequately take care of themselves upon discharge otherwise social services may need to set up home care or possibly even a stay at short term rehab upon discharge. That seems to always makes them become as independent as possible very quickly...:nurse::yes:

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
To edimo - I apologize for the LOL. I'm a great one to bemoan the use of unfamiliar abbreviations; I freq have to ask about some just like you did. (I really questioned something earlier today on another post re a nsg job position.) I AM NOT computer-speak saavy. I only learned LOL recently just be being here on AN - I figured it was a safe one. I've should've known better ...

Likewise, each nsg specialty seems to have its own language. It took me forever to figure out NSTEMI (smile, all you cardiac nurses). So LOL seemed to fit very nicely into LTC. Hey - I work LTC but I had NO idea what NOC was (11-7 shift) until I saw it here!!!

What is "nsg"?

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Specializes in MICU.

What is "nsg"?

Nursing

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My line to solve this little problem is "Here at {name of hospital where I work], we like to encourage patients to do as MUCH for THEMSELVES as they can." This simple little phrase has worked every time and patients often have nothing to say in return. ;)

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Oh yes I have used the " maybe you njeed to go to a nursing home if you can't care for yourself" chat before.Also the " who will wipe your butt at home?" as well.They get the message.

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Specializes in Aged care, disability, community.

I know I felt rather embarassed when I needed a bedpan and help wiping after I had my son as the spinal still hadn't worn off and I couldn't actually feel from about 1/2 way down my chest down. I don't know why people want people to do it, I see it a lot at work and I've actually been known to tell my residents that if they can't do it obviously they can't do something else they want to do as it's the same action, like if they can't wipe themselves they obviously can't go to bingo.

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