intentional or falls

[Lvuv]

Just curious about people's thoughts about patients who seem to intentionally fall.

As the RN are we even allowed to think that? Or are thoughts like this off limits like the pain perception variety?

I had a patient whom is very young emotional and liable. Always attention seeking. Complaing, crying, moaning or profusely apologizing for nothing...

Whom my gut tells me the fall was intentional! It was assisted as I was there. BUT, and it's a big butt... I am 1/3 the pt size so it was not as controlled as I wished it could have been.

How do I know this would happen... Rhetorical question! Don't answer that.... Answer these though...

Am I evil for thinking this? Am I burnt? Or just feeling bad for knowing I am right? I don't want to think the worst but it feels true. I am not a RN who can't put 2 and 2 together. This could have been mechanical in nature. There are some things we could blame here... Point is my gutt says "nah... this was just another peg in the long list of attention seeking behavior".

I know I need to let it go... !

I am stirring on this... because it's my first fall and also because I feel like I have NO tools to prevent this. So perhaps this is cathartic. Please tell me your thoughts and stories!

And one more time before I go... Son of a puppy!

[morte, LPN, LVN]

where I work, we "lucked out" on one of our intentional fallers, the CNA caught her sliding herself cautiously of the bed and sitting on the floor. then she tried to claim she hit her head...nope, not this time!

Short answer...no, you're not evil or burnt. I've dealt with this more than once. It's not all that uncommon for an attention seeker to either intentionally fall, or place themselves on the floor [unwitnessed] and yell for help after doing so. Unfortunately it is difficult to objectively chart this as definite proof of this behavior is almost impossible to obtain.

The best solution our team has come up with is documenting each incident [which I am sure you do anyway], determining a pattern of behavior and possible interventions, obtaining a psych consult and documenting the outcome of that consult and care plan it as a known behavior. I know it's frustrating. Good luck!