Escaped Mental Patient

[ashagreyjoy]

I work in a secure setting. Today I took an unexpected phone call.

Today I answered the phone and noticed the caller ID was a local hospital. The caller, (Maureen, not her real name) was asking to speak with "Juan" whom she thought was in our building because he "used to be a police officer". Maureen then became very tangential with her story, telling me a long life history and exhibiting pressured speech, flight of ideas, and ending her sentences by calling me Mom. I was immediately concerned about this person.

Me: Maureen, are you in the hospital right now? Maureen: Yes, Im supposed to be in the behavioral health unit. Me: Maureen can you go get your nurse and put her on the phone with me because I really want to help you. She agrees and sets the phone down. And doesnt come back for 4 whole minutes. So, I ended the call, figuring, her nurse tracked her down and she's fine. She's obviously INSIDE the hospital, right?

Phone rings again, its Maureen again... Rather distressed, wasnt able to find the nurse. Me: ok dont worry, is there any staff member you see walking by I can talk to? And by the way what floor are you on? Maureen: well Im supposed to be in room 334 and there isnt anybody around but...thats probably because Im DOWN IN THE BASEMENT. Me: Maureen, Im really worried about you. Will you promise me that you will go back up to your room? Maureen: yes I know where the elevator is, I promise I will go back over to the elevator. Maureen then recited a prayer to me and said "thanks mom"

So, I called hospital security and told them, hey if you are missing a patient named Maureen who is admitted to room 334, she's in the basement. They promised to go look ASAP.

Maureen, take care, I hope you are safe.

[Davey Do]

When we've done all we can do, we just have to "Let go and let God", ashagreyjoy.

Good work, BTW!

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

32 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

When we've done all we can do, we just have to "Let go and let God", ashagreyjoy.

Good work, BTW!

I 2nd Davey - He's rarely wrong and you did a great job handling this patient ?

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I recall when I was a student nurse on the acute inpatient unit getting a call from the operator advising they had multiple calls from a distressed patient on our unit. I looked over to the patients phone to see the same patient on the phone giggling and happy

Bit of a surreal moment