Call bells! I am beginning to think call bells are the worst invention in the world.
Ring, ring ,ring.
Today, the call bells were crazy. Our secretary kept track. We had 97 call bells in 2 1/2 hours from 26 pts. Several retreat offenders. You know the ones. They ring, you tell them you will be there shorty, 30 secs later, they ring again, and again and again. Look lady, my kegs are short, I simply cannot get from the nursing station to you in 30 secs.
One pt keeps ringing because he's lonely. One just puts her finger and the button and holds it until her nurse gets there.
One pt rang to have her table cleaned off.
Good thing I wasn't playing the drinking game, one drink for every call bell. I wouldn't sober up until Xmas!
Not trying to "go the other way"....but inciting that night shifters just around and taaaalk talk talk talk talk. Yup. You got it.
Here we go dissing the night staff. I have worked many years of night shift. Let me remind you we have a bigger patient load, fewer staff and, no, the patients don't sleep all night, and no, the nurses do not sit around at the nursing desk talking all night. When I returned to work after having had major surgery, I recall sitting for maybe an hour, if that, on most nights. And that would have been during time I was charting and doing other paperwork and trying to fit in a short break. I would basically stand and walk constantly for 9 hours. Maybe those sanctimonious nurses who never work nights should try it sometime and I don't mean the occasional night. No try working several in a row for months on end on a very busy unit, with reduced resources, increased work load, and then, if you still we are lazy bees like you imply, let us know. But until then, back off. Oh and by the way, when I went to nursing school, we were taught nursing was all about addressing patient needs and including their psychological health as part of holistic nursing care. So why should we not discuss their needs and mental status. It sounds like all you do is the bare bones physical assessment and ignore the rest of the patient. To you they are just bodies -- no mind, no spirit. Is that the new breed of nurse that they are grinding out these days? If so, be afraid. Be very afraid.
Let's not go the other direction, either, please!! The patients are really not just trying to break up the nurses gab sessions (I'm speaking to my experiences on night shift) We don't need to sit there and discuss what we think the patient needs or doesn't need, or gossip about their mental states. I had one co-worker call a patient a "*****" idiot" while in the room with them!!
I have worked many years of night shifts, with bigger patient load, fewer staff, but no fewer emergencies to contend with. I could diss the day and evening staff they way you are dissing the night staff. Do you know how many times I came to work to find really sick patients who had not been attended to while the evening staff sat at the nursing station watching TV? I came back to work after a medical leave. I stood or walked for 9 hours out of an 8-hour shift. I would sit for maybe an hour but usually not. I even did my charting standing up. I did not engage in gab sessions as you imply. And we do need to communicate re: patient needs. When I took my nursing education, we were taught a theoretical model based on Virginia Henderson's basic NEEDS. We made nursing care plans developed from our assessment of patient NEEDS, so why would we not communicate to one another re: their needs. It is essential for continuity of care. As to your comment that we should not assess mental status, once again, I was taught that the patient is a whole person with physical, MENTAL, and spiritual NEEDS. Perhaps you are not familiar with this model of nursing care. I would not want you as a nurse. You would just view me as a unidimensional body. You would not be able to provide holistic care. Is this the kind of nurse that is being foisted on the public these days. If so, we should all be very afraid.
I don't blame you for wanting to try to sanitize the implications of this thread. However, trying to use the right language to mollify is sadly ineffectual. Having had a family member post-op who could not reposition themself, was unable to breathe, and relied on the call bell to summon help, I find some of these posts rather appalling. In future, when my family members are hospitalized, as a precautionary measure I will make a point of asking the nurse for their first and last name at the beginning of the shift, and if they decline to provide that information I will ask for the charge nurse or manager to help me obtain this information. So, all this thread has done for me, and I am an RN, is to show me some nurses real sentiments, and convince me that my family member needs protection from some nurses when they are in the hospital.
