Ever caught a visitor playing with an IV pump??

[TweetiePieRN]

The other night I caught a teenage visitor pressing the "silence" button on the IV pump because (in his words: "It was annoying!"). I explained to him that the when the alarm goes off I need to come in the room to figure out why it was beeping in the first place. The visitor argued with me about it and said that he has done it before and the other nurses didn't say anything!! I told him that he is not allowed to touch the pump and to call me if it ever beeps. There's more to come later....

What would YOU do??

[bethin]

How I hate when they play with the darn things. Had a patient recently who kept hitting the silence button on her pump. I'd hear it right away and halfway to her room the beeping would stop. I'd still go in though. Finally I got smart and asked her if she was hitting the silence button. She admitted to it but said that her nurse said she could. I told her to stop it, that we need to check if fluids are low, if it's occluded, etc.

Yeah, hospital wall suction is the same as construction site suction.

[nursejohio, ASN, RN]

Physician gives order, "Pt. may ambulate to parking lot with PCA pump for smoking privs. in POV if raining or outside temp >75"

Don't you love that????? Our internal med residents love to write orders like that. Pt is 2nd day post op, NG to LCWS, PICC and PCA. "Pt may go outside to smoke, accompanied by RN" Like I have that much friggin time!!! Seriously, what are they thinking!!!:angryfire

[veegeern, BSN, RN]

Don't you love that????? Our internal med residents love to write orders like that. Pt is 2nd day post op, NG to LCWS, PICC and PCA. "Pt may go outside to smoke, accompanied by RN" Like I have that much friggin time!!! Seriously, what are they thinking!!!:angryfire

:yeahthat:

Like I'm going to stand and inhale 2nd hand smoke:devil::angryfire

Like I want to stand outside the cold/hot/rain/wind...:angryfire

Like my co-workers who do smoke want to spend their "smoking break" with a patient...

It's just absurd.

[SuperFlyRN]

>>

i used to hear that all the time so when i had terrible pain from a kidney stone and had to go to the er, i thought...."well, now i'll know what they mean" because they were going to give me iv demerol. i was very surprised that i didn't feel "high" or anything....the pain just went away after i got it. so if you don't have pain to begin with why would you want it? maybe it works differently on different people?

non-addicts when they are truly in pain (as you were) the narcotic is then attracted to the pain receptors to block the pain. addicts lack that and will only experience a "high" as the narcotic is introduced into their bloodstream-needing more and more as their tolerance grows. that is why it is so important that narcs are given on a prn basis.

[unknown99, BSN, RN]

That is what the locks on the pumps are for...

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

I am a patient in a pedi hospital...starting this last time i now stay by myself but when my mom stayed with me she would call my nurse to inform them it was beeping and then silence it.

This might go against the grain, but I have actually shown some patients where the silence button is on the pump. I educate them about what's infusing and what may cause the pump to alarm. Then ask that that they call me ("this machine is beeping") before silencing the alarm. In many cases I was near the room and heard the alarm as they were hitting the call light. Although it's worked for me, I realize that it isn't appropriate in all situations.

[TweetiePieRN]

That is what the locks on the pumps are for...

Coming to find out...our pumps do not have locks on them!!! I told management and I think they are now discussing purchasing ones that can lock.

[tmylen]

I went in the room to check the IVF (icu) and noticed the amound on the pressors was different and lower than the previous amount. The daughter of the pt stated she changed it because she felt it was not needed at that rate any longer. She is a nurse and worked on one of the floors in the hospital. I took her in the hallway and basically had to counsel her. I was shocked any RN would do this.

[funnynurse]

My 2 year old was hospitalized with pneumonia and being the nurse that I am, would try to help out by "fixing" the alarms after they would beep forever because the nurses were busy. Some nurses didn't have a problem with me doing this. One nurse told me out right, "don't touch my IV". I respected her wishes because I would of said the same thing.

[sandys]

As a CNA I know we were "technically" not even supposed to silence the pumps, but the general knowledge on the floor was go ahead and do it and then immediately tell your RN, which I did do. It seems to me that patients and family really do not like things that make a recurrent annoying beep and these things should be designed differently so that nursing staff could be alerted without such an audible annoyance. Yet another thing on our wish lists I guess.

[auzzieneuronurse]

I agree that the beeping from IMED pumps is enough to drive someone crazy if they go on incessantly!!! I have shown patients or their families where the silence button is and encouraged them to use it and then press the call bell and wait for me. There are circumstances and certain patients where and when this is appropriate and good for the sanity of all!!!

[PrisonrNurs]

We had a cardiac patient who started going downhill fast. The Dr. ordered him transferred out, and had us set up a dopamine drip. We were not to start it unless his heart started to fail. It was set up and everything was ready. All that was left to do was wait for the ambulance to arrive. The Dr. left and we went back to care for our other patients.

The patient's daughter comes back and told me "The nurse who set up the IV forgot to start it, so we started it ourselves."

Once the color returned to my face, I alerted the doctor and the other nurses. The doctor said to leave the drip running. Luckily he was transferred out without any problem.