Had a family member come out and talk to me about pt's being in a semiprivate. blah blah blah, generic complaints. roomate is too noisy, too many visitors, talks too loud "maybe they can't hear and have to yell", too many phone calls, blah blah. she actually said to me that last night she snuck and unplugged the roomate's phone so people would stop calling!
i had to refrain from saying what i really thought.....
i said that is absolutely inappropriate, do not mess with her phone.
she says i had to do something, she's too noisy, blah blah.
i said if you have a problem, come to us. it is inappropriate of you to do that, that is not your right.
she didnt even act the least bit remorseful or shamed, or embarrassed. almost like she really did have the right to do that.
The worse one I have ever had pulled a pts IV OUT because he said "if it is going to beep every few seconds...it isn't working anyway..and I want to sleep!". This of course had to be a hepirin go figure and a bloody darn mess. This person had to deal with their MD and Security...and the pt's family pressed charges and used my documentation for their case (again I write down everything!). I was so mad I think I must have stood there initially with my jaw hanging in disbelief so shocked I couldn't speak!!!!!!!
I hope this patient was prosecuted and convicted of assault. Do you know what happened?
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I can hardly believe this!!! If I were that poor pt. I would have sued too - and if I was her nurse, I would have totally testified on her behalf. What stupidity!!! Sometimes I think all people have been born with rocks in their heads!!! Lord allmighty!!!
I know! I was in total disbelief when I saw what had been done! I must have had the look of doe in the headlights and total utter "WHAT!!!!!" all at on time! Or at least a large mouth bass with my jaw dropped! I swear I must have just stood there with that expression for a minute before my brain kicked back in to apply direct pressure and call out for help! I was the most dumbfounded I have ever been!!!!!!!
Oh I certainly did offer to testify! They didn't need me though, they had a very excellent set of nursing notes with quotes that that pretty much sealed the case!
I heard they won, but I don't know of the charges they did finally press or if it was in or out of court...
I worked on a unit that was postpartum with semiprivate rooms, some with only one bathroom!!! Could you imagine sending your babe to the nursery so you could get sme sleep, only to have your roommate with a screaming baby and their entire extended family sleeping on the couches and floor!! It was a mess!! Luckily we had some private rooms, but when you are full, you are full!!
How about your family member's need for peace and quiet? They are in a hospital, patients are supposed to be able to rest and recover. There are things your family member could have done first, like politely ask the other patient to keep it down or pick a different time for phone calls, or perhaps turning up the tv, but if those failed I dont blame him/her for unplugging the phone. May not make it right, but going without a phone is not going to hurt anyone.
How about your family member's need for peace and quiet? They are in a hospital, patients are supposed to be able to rest and recover. There are things your family member could have done first, like politely ask the other patient to keep it down or pick a different time for phone calls, or perhaps turning up the tv, but if those failed I dont blame him/her for unplugging the phone. May not make it right, but going without a phone is not going to hurt anyone.
I have to say that while it was wrong... good for her!!! I mean, people are in the hospital. They don't need to have the phone ringing or even be talking on the phone at 2 in the morning. THAT is rude and disrespectful!!!!
When my aunt was dying in the hospital her roomate was horrible. She was young and had her daughter and another young woman STAYING in the room with her. They were using the patient's restroom and everything (a pet peeve of mine).
Our hospital shuts off incoming calls at 9:00. I think they all should.
I have to say that I agree with you. While it wasn't the family members right to turn off the phone, I don't believe that people come to the hospital for socialization. I also cannot imagine allowing someones young child to stay in the room. Who was responsible for watching her?
Don't get me started with semi-private rooms. I visited family members who had the roommates from you know where. The old man who kept urinating over the bedrail, the cougher who kept coughing up stuff. The alzeheimer patient who kept putting his noisey bed up and down. Now, you can't tell me that anyone could be very nice and put up with it, without complaining. You certainly can't get any rest. If they are to be double rooms, try putting similiar people together, not a real young one with an old one, not a good match!! (I probably would have unplugged the phone too, but I wouldn't admit to it-:) )
In situations like this we usually offer to let the patient move to a private room. We do however inform them of the added charge. If that isnt an option we try to move the patient "needing rest" to a room without a roomate and try to leave the second bed open as long as we can. Its just easier to try to avoid any confrontation with roomies families and try to intercede in things quickly before they escalate.
I couldn't agree more and was wondering why the original poster didn't offer these solutions to the person she was dealing with.
I agree about "HIPPY" and total strangers hearing the pt's business. What a crock it all is.
I couldn't agree more and was wondering why the original poster didn't offer these solutions to the person she was dealing with.
OK, since I'm the OP, i'll address that.
Our unit has 16 privates and 4 semiprivates(8 semi-private beds). The people in semi-privates who want a private are noted on our board as "private #1, private #2" to be fair and give the first private to the first who asked. She was private #2 when she asked, teh day before i began taking care of her.
on teh 12 hours i had her, private #1 was moved out, so she became private #1. she was already #1 on the waiting list when said situation happened.
but, considering we are the pcu for post cardiac surgery pt's, our pt's can't exactly go to another floor for a private like other chest pain/monitored pt's can go to another cardiac pcu to get a private room(we have 3 cardiac pcu's, including mine, but mine is the one set up for post-surgery pt's).
Plus, when the post surgery pt's come out of icu-they have first crack at our open beds, not a pt who is already on our unit. again, our unit is the only one they go to.
she ended up getting a private room the next day. a whole 36 hours after being put #2 on teh waiting list. And, she was in said private room for 2 days, so it was worth it to her, i suppose.
:madface: 
Multicollinearity, BSN, RN
3,119 Posts
I hope this patient was prosecuted and convicted of assault. Do you know what happened?