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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!
Oy.
Some days, this job is so not worth it.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Its probably a good program to fix social security, since satisfied patients are dead patients.
OK, I just spewed my coffee all over my screen . . . .
We actually tried idea with CNAs rounding and cart full of goodies. The result was massive waste of the said goodies, as everyone wanted puddings, socks, blankies, etc, including family members. Also, there were constant asking for RNs to come to the room because CNAs were not sure that the patient on insulin drip can actually have that pudding, that family members were asking questions CNAs have no idea about, etc. So, we came back to old "everybody is responsible". Within 90 seconds, that is. But I personally hated the system anyway. I see call light responce as part of my running assessment and more than once was able to foresee coming crisis and avert it early because of changing calls' patterns and requests. But sometimes things just come overboard.
My personal record was a poor lonely soul who called every 5 minutes, then told that she did not actually need anything right then but might need something shortly, so may I please just stay there for a minute and let her think about it. When told that it would not happen, she immediately pressed her button again. She had to have a talk with High Powers and became kinda more civil but still far from any standard of "normal".
Just want you all to know that I am laughing WITH you not AT you.
Ditto.
Fun fact: The call lights are so seldom used in our Peds ICU, that every couple of nights, when one DOES go off, we all have to think for a second about what this noise actually is. Sorry, it's true.
I love the OR- my patients are asleep and there is no such thing as a call bell.
(@meanmaryjean) I think there are no limits in sharing ideas but being attached to the source is very important especially if you are lucky to find such a wonderful platform! Frankly in Kenya there are no open forum where people can chat their experiences as I have seen in this website,I simply acknowledge my effort that has been quenched after struggling to find one,So I kindly beg you to side me in acknowledging the founder of the website and members across the world.To me its a great Idea that has fulfilled my dream of being attached to mentors from all over the world.thanks
Call bell with a PCA-like 20 minute lock out with a twice an hour limit.Siri-like app installed inside the call bell that would respond to patient requests.[ Patient] "I want a drink of water right now" [bella , the call bell app] "(singing) You can't always get what you waaaaant"
Pill dispensers that require a code you can give them over the intercom.
Now this would be awesome
Did we work together a few years ago? I had a very similar one come up. And reported me because the ice cream was TOO COLD. She had to wait for it to melt a bit before she could eat it. Um....you couldn't say that when I gave it to you, or asked for slightly melted ice cream to start with???
And yes, I've been reported for the ice water being too HOT. Same patient....same night....and I want to say that the ice pitcher was sweating when I took it to her.
But, you can't please everyone!
It's not fun, but it's possible! I work in LTC pediatrics as a PCA and our kiddos are monitored by pulse-Ox 24/7, even when they're in the great pulling and learning to walk phase. It's very very loud with alarms and some days you go a little insane...
ETA: I'm new on this forum, and I meant to quote the post about keeping a pulse ox on an 18 month old!
flyersfan88
449 Posts
If patients require that level of care 24 hours a day they are surely not sent to the floor.