Use your call light - Wisely

Nurses Relations

Published

Dear patients,

Your call-light is like the magical lamp in the Disney movie Aladdin ....you only get three wishes. In this case you only get 3 times to use the call light per 12-hour nurse's shift. Please choose your times appropriately and for real serious issues only. In an effort to maintain the mental sanity of the nurse caring for you, your call light might need to be removed if you abuse the right of having one.

If only life could work like that, hehehehe!

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Lets keep this civil and polite folks. OP, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this started as a venting thread, not a serious one and no offense is meant to pts who use their call bell.

Thanks everyone.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.
Lets keep this civil and polite folks. OP, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this started as a venting thread, not a serious one and no offense is meant to pts who use their call bell.

Thanks everyone.

I started this thread as a kind-hearted joke. Yes, Call lights are annoying and people DO misuse them from time to time BUT we all know that this is a place to vent your frustrations, laugh, and enjoy being a nurse.

We are all professionals - Lets treat/talk to each other as professionals.

That said - I was just making a light-hearted joke!!!

Also, I smelled a troll on here, but thats beside the point.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Again, I understand. But as long as, while you are a patient, you are not ringing to have things handed to you that are within your reach, to have your TV channel changed, etc, you are in no danger of being "one of those patients." Call for legitimate reasons, and there would never be an issue. KWIM?

Lighten up! I agreed with you! I accepted your chastising........ I just wanted to let you know it was a personal POV. I have been answering call lights for 31 years and yes there are more that a few occasions I wanted to "place " the call light just slightly out of reach or prayed for a Lockout time like the PCA pumps. When I started nursing bed pans were metal and quite loud when thrown from a room and there was no such thing a PCA pump.....I was just sharing that I, personally, understand better now why some people act as they do first hand and it suprised me........there are only 4 absolutes in life.......birth,death,taxes, and they will always be at least one jerk in the crowd that believes calling you for a fresh kleenex out of the box right in front of them is the proper use of a call light! Keep laughing! Wow....

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
hate to rain on everyone's parade and yes call lights have frustrated me too.......and yes there are those patients that do abuse the light but, I have found that the overall majority have a deeper issue like fear......that has them ringing. Some patients feel frightened during shift change.....they fear no one will hear them when the nurses are in report. All patients day or night know when shift change has arrived due to the noise level of the on comming and off going shift. Hence the call light cue......I used to make last rounds, usually with an CNA, and ask if anyone needed, water, bedpan, pain med, blanket whatever....... and tell them where I was going and how long I would be gone. They seemed comforted.......they knew where I was if they needed anything and assured them that the CNA's knew we were in report and will hear them. goI know the off going **** is trying to get the heck outta there and get work done, but remember those patients are frightened, alone, and in pain. Now, when that is not enough I set limits........I have told a patient that would put the call button on (on purpose) when you were still in the room because he needed something else.......I will come back every 15 min to check on you.......put your call light on only if you can breathe, have chest pain ect..........I understand you have needs and may be frightened but you are making it impossible to anything else to get done....if this is not enough we can provide your family with a list of private duty personel..........It stinks at first because it is a real pain in the a-- but eventually I lengthen the time between and when they know I am good to my word........you build their trust they seem to behave......worst case senario I have made the patinet a constant observation just to save everyone's sanity!

Gosh--I thought this was a place for nurses by nurses, we're supposed to support one another, and should also recognize when a thread is started in jest and humor, no one intended this to get anyone on their soap box! OR to make patients sit in pain or crap the bed, give it a break we we're blowing off some steam Ms. high and mighty

Wow.........that's really harsh! You really misunderstood my post or I am misunderstanding you. If you carefully read my post it was talking about this very thing and patients reason they need their call buttons answered. I said that I tell patients where I am going and where I'll be and come back when I say to build trust. It was never an intention to lecture,shame,and climb on a soap box. It is a place for nurses yet when you mention support of each other you call someone (me) Ms. High and Mighty. I was sharing a story and how I occasionally get around a demanding patient by setting limits. I have very recently joined the other side. I have become somewhat of a professional patient being diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder that has placed me in a wheelchair and to be honest I am kind of uncomfortable being a patient and at the mercy of someone elses good will or their good mood. It was sharing experience and nothing more........Laugh and vent on and blow off steam....it is good for the soul!

ps: the phrase off going shift.....the word shift was blanked out.....the computer must not like the word shift :-)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I don't see this as preaching to the choir. But I do see someone who has been through the wringer and is just giving an alternate point of view. My last hospitalization I called for pain medicine.....no response for 1 hour. Then when the nurse came in she said "you take so many meds I figured you know how to wait". That did not sit well with me. An oh Im so sorry would have worked much better.

I always told my patients at the beginning of a shift, "if you don't get a proper response after 15 minutes for something like pain med or bathroom, the nurse may have been so busy she couldn't come....then call again and explain to the clerk what you need and why you are calling again."

THANK YOU! Wow I had NO idea that giving an opinion would fire up a firestorm! I meant no harm.....it was not meant as a soapbox or lecture.............I apologize

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Me too

I saw no firestorm, but I guess Some innocent topics flare Some people Some times.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Me too

I saw no firestorm, but I guess Some innocent topics flare Some people Some times.

AMEN! :redbeathe

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Specializes in CCRN, ED, Unit Manager.

Some of the facebook comments are ridiculous. People are way too sensitive about this stuff.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
oh in a perfect world....

A selective call bell system..for example,when the

call bell rings, they

have an automated choice....

Enter 1 if you are calling to say you have to crap

AGAIN.

Enter 2 if you are calling to say you have already

s**t (this a totally

different problem).

Enter 3 if you

are a drug seeking a$$hole and are

requesting morphine.

Enter 4 if your crazy family is here and they want

to speak with me.

Enter 5 if you feel like complaining and think I

give a damn.

Enter 6 if you dropped your tissue box again and

think I am coming in

anytime soon to pick it up.

Enter 7 if you think I am a damn waitress and

will get you the meal you

actually ordered.

Enter 8 if your IV is beeping again because

you just can't seem to remember to keep your

******* arm straight no matter

how many times we tell you.

Enter 9 if you think Nurses walk on water, you

haven't called

since you have come in,

you hate to bother me, your

family is normal, you

ARE having crushing chest pain and think you are

going to die....I'll be right

there.

Do not hit 9 when you meant to hit 2. You will

wish you did die!

Oh, that is too perfect!:yes:

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