Be honest--do you ever the patients you take care of, even just a little bit?
It probably sounds wrong, but I often do envy the patients I take care of. Ultimately, they get to choose their schedule their way. If they want to sleep in, they can. If they want to stay up all night, that's their choice, too. They don't have to wake up to any responsibilities. They can sit around and watch TV all day, read, color, or pretty much whatever they like. They're able to order around staff members and can get upset when things aren't just the way they want, and get away with it. However, if I were to start demanding things from others...well, you can guess how well that would go. I wish I could have a call light to press every time I needed every single little thing. One patient stays in bed all day and all night, except when she goes to the bathroom; as someone who loves to sleep, I would totally love to have that life. Instead, I get to work two jobs and some nights get barely 5 hours of sleep while they do basically nothing all day and have all the time in the world to sleep.
Is there any way to speed up my life so I can finally reach the age where I get to sleep all day, lol?
My patients never got to pick when they slept. We made them wake up and eat (if they weren't npo- and some of them were- for weeks if not months), walk, and work with PT and OT. They had to be sitting in the chair by the time the doctors rounded. If they were perceived as sluggish their sheets got taken away and their bed not remade until they were allowed a brief afternoon nap. Keep in mind these were cancer patients that felt miserable. We also didn't cater to their every whim. They were encouraged to fetch their own snacks and such. They were like prisoners, without the hour of yard time a day or the ability to socialize with the other "prisoners" (too much infection risk). And this is how many of them spent the final months of their lives. So no, I wasn't envious.
I can sleep in and color on my four days off a week if I want. And eat what I want. Socialize. And go outside.
Why did cancer patients who felt miserable get forced to get OOB and sit in a chair? It sounds really awful.
Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
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Be honest--do you ever the patients you take care of, even just a little bit?
It probably sounds wrong, but I often do envy the patients I take care of. Ultimately, they get to choose their schedule their way. If they want to sleep in, they can. If they want to stay up all night, that's their choice, too. They don't have to wake up to any responsibilities. They can sit around and watch TV all day, read, color, or pretty much whatever they like. They're able to order around staff members and can get upset when things aren't just the way they want, and get away with it. However, if I were to start demanding things from others...well, you can guess how well that would go. I wish I could have a call light to press every time I needed every single little thing. One patient stays in bed all day and all night, except when she goes to the bathroom; as someone who loves to sleep, I would totally love to have that life. Instead, I get to work two jobs and some nights get barely 5 hours of sleep while they do basically nothing all day and have all the time in the world to sleep.
Is there any way to speed up my life so I can finally reach the age where I get to sleep all day, lol?
Are you kidding? You are kidding— right?
Try being seriously/critically ill or injured and report back on your change in leisurely direction. Also, mention your increase in medical bills and resulting decrease in income. A total hoot!
My first CNA job just popped into my head. We night shifters got up 3 of the residents each a.m. We started at 0530. Getting up at 0530 when breakfast is still 2 hrs away to me sounds like a fate worse than death.
We had one resident who snored like a chainsaw. The noise bothered his roommate... I truly think I would be suicidal. I. Cannot. Stand. Snoring!! My husband snores and I sleep in the spare bedroom. On vacation I have to take sleeping meds and wear noise-cancelling headphones. As a kid I would literally go our entire vacations with ZERO sleep because my dad snores and we got single hotel rooms. I'm not even kidding -- I would be suicidal if I couldn't escape that noise.
I am also extremely sensitive to bunched-up coth under me -- wrinkles in sheets, ridden-up pajamas, etc. To not be able to get the cloth just so... wouldn't make me suicidal like the snoring, but my sanity would be affected.
My paternal Grandma was one of my favorite people. She was absolutely wonderful. She also ended up as a LTC resident in memory care. One night, March in Wisconsin, the anti-elopement door alarms failed. She got out sometime between 2000 and 2200 AND DIED OF HYPOTHERMIA. I hope that hypothermia warm sensation kicked in early, because her body was found around 0500, and the ME said she hadn't been dead long.
Got to stop before I start crying... but anyway no I don't envy these people.
Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
Why did cancer patients who felt miserable get forced to get OOB and sit in a chair? It sounds really awful.
It might sound awful but depending on the type of cancer, it can skyrocket your risk for a DVT. They are also at an increased risk for pneumonia And a lot of pts getting chemo will feel awful every single day. It's better for them to get OOB, walk (if possible) or even get up in the chair helps.
Many nursing home patients are not allowed to do what they want. Restorative dining is in charge. The CNA is told on night shift to get up a bunch of patients for restorative dining. So of course, she has to start at 4am or she won't be finished by 7am. And if the patients do refuse to get up then both the nurse and the CNA are the "bad guys" for not getting them up. No such thing as the "dignity of choice" at my nursing home. Some CNA's are written up because some of the patients refused to get up.
I say this with compassion: you need a break. If being an inpatient looks appealing, you are tired. Really tired. And maybe need to re charge and decide if nursing is for you. Try doing evening shifts? Maybe mornings are too early or nights are just really messing with you.
I see this is a red flag but not something you should be berated for. This is a sign of someone who needs to change course or at the very least take a break. Best of luck to you!
It might sound awful but depending on the type of cancer, it can skyrocket your risk for a DVT. They are also at an increased risk for pneumonia And a lot of pts getting chemo will feel awful every single day. It's better for them to get OOB, walk (if possible) or even get up in the chair helps.
I think I remember reading that the patients had to sit in a chair until after lunch, at which time they could lie down for a nap.
I am somehow envisioning forced sitting in miserably uncomfortable chairs. I know what you're saying is true. Certainly life is motion, motion is life. We were made to be mobile and it does prevent the hazards of immobility, as they were taught in school - stones, constipation, ulcers, pneumonia, etc., just as you said. I guess, though, I am thinking that a less strict approach is called for. Some people have back issues and can't tolerate certain positions well, not for long anyway.
Don't even know what to say except...what the heck?!! Can't believe what I just read. I've worked LTC, acute care, military nursing, private practice and school nursing and I'd never say that I was envious of my patients. Even the LTC folks whom you think have it so easy; have you considered that at their ages, they've already worked their butts off, lived their productive lives, some have lost the love of their life and/or many of their friends and they have earned the right to live as they choose, or in your words "do what they want all day long" in their golden years? Just saying.
And I acknowledged her apology, thanked her for it and let it go - I'm not mad, and I was never really offended, as I stated in my original post. The only reason I felt compelled to post again was because of the "I'm so disappointed in people that are judging her" sentiment. It's one of my pet peeves. I really, really dislike when people try to moderate how other people feel or react by using shame or guilt. There are much better ways to stand up for the OP, or try to diffuse a situation without resorting to that nonsense, as you and Emergent displayed. I hate being chastised.
That was the only reason I posted again. It really had nothing to do with the OP, and everything to do with the person I quoted.
"I'm not mad, I never really was offended" ... hahaha says you. I thought you were going to explode on me!
You think I tried to make people feel shame or guilt? *cough* not like some people trying to make OP feel guilty, right? *cough* Stop trying to make me sound like a baddie. My post was trying to make us ALL take a step back and understand what the OP was saying. There was nothing agressive about it.
Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
Why did cancer patients who felt miserable get forced to get OOB and sit in a chair? It sounds really awful.