Post-its everywhere!

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2011

HAHA! This reminds me of my case. There are post-its everywhere! They are written by nurses though. I tried getting everyone to write (what they would write on the post-it) in a notebook which lasted about 2 weeks. We are back to post-its on every surface of the patient's room/bathroom.

We only get an occasional note from the parents and they are usually about the patient's medications since they change a lot. Seems like the mom at your case is going a bit overboard with the reminders! Are you the only nurse on the case? If not, the notes may not be for you.

I am sure she likes you, unless she really doesn't

TopazLover, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2011

Sorry, when I read your name the post it notes seemed perfectly appropriate:D

caliotter3 · Sep 29, 2011

A communication book is a safe, secure, central place for appropriate notes that allows for an uncluttered environment. I would gather the notes, date them, paste them in a communication book and explain to the mom why you are putting them in a central place. If she refuses to go along with the plan, then keep the comm book for nurse communications that don't go into everyday charting. Perhaps as time goes on, mom may relax enough that she needs less and less of the distracting clutter.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2011

I work for an agency so I can see why she might feel like the reminders might be a good idea. Except that she's had the same two nurses (day/noc) for the last six months. I'm the first "new" nurse on this case in a while but the post-its have also been there for a while. And some of them are vaguely...demeaning? Around the control panel for the heater, one note says "You do not pay the bills for this." and the other says "So do not touch!"

I'd bring up the notebook idea (use this with quite a few of my cases and I love it) but I think she might eat me.

What annoys me the most is that you'd think she would be at least vaguely organized and she's not. I had to wake her up the other day to ask where the kiddo's bath stuff was. It was behind a door clearly sticky-noted as "Do not look in here! Nothing you need is in here!"

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Sep 30, 2011

I had a case like that were post it notes would turn up every so often and seem quite rude. In my case my husband pointed out thats the way a native spanish speaker would write them translated into English so after that I had no problem.

In my case it would just be the Mom would get a surge of motivation and feel like she needed to switch something up. One day I came and found the kids food cabinet was chained and padlocked because she thought her brothers were drinking his formula.

Sehille4774 · Sep 30, 2011

A communication book is a safe, secure, central place for appropriate notes that allows for an uncluttered environment.

Keep in mind when writing in these books, that the content can be used in court, even though they are not a formal part of the chart. I have no problem with comm books, even though my agency discourages them for the above reason. I am just careful how I word things.

Everytime I feel my blood pressure rising over ridiculous requests and being essentially babysat, though I am a college graduated professional, I have found it helpful to remind myself of the nice paycheck I will be getting at the end of the week, LOL :) Works like a charm.

systoly · Sep 30, 2011

You seem to indicate that the notes are addressed to you personally ("... reminding me to ..."). So why not ask mom how you can put her worries to rest?

As far as the towel is concerned, I always bring my own towels and soap, because I'm particular and not washing hands in the kitchen sink suits me fine.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2011

You seem to indicate that the notes are addressed to you personally ("... reminding me to ..."). So why not ask mom how you can put her worries to rest?
As far as the towel is concerned, I always bring my own towels and soap, because I'm particular and not washing hands in the kitchen sink suits me fine.

Aaaahh. I feel like the notes are addressed to me - I'm the new nurse and thus making mistakes - although I don't think they are directly addressed to me because they've been around since before I was even hired onto the agency. It certainly can't hurt to ask, although I worry that it might make me seem less competent in mom's eyes?

My problem with the specifics about where to wash my hands and throw out the diapers is that the kid is a very, very active toddler. She routinely de-vents herself. (Fine, we're doing an aggressive wean anyway.) But she is also known to pull out her trach and g-tube. On top of the usual toddler things - climbing, falling, trying to pull the tv onto herself. The kitchen and the living room are basically one room, so I can keep an eye on her while I'm putzing around. But the bathroom/outside trash for her diapers is out of eyesight and earshot. I did try to bring my concerns up with mom but she blew them off.

Sehille - I wish I got a nice paycheck. :/ Most of my peers are making almost twice as much as I am and have bennies to boot. On the flip side, I make my own hours and my husband and I are trying for a baby of our own so I can't complain too much.

tothepointe - I've worked pretty closely with a few hispanic families and do get how they can be blunt...without actually meaning to be blunt. lol. I also get that a lot with my black families, actually -- in spoken word, not even random post-its. It's definitely a cultural thing that I was not immediately prepared to deal with. But the differences are a lot of why I like my job so much. /eeek at padlocking the formula cabinet 'tho!

caliotter3 · Oct 8, 2011

My agencies have required comm books and it is quite clear to all that these are legal documents. No one needs to sell this to the client. They don't need to use it. The nurses should be making the entries and it is common sense that only professional, 'thought over', entries should be made. But there is always a stubborn person here or there who thinks this is the place to bring on their jr. high remarks, having nothing to do with patient care.

Isabelle49 · Oct 8, 2011

I cared for a patient who's mother had nailed/taped papers all one the walls listing allergies, hand washing and what ever. The signs started on the porch walls of the house. I figured it was just a personality thing.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2011

My agencies have required comm books and it is quite clear to all that these are legal documents. No one needs to sell this to the client. They don't need to use it. The nurses should be making the entries and it is common sense that only professional, 'thought over', entries should be made. But there is always a stubborn person here or there who thinks this is the place to bring on their jr. high remarks, having nothing to do with patient care.

My agency requires a book to keep all of the collective nursing notes and MARs in for each child. Only one of my cases in particular has what I think of as a comm book -- a spiral notebook with the relevant facts that you'd give if you were reporting off to another nurse. This is mostly for mom's benefit, as well as a fast way for us to see how the kid has been trending lately without analyzing a week's worth of vent flow sheets. Anyway, it's turned into quite the snip-fest in particular between two nurses. One of the notes was downright nasty. It's gotten to the point where nurse A will write something like "crepitus noted in patient's right shoulder" and the next day nurse B will be like in all caps "NO CREPITUS NOTED IN RIGHT SHOULDER" and vice versa with every unusual observation. Maybe I should leave a sticky note pointing out that this is a legal document?