Reception bell at a psych nurses station

[RNcashy89]

Recently, in their vast wisdom and without consulting clinical staff, management have screwed a hotel-style reception bell to the desk of the nurses station within my psych unit. I want to hear from experienced psych nurses; is it as obvious to you, as it is to me, why this is a profoundly foolish strategy to implement within an acute psychiatric ward? I can think god at least 20 reasons, I'd like to hear your input...

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I hope management is prepared for the deluge of complaints on patient satisfaction surveys about how they couldn't sleep because a manic patient couldn't stop playing with that bell.

[RNcashy89]

I hope management is prepared for the deluge of complaints on patient satisfaction surveys about how they couldn't sleep because a manic patient couldn't stop playing with that bell.

Exactly. Reason #1 : high potential and likelihood of misuse. By demented patients, developmentally challenged patients, hypomanic patients etc. Not to mention that it is FIXED to the counter, so it can not be removed or silenced at any time.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I hope management is prepared for the deluge of complaints on patient satisfaction surveys about how they couldn't sleep because a manic patient couldn't stop playing with that bell.

Oh, Lord, that reminds me of the time last winter when I was at the Les Schwab tire store, waiting for them to put new front tires on my car. I was quite manic at the time and was having great difficulty just sitting and chilling, and after I got tired of pacing I started playing with an empty plastic coffee cup on the table. I'd get a song in my head and start tapping the cup on the table in time to the tune. My husband wasn't pleased, but he let me do it because the pacing had been making him nervous too.

It never occurred to me that hearing the sound of a hard plastic cup being repeatedly thwacked on a table for half an hour on end might grate on someone's nerves, so it was a shock when some guy behind me grabbed the cup and walked off with it. He didn't say a word, but there were several quiet "thank you"s from the other people in the waiting area.

So yeah.....do what you can to get rid of that bell. You never know when somebody like me will come for a visit.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Maybe it's a "placebo bell".

[nursefelly]

OMG, Last time I was on a psych unit, there was a girl there who was flying off the walls manic. She was constantly at the nurse window (sometimes jumping in front of a line of people waiting for meds). I could only imagine what it would have been like if that nurses station had a bell--- pretty sure one of the other patients would have ended up attacking her. smh

[EatYourVeggies]

A bell at the nurses' station? Sounds like an awful idea... As if we can't see the patient standing there?!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

What in the world is the purpose of a bell there, anyway? Are they assuming no staff member is at the nurses' station or nearby or some such dumb thought??

[302queen]

i can picture a little sign next to it please ring bell once for im haldol ring twice for seclusion lol haha. relax people i am joking

[Davey Do]

management have screwed a hotel-style reception bell to the desk of the nurses station within my psych unit

I don't know if it's such a "bad" idea, cashy. Management might just be attempting to Support the Patients' Perception of Reality.

I mean, after all, many Patients believe Staff should treat them like they're Hotel Guests anyway, right?

[Davey Do]

i can picture a little sign next to it please ring bell once for im haldol ring twice for seclusion haha.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I think that when management puts a little bell on their wall, then we can accept one on ours!