"Uses call light extremely well"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Yesterday I was running my tush off with 3 busy patients and no tech on a cardiac care unit. This one woman should go on Jeopordy! I ended up scrambling to finish up my charting after I gave report.

All I could think of to say was "Pt conts to have frequent urination, uses call light very well" "Continues with excellent ability to use call light" "A&O, uses call light extremely well" That's pretty much my shift with her, she didn't really have any issues, other than the fact that she needed her water pitcher topped off or her bed side table slightly moved... :rolleyes: Definately a passive personality.

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

That's better than one of my neuro assessments: sitting up in bed playing video games. Shows excellent fine motor skills s/p procedure (shunt revision, neurosurgeon felt child needed intensive care)

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We don't have call lights in my hospital and I'm GLAD!!!!!!!

I haven't worked in a setting that's had them since 1999 and, darn it, once in a blue moon, I'll catch myself thinking I hear one!

Seriously.

Those buzzers imbed their sound into every crevice of your brain.

I picture my elder years as me pacing frantically around in a nursing home with dementia, driving the staff crazy, because I think I have to answer the buzzers.

Lord help and bless them in my twilight years!

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

Gotta love the A&O that uses the call light well and very often. I have a few of these myself in the nursing home.

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

One of my favorite charting nightmares:

Had a patient once who claimed that previous nurse had only seen her once all day long. Given the fact that she had been on the light three times in five minutes for silly stuff, I doubted that...called day nurse into room and told her in front of patient, "Jane, Mrs. Smith claims you only saw her once all day today. I'd like to hear your side of the story as well, let's get this all cleared up before you leave for the day." Mrs. Smith couldn't believe I would have done that to her, as she ended up having to admit she had lied about it. Intervention documented.

Luckily I had a light team otherwise all night, one of those kinds of shifts that you pray for. I was able to document every time her call light went off, what it was for, and what was done. I ended up being glad that I did b/c at 0600 her husband and daughter appeared at my station wanting to know why I didn't check on Mrs. Smith all night. I explained nicely that she had been cared for quite well with frequent interventions all night long. They didn't believe me. I loved the look on their faces when I pulled out the novel I had charted on her and was able to tell them:

"At 2003, I pulled her blankets up for her.

At 2005, I pulled her blankets down.

At 2010, I got her fresh ice water.

At 2012, tech got her juice.

At 2016, I adjusted her thermostat up.

At 2020, tech pulled her blankets up.

At 2025, I adjusted her thermostat down.

At 2030, I gave her pain meds and pulled her blankets down.

I have twelve hours of charting like this, would you like to hear it all?"

They never bothered us again about whether or not we had taken care of the patient correctly.

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Some patients knew how to position themselves in bed just oh-so-right and comfortably with that dang pull-cord in their hand. They wouldn't have to move a muscle. Just a oh-so-slight flick of the wrist and "DING!!!"... instant CNA!

They would have whole rituals worked out with how that cord was going to be rigged up to their pillow, blanket, mattress, bedrail, gown, beanie-baby, neck... just kidding on the "neck"... maybe.

We would have patients who loved to pull it and pretend to fall asleep and let you turn it off and leave because they were apparently "sleeping". Then they would pull it again, be wide awake when you got there to tattle to you that "some nurse" just "snuck in", turned it off and "ran".

Um... that was ME and, I'm sorry but I just don't feel like playing that game tonight, Grandma. Why don't you sleep and tomorrow, when you have energy and I have time, we'll play a card game instead... okay?

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Specializes in Oncology.
We don't have call lights in my hospital and I'm GLAD!!!!!!!

I haven't worked in a setting that's had them since 1999 and, darn it, once in a blue moon, I'll catch myself thinking I hear one!

Seriously.

Those buzzers imbed their sound into every crevice of your brain.

I picture my elder years as me pacing frantically around in a nursing home with dementia, driving the staff crazy, because I think I have to answer the buzzers.

Lord help and bless them in my twilight years!

So how do patients get you if they need you? As irritating as they are, I'd feel not having them is a serious safety issue.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
"Continues with excellent ability to use call light" "A&O, uses call light extremely well"

Gonna have to use these ... :D

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Specializes in Hospice.

So, this resident is clearly communicating her wants and needs:)

As a CNA, it drives me nuts when I'm trying to take care of an entire wing and have someone on the light constantly for non-essential things. Especially when I'm proactive and ask they resident if they need anything else before I leave and yet, I'm not even 10 feet from the room when the light goes back on. Your CNA's are lucky to have a nurse who was able to document the excessive light usage.

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So how do patients get you if they need you? As irritating as they are, I'd feel not having them is a serious safety issue.

I work in a psych unit with, usually, about 8 to 12 patients. We observe the patients constantly and must initial where each patient is every 15 minutes. We always keep them within our sight (they don't stay in their rooms during the day) and we make darn sure we KNOW where they are. Those patients don't get much privacy.

We don't fool around with this.

While doing this may seem tedious, it is not. It is part of the job.

It is actually more a a safety issue for us to have a call light than to not.

Psych is a whole other world.

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Specializes in Pedatrics, Child Protection.

Those buzzers imbed their sound into every crevice of your brain.

I picture my elder years as me pacing frantically around in a nursing home with dementia, driving the staff crazy, because I think I have to answer the buzzers.

Lord help and bless them in my twilight years!

No kidding! Now all I hear is my pager going off all the time. It has the same "beep beep" as a big truck with back-up lights on it. I swear I have jumped out of a dead sleep b/c I heard my pager going off....only to remember that I signed it out (turned it off) and left it at work.

:chuckle

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Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

Or neuro assessment

Pt a/ox3, positive CPS.

CPS If they can use a cell phone they are neuro intact

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