discharged a patient wearing telemetry

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vashtee, RN

1,065 Posts

Specializes in DOU.

I took the liberty of following your advice and driving over to the facility my patient was discharged to, and of course no one knows what happened to the box. The patient's daughter said she thought she remembered someone taking it off him when they went to take the IV out (I was making out paperwork and giving report to the ambulance drivers while someone else pulled his IV out.)

I tried calling the ambulance service that transported this man, but no one has called me back.

Anyway, thanks for your encouragement, guys. I am going in tomorrow to have a talk with our department head (her request). I feel like I am heading off to my own execution. I am not used to being a "bad" employee - I've always been the reliable one. (sigh)

Specializes in ICU.

Whatever you do, do not offer to pay for this telemetry box. Stuff like this happens sometimes, and you shouldn't be punished for it. They have money in the budget for broken and lost equipment, and those things are too expensive for them to make you pay for it with your salary. The hospital makes wayyy too much money to be punishing you for doing a good job.

So you made a mistake,, you were probably really busy and forgot about the box... you shouldn't be punished for it. Just tell her that you won't let it happen again..

Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.

If your facility doesn't have a discharge checklist (mine doesn't), then make your own to help you out during those hectic times. Don't let anyone rush you through, they'll just have to wait (barring any life/death situations :D)

You're not a tele nurse until you've discharged a patient with one of the boxes still attached.

I'm guilty!

vashtee, RN

1,065 Posts

Specializes in DOU.

Thanks again for you suggestions! I was called in to speak to the head of my department today. I was SURE she was going to ream me about the telemetry equipment, but she was very understanding, and really liked and appreciated the suggestion that a checkoff list appear on the paperwork used to transfer patients to another facility so this might not happen again. She didn't call me in to discuss the box at all, but rather another matter all together. :)

allnurses Guide

JBudd, MSN

3,836 Posts

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Glad to hear it worked out for you. As you can see, it only seems huge and terrible at the time it is happening to you!

Before we had Pyxis systems, we had two sets of narcotic keys for the floor, and no one could ever find who had them. We all had to pat pockets frequently to see who was carrying them. So I made brightly colored neck lanyards so we could see at a glance where they were. After a 3-11, I walked into a bar with some other nurses where a lot of hospital folks would hang out, the evening supervisor looked at me and asked mildly "narcotic keys?". I looked down and went Oh my! (except I used a word for excretement). Needless to say, back to the hospital, where nobody had even noticed they were missing.

so alive LPN

75 Posts

And if that's the worst thing that happened to you on your first shift off orientation, you deserve some congrats!

:yeahthat::yeahthat: and here's a big hug for u! :::hugs:::

justavolunteer

193 Posts

I am 'justavolunteer' on a pt unit. Sometimes we get tele pts. who almost leave with the monitor. Sometimes I'm the one who notices, other times it's the nurse. I have also wheeled pts out for discharge. Halfway out they point to their IV site, with the needle still in & ask "should I be going home with this?" (NOOOO!!!!). Things happen & everyone makes mistakes. Hopefully we all learn from them.

diane227, LPN, RN

1,941 Posts

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

call the family and see if they can pick it up or go over and pick it up yourself.

NurseMaryB

38 Posts

Specializes in 5 yrs Med/Surg. 2yr-ICU/ER.

I did that! I was a nurse for about 6 mths and discharged a pt 1 1/2 hrs away to a nursing home. Luckily I realized before they got there and called the the NH and asked them if they'd get the medical transport to send it back when/if they came. Our tele units cost $2000 each and it comes out of the unit budget. Luckily, for me the same medical transport had another pt they had to pick up at our hospital. I wish the same luck for you. If not you could always call the facility and see if they'd look for and tell them you'd be willing to go pick it up. It's worth a shot.

vashtee, RN

1,065 Posts

Specializes in DOU.

Thanks, but I've already been by the facility my patient was discharged to, and had no luck. I even called the ambulance company. Now I am thinking maybe the box was mixed in with the sheets and was sent off with the laundry.

My boss lady wasn't as upset as I expected her to be - probably because I discovered that a septic patient i had just taken report on wasn't getting the vanco the doctor had ordered several days earlier. i think this sort of balanced out my stupidity about the tele box. :)

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