No one is saying abolish call bells. I haven't seen one post that said that. They are talking about abuse of the call bell, such as when the person pushes it when the nurse has already answered it and is standing at the bedside. And I am not talking about patients who are too sick or demented to comprehend that they did that. We are talking about people who view the nurse as their personal servant, who don't care about other patients, and want constant attention. I think it is our job to find out the reason they do this. If they are scared, reassure them that you are monitoring them even when they don't know it. I have worked nights for many years. I have had scared people ring the bell a lot. When I explain to them that I check them throughout the night, and the interval, and I will be there for them even when they are sleeping, that I do not sleep on duty, that I am on duty for 8 hours and will be vigilant in checking them, they are usually able to settle and get the good night's rest they need. It is my job to assess their needs, to alleviate anxiety, to round on them frequently. And I do my job thoroughly and well. It concerns me that you are unable to comprehend the intent of the thread and that you are so paranoid and hostile toward other nurses. I think you need help in the psychological area. Both for your sake and for the sake of your patients. I would not want someone with that degree of paranoia looking after me.
unfortunately with all the bells and alarms going off u sometimes don't even hear them. Between bed alarms. call bells iv pumps Phones there's only so many things u can pay attention to while ur caring on all the other tasks its sensory overload.
unfortunately with all the bells and alarms going off u sometimes don't even hear them. Between bed alarms. call bells iv pumps Phones there's only so many things u can pay attention to while ur caring on all the other tasks its sensory overload.
I think most of us are trying to do the best we can to give the best care to our patients. When we have to run to a room every 3 minutes to fluff pillows it actually diminishes the care we are providing as another patient may need us for something more urgent. I do believe if a person needs this high degree of attention that psych health resources should be brought into the picture to help them meet their anxiety, fear, worry needs or perhaps they just have no manners or sense of how to behave appropriately. Just because they are sick doesn't make them perfect human beings. If they were difficult, demanding, etc. while well in the community, that won't change when they become patients. These are the people who try to get free meals at restaurants, who are rude to sales staff in stores, etc. I don't think we should have to put up with this abuse from them. Certainly following a nurse into another patient room is beyond the pale. Totally inappropriate behaviour.
Here we go dissing the night staff. I have worked many years of night shift. Let me remind you we have a bigger patient load, fewer staff and, no, the patients don't sleep all night, and no, the nurses do not sit around at the nursing desk talking all night. When I returned to work after having had major surgery, I recall sitting for maybe an hour, if that, on most nights. And that would have been during time I was charting and doing other paperwork and trying to fit in a short break. I would basically stand and walk constantly for 9 hours. Maybe those sanctimonious nurses who never work nights should try it sometime and I don't mean the occasional night. No try working several in a row for months on end on a very busy unit, with reduced resources, increased work load, and then, if you still we are lazy bees like you imply, let us know. But until then, back off. Oh and by the way, when I went to nursing school, we were taught nursing was all about addressing patient needs and including their psychological health as part of holistic nursing care. So why should we not discuss their needs and mental status. It sounds like all you do is the bare bones physical assessment and ignore the rest of the patient. To you they are just bodies -- no mind, no spirit. Is that the new breed of nurse that they are grinding out these days? If so, be afraid. Be very afraid.
No need to tell me. I work night shift. I was calling this person out for making a dopey statement.
Lol it'll be important one day a few years from now when you figure out that all of the education you received was for you to be a well educated maid that happens to know how to save them if they go bad. Oh and you can pass meds and stuff lol no really.
No need to tell me. I work night shift. I was calling this person out for making a dopey statement.
My comments are intended for the person who put down the night staff. I have just seen so much of it in some toxic places I have worked. Sorry I misunderstood your statement. Glad to hear you are on the side of the night staff.
Lol it'll be important one day a few years from now when you figure out that all of the education you received was for you to be a well educated maid that happens to know how to save them if they go bad. Oh and you can pass meds and stuff lol no really.
Totally agree with your comments. I did in fact hire a private duty nurse once when I had surgery because I had an abusive nurse who I ended up reporting to her licensing body and considered bringing assault charges against her. I think the staffing ratios should be public knowledge. Don't these hospitals talk about transparency a lot. All the while being totally non-transparent.
Gosh, I am so sorry this happened to you. I am glad you reported it. i would do the same. I hope you are feeling better. I bet its strange being on the other end of things...
Gosh, I am so sorry this happened to you. I am glad you reported it. i would do the same. I hope you are feeling better. I bet its strange being on the other end of things...
Thanks for your support. Sometimes role models are the ones we DON'T want to emulate. This nurse was one such person. I did learn from the experience but it was very scary.
ActualNurse
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