It seems we have more confused people than ever who require bed alarms. They cannot,or will not, use the call lights. So when their alarm goes off, we LITERALLY RUN to their room in the hopes of catching them as they are getting out of bed We before they fall.
Q 1 hour room checks are not going to change this. Some of these people have no idea why they are getting up. It doesn't matter if they were up five minutes ago. But they are a risk to themselves, and we are responsible for it.
The thing that makes me angry, is that if I have a pt on drips,or am in the middle of passing meds, or doing some kind of task, I have to STOP right there and run out of the room. We are getting dinged bigtime for anyone falling- even if they just slide or are helped to the floor( even if there are mats)It's one thing if it's a pt or two. But lately, we could literally have half or more of teh floor on the alarms.We all run like chickens with our heads cut off. It seems the alarms are more important than the sicker patients!!!
ok I'm done ranting. Just feel that I am danged if I do or danged if idont.
what do dementia units do?? roll the pts in bubble wrap? ughh.
We have volunteers that go through training. We get students that need to do volunteer hours come through. I'm in ICU so it's a bit different. But the med surg floor has tons of volunteers. Our hospital partnered up with the nursing colleges. The nursing students get there volunteer hours and it's a way to network with other RNs, managers, and be able to make your face known.
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I like it!
It helps students learn how to network and get a toe in to actual patient issues, while helping out the floor.
I feel your pain OP. A bed alarm is useless if no one is available to respond. If I'm toileting one patient, I cannot leave them to get another that is trying to get up. We ofter have no techs and 7 pts per nurse on a med surg unit. They think we have issues with time management and that is false.
I still hear bed alarms and pagers beeping in my head to this day. I really don't miss that part of LTC work.
No matter if 100 NAs are hired, ALL staff should respond to alarms. I hated working with nurses who stood there, minding their cart while a resident is conked out on the floor and you have to run across the facility to get to them.
canigraduate
2,107 Posts
I like it!
It helps students learn how to network and get a toe in to actual patient issues, while helping out the floor.
Two birds, one stone. Excellent!