Caregiver Fatigue

[ambersky004, BSN, RN]

I worked in a busy cardiac step-down unit/progressive care unit. For some reason over the weekend our unit was closed down due to low census. I came in the next morning and started my routine. We have ICU overflows, Post cath/post pacemakers, transfers.

That time it was only me as the charge nurse that day and a brand new nurse on our unit. We started to get 3 patients that morning. There was a situation that day where one of the family member asked me if we could keep an eye of the pt's spouse who has Alzheimer's while they are looking for a nsg. home placement for that spouse. To cut the story short, I disagree with the family member to have a "responsibility" of the pt's spouse who has dementia. With 2 nurses on the floor that time and both could be in their pt's room, could not keep an eye on her if she wanders off. I explained. The family member told the other members that we cannot be "responsible" as she qoute the word i told her initially. I felt guilty because as a nurse, you want to take care of the vulnerable patients, you want to help your patient as a whole. His spouse is part of his life. I felt that i should have use a different words to say to the family members.

Have you had this situation? What should I say or how should i communicate better with the family?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Seen this issue before where an elderly spouse was left at the bedside of a patient and the family took off. They are not an admitted patient and thus are not the responsibility of the nursing staff. I've seen it where family was called to pick the patient up and refused, so the patient was taken to the ER. Completely inappropriate use of the ER, but so is expecting the floor nurse who already has a full patient assignment to essentially take on an extra patient who has no record, no admission, no orders, and no physician on record.

Better wording may have been that you can only provide care for patients who have been admitted instead of using the word responsibility/responsible. It's also possible that your facility has a policy on this as well- many do not want staff performing anything for a non-admitted patient (like a blood pressure) because then that could become something requiring treatment.

[ambersky004, BSN, RN]

Thank You.

[ambersky004, BSN, RN]

20 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Seen this issue before where an elderly spouse was left at the bedside of a patient and the family took off. They are not an admitted patient and thus are not the responsibility of the nursing staff. I've seen it where family was called to pick the patient up and refused, so the patient was taken to the ER. Completely inappropriate use of the ER, but so is expecting the floor nurse who already has a full patient assignment to essentially take on an extra patient who has no record, no admission, no orders, and no physician on record.

Better wording may have been that you can only provide care for patients who have been admitted instead of using the word responsibility/responsible. It's also possible that your facility has a policy on this as well- many do not want staff performing anything for a non-admitted patient (like a blood pressure) because then that could become something requiring treatment.

Thank you.