Do you clap for your patients?

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I was doing nursing school clinicals at community hospital that's different than the one that I work at as an aide and I started clapping and cheering for a patient that ambulated from their room to the desk with the help of pt.

My classmates and the staff nurses looked at me like I was crazy and then started joining in and we all had a good time and the patient was very happy and smiling.

So my question is, is it standard practice to do a group round of applause for patient's that's that's ambulating in the hall, like a patient that's had difficulty with it in the past?

Maybe I clap and cheer too much? I also cheer for flatus or bm with abd patients.

:yeah::yeah::yeah:

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If I were a patient, I probably wouldn't mind a clap or two after ambulation. Don't think I'd want one after a bm though. :D

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Yeah, especially if the patient has been with us for awhile and is well known or had a difficult hospital stay. Most of the patients seem to really like it. Even if I don't know a patient if I see them up and walking I usually will make some comment to them like "Off for a midnight stroll?" "Getting in your exercise early?" ETA once had a LOM who was known for walking miles around our unit every morning. He'd get up around 4am and walk seriously 2-3 miles around the unit before breakfast, I'd always joke with him I was going to give him my pedometer and let him rack up the miles for me, LOL.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
If I were a patient, I probably wouldn't mind a clap or two after ambulation. Don't think I'd want one after a bm though. :D

No you would have to hand out these shirts:

http://www.zazzle.ca/i_pooped_today_tshirt-235592798199829687

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No. I didn't clap. That reminds me of a kindergarten recital....jmo. BUT, I would tell them they looked stronger, walked further, their technique looks good, or some other positive response. I don't like clapping....plus noise in a hospital is bad enough. :)

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
No you would have to hand out these shirts:

http://www.zazzle.ca/i_pooped_today_tshirt-235592798199829687

:nmbrn: I want one!

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No, I wouldn't. I will say "well done" or something to a patient who manages something difficult. I don't think many of ours would appreciate a clapping/cheering moment, though.

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It would depend on the situation I guess. It's not officially laid out in our policies and procedures.

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I had a patient that had a NG tube. The MD told her that we could remove it if she had a BM. Well she did and we cheered for her. She was such a sweetheart.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

It would depend on the patient. For an adult I probably wouldn't, I would give them praise and encouragement but I probably wouldn't take it to that extreme. Or maybe if it was an adult with no impairments but was taking their first steps again after a very long road to get there, then excitement might get the best of me. Now if it was an adult with a mental disability where maybe they were cognitively younger or they really fed off that kind of praise, then I would. It would be individual to the situation.

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Specializes in ICU.

Yes, I do. When I was in icu. I'd celebrate all things. Getting 1600 on the is after not being able to, passing a swallow test or get a gt. As former abd surgery pt, I cheered for my bm. It's a big thing to know things are going right. I've even Hi 5d them.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

It really depends on the patient. For some I do, some I don't.

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