I've had this problem over the past month or so and it frustrates me. Patients that are stationed near the nursing stations so they can be watched, but instead of pushing their call bells, they scream "NURSE" over and over again. The current one yells about every 3 minutes. If no one goes to check on her (she's near the nurse's station so the nurses can look in on her) or come fast enough to suit her, she starts screaming all the louder.
Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, but quite frankly, the yelling that these patients keep doing gives me a headache.
How do others deal with patients like this? I'd really love to tell them to shut up, but of course, I can't. I have to be nice.
I'm not assigned to this patient, so I don't know if there are any meds ordered for her.
while one's reaction is usually appropriate, it's much easier to deal w/it, when recognizing that we all come w/our own baggage.
i suck as a patient.
not a yeller, but do (most) everything ama.
i have found (in the absence of dementia) that once you see the pt as a person, and not as another task, you gain invaluable insight into their private world.
had a nurse said to you, "i'm really sorry about the losses you suffered in surgery" and acknowledged your grief, it would have appeased some of the pain.
now, for that for that freakin' noc nurse...
and, i've missed seeing you here.
hope school/life is going well. :kiss
leslie
My point in sharing my story was that I'm a nice and polite person (who had never been a yeller!) who turned into a yeller. However, I bet to my nurse, from her perception, I was absurd. Too much narcotics really did take the braking mechanism away in my brain. And to my credit, I was yelling and bossing my surgeon around more than my nurse. I remember yelling at him to get me water and just do what I said.
Thankfully, this is the only bad healthcare experience I've ever had.
I have a yeller on my hall. He is A&O, 62, and admitted to LTC for help with ADL's. He does not do it on my shift anymore. I have my CNA's get him everything he needs while they are in the room. I have calmy explained to him MANY times that it disrespectful to yell as someone is walking by, even though he does not mean to be. I told him the call light is much more efficient. I have also encouraged him to get up OOB for a few hours each day and participate in the day's activites with the other residents. It seems to have eased his lonliness. He gives the other nurses and aides hell because they allow it. You can be nice, attentive, and straight to the point without being hurtful.
just tell your patients you are sorry for the noise, that the person is not trying to annoy them on purpose they cant help it and offer the complaining patient some suggestions that may help - offer to shut thier door, get them ear plugs if feasible, a room farther away if feasible, etc. most folks will understand once they know it isnt someone being purposely ignored and the complaints will generally stop without even needing to make room changes or get the ear plugs. just my take even from a patient perspective. .
I have not been assigned to take care of this patient, so I don't know what is and isn't ordered. I do know that the nurses and aide on that side are taking care of her promptly as I've seen them go running when she starts yelling. I've come home from work for the past 2 nights with a headache from the yelling. I've been at the end of my hall (10 rooms away) and I can still hear her yelling. I've had complaints from my patients about her yelling and being awakened because of it.
Multicollinearity, BSN, RN
3,119 Posts
My point in sharing my story was that I'm a nice and polite person (who had never been a yeller!) who turned into a yeller. However, I bet to my nurse, from her perception, I was absurd. Too much narcotics really did take the braking mechanism away in my brain. And to my credit, I was yelling and bossing my surgeon around more than my nurse.
I remember yelling at him to get me water and just do what I said.
Thankfully, this is the only bad healthcare experience I've ever had.