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!
Yes, I'm a nurse, and I have as much right to post on this forum as you do.
Never said you don't.
However, others also have the right to disagree with you. You don't have to like it.
This is a hot topic among bedside nurses, and venting about a situation that doesn't look to be getting any better with time is what keeps these nurses from exploding in frustration.
Trotting out the "don't forget who pays your salary" card is going to win you very few friends here. Just saying.
Apparently there are some of us from other countries.
I believe this customer service for pay stuff is a US thing, right?
That might be why some dont seem to understand why this is such a sore spot for some of us.
Also to the person who thought that nurses are above answering call lights- FYI we have had our aides reduced, patients added, and nurses reduced too. the patients are very sick- sometimes ICU material, but the doctors choose not to move them. There have been times we 1:1 a pt on the floorbecause they are noit stable, yet cant go to icu ( for whatever reason) . Do you think they give us staff for that? NO
Its not that nurses feel above cnas, its that THEY CANT BE IN TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME. That patient takes priority over toileting , sandwiches etc the others , because it is likely that pt may DIE.
One thing that I've found that helps is to state OVER how long you think that you can make it back to the patient's room. Then, when you are able to be there more quickly, they'll be happy. For instance, "Mr Jones, I am currently assisting another patient. I might be here another 10-15 minutes. Once I am complete in this room, I will be happy to assist you next". If they are asking to go to the restroom, I will give the first answer and ask that they hit the toilet button as well. "Perhaps your PCT will be able to assist you more quickly. If not, I will be out of this room in 10-15 minutes and will see you next." Problems start when call's start piling up and I'm telling patient's forty minutes Ah well. Med-surg...It happens.
One thing that I've found that helps is to state OVER how long you think that you can make it back to the patient's room. Then, when you are able to be there more quickly, they'll be happy. For instance, "Mr Jones, I am currently assisting another patient. I might be here another 10-15 minutes. Once I am complete in this room, I will be happy to assist you next". If they are asking to go to the restroom, I will give the first answer and ask that they hit the toilet button as well. "Perhaps your PCT will be able to assist you more quickly. If not, I will be out of this room in 10-15 minutes and will see you next." Problems start when call's start piling up and I'm telling patient's forty minutes Ah well. Med-surg...It happens.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this dilemma. What you offer is an example of an excellent solution.
I have worked with cnas who are deliberately rude and intimidating toward the patients to discourage them from calling for help.
This results in an excessive number of requests for the nurse. How many times have you heard "he wants you" only to find that the patient wants help with a non skilled nursing task.
That is your cue to ask the patient if there is a
problem with the cna. If so, inform management
via email. Request a meeting with the cna to review performance issues and set expectations .
The cnas will Not clean your pts and if you "ask" them for help they gonna tell you that they don't like you to tell them what to do ... [emoji23][emoji23]
I've had several people walk into other rooms behind me that didn't belong in the room. I actually had one family member try to get into the med room behind me & beat on the door with their fists! I called security....they wanted ice water. I needed to get Adenosine for a patient & the doctor was giving it.
When I closed the blinds to the med room, our manager got angry because families couldn't see WHO was in there. Gee, I went in there so I could do some drug calculations in peace!
I was on the phone with ano MD once talking about critical ABG results & family came out of a room with NPO sign on door, carrying a pitcher. Lady started screaming at me, "why the **** won't you get off your lazy ### & get my mother fresh water? You're just chatting on the phone! Don't look at me like you can't hear me!" Security came by & I just pointed. The MD said he wouldn't have my job for anything!
I've had several people walk into other rooms behind me that didn't belong in the room. I actually had one family member try to get into the med room behind me & beat on the door with their fists! I called security....they wanted ice water. I needed to get Adenosine for a patient & the doctor was giving it.
When I closed the blinds to the med room, our manager got angry because families couldn't see WHO was in there. Gee, I went in there so I could do some drug calculations in peace!
I was on the phone with ano MD once talking about critical ABG results & family came out of a room with NPO sign on door, carrying a pitcher. Lady started screaming at me, "why the **** won't you get off your lazy ### & get my mother fresh water? You're just chatting on the phone! Don't look at me like you can't hear me!" Security came by & I just pointed. The MD said he wouldn't have my job for anything!
Thank goodness you were working in a place with security staff. I have had scary situations with family members in places with no security. I was able to defuse the situation but on another occasion, this particular family member was so violent that the police had to be called. She actually confronted the manager. After that something was done about her behaviour and she was basically banned from the facility.
Chiming in here. Basically, I would hope, that each and every patient's present situation is being considered in regard to "call bells." For example, if you have Mrs. S. In her late 60s, post op abdominal surgery with no indication of a cx dx prior to surgery. This patient is found to have cx while in surgery. She is a widower with adult children that do not live local. She has a friend, but no one close, she is a private person not comfortable with asking the friend to help her get out of bed; also is trying to deal with this Cx Dx on her own until she is gets more info to tell her kids because she does not want to disturb her kids lives just yet. She needs support and therefore is using her call bell because she suddenly thinks of questions, or she is uncomfortable in her bed bed, or just needs to talk, how do we help this patient? In peds we have children life specalist who help in times lwhen kids are scared or need someone to support them. Maybe adult hospitals need "life specalist" to help these patients because it is clear nurses have no time for hand holding based on the current understaffing going on in hospitals. Wouldn't that help?
If you are fortunate enough to be working with a decent, responsible and polite cna always show appreciation.
I feel for those of you working in facilities staffed with lazy lowlife cnas. If they refused to care for a patient I would inform them that I will write this up as neglect, as is your duty as required by the Code of Ethics.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Chiming in here. Basically, I would hope, that each and every patient's present situation is being considered in regard to "call bells." For example, if you have Mrs. S. In her late 60s, post op abdominal surgery with no indication of a cx dx prior to surgery. This patient is found to have cx while in surgery. She is a widower with adult children that do not live local. She has a friend, but no one close, she is a private person not comfortable with asking the friend to help her get out of bed; also is trying to deal with this Cx Dx on her own until she is gets more info to tell her kids because she does not want to disturb her kids lives just yet. She needs support and therefore is using her call bell because she suddenly thinks of questions, or she is uncomfortable in her bed bed, or just needs to talk, how do we help this patient? In peds we have children life specalist who help in times lwhen kids are scared or need someone to support them. Maybe adult hospitals need "life specalist" to help these patients because it is clear nurses have no time for hand holding based on the current understaffing going on in hospitals. Wouldn't that help?
What the heck is this "cx dx" business. If you can write out everything else, why not just write that out?
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Ah well. Med-surg...It happens.
Jensmom7, BSN, RN
1,907 Posts
Never said you don't.
However, others also have the right to disagree with you. You don't have to like it.
This is a hot topic among bedside nurses, and venting about a situation that doesn't look to be getting any better with time is what keeps these nurses from exploding in frustration.
Trotting out the "don't forget who pays your salary" card is going to win you very few friends here. Just saying.