I work on a surgical unit, we have an elderly gentleman in for I/D of his left elbow due to bursitis and cellulitis. He has end-stage Alzhiemer's. We are running tube feeding through a Dobhoff. His orders include having his HOB at 30 degrees at all times. He has already been diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. His son and daughter-in-law (happens to be pediatric surgeon) flew in from out of state to be with him. They are with him almost around the clock.
So here's the issue. I noticed this evening, when they returned from dinner, the first thing the DIL did when entering the room was to put the bed flat. The pt has a one on one CNA with him, and she told the DIL nicely that the HOB needed to be up, per doctor's orders. Since family was in the room, willing to montior the pt, the CNA went out to help the other aides on the floor. The DIL proceeded to lower the HOB again. I went in and raised it, and explained again that it needed to be up. (I documented the education.)
I informed the charge RN of the situation, and kept a watchful eye that it didn't happen again. Thankfully the family left to get some sleep at around 2030.
When I was reporting all of this to night shift, the oncoming nurse told me that last night, as they were changing the pt's linens and repositioning him, they had to put the bed flatter, but the nurse turned off the tube feeding pump while she was doing this. In the middle of changing the bed, the DIL reached over and turned the pump back on! So the nurse turned it off, and the DIL reached over and turned it back on. The nurse confronted her about it, explaining the risk for aspiration. The DIL stated "He won't be lying down long."
She is a doctor for heaven's sake! I know she understands the physiology of all of this. The only explanation I can think of is that she is trying to kill him. Maybe that's blowing it out of proportion, but GEEEZ!
Have any of you seen a situation like this. Whan happened. What did you do? They are flying back home tomorrow, thank God.