Hands off my vent!!

Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

For a semi-recent, nationally covered resulted of a family foregoing all common sense in feeding a patient, look no further than young Jahi (sp?). That should address those that think surely some kind of punishment follow such obvious negligent acts from families.

NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

For a semi-recent, nationally covered resulted of a family foregoing all common sense in feeding a patient, look no further than young Jahi (sp?). That should address those that think surely some kind of punishment follow such obvious negligent acts from families.

I worked in LTAC for a year, and while it wasn't usually children, family members often prolonged life beyond reason. But I never had anyone try to change vent, tube feed, or IV settings! :::shudders:::

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 30, 2016

Lately we've been having some major problems on my unit with family members touching monitors, silencing alarms, turning off pumps, and even attempting to change vent settings!! My personal favorite is, "Guess what, I figured out where the silence button is!" "Well done, sir, because I really didn't need to know that my patient is sating 40%."
Seriously, how is this even a thing?
Public Service Announcement: If you do not have the letters MD, RN, or RT at the end of your name; if you are not an employee of this hospital; if you have absolutely no understanding that what you are about to do could result in serious bodily harm to your loved one, then please--DON'T TOUCH!
I cannot believe that this actually has to be said.

Even if you HAVE the initials after your name, if you're not on-shift at this hospital ON THIS UNIT, hands off.

I took care of the wife of a colleague, and her husband kept changing her PCA settings, then asking me to document the changes. I told him that he could document them himself and then fill out the incident report or I would be doing so. Unsurprisingly, I was invited NOT to take care of his wife again the next day. (YAY!)

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 30, 2016

That's either criminal negligence or murder...a three year old would know better. You don't put food down the air tube!

A bright three year old might, but you'd be surprised how many adults don't.

I took care of an intubated lung transplant patient several years ago. His mother wanted to wet his mouth with one of those sponge-swab things. The day nurse told her it was OK to wet it with Snapple before giving it to the patient. I picked up the patient around 3pm, after I'd transferred my two out. Immediately after report, the mother came to me and said "I gave him both bottles of Snapple -- can you get me some more?" About the time I went rushing into the room, the patient vomited, aspirated, and coded.

We got him back, but I did some emphatic "teaching" about not giving him 32 ounces of Snapple orally when he was intubated. The mother told me that the day nurse OK'd it; *I* must have done something to cause the code. (I hadn't even made it past her to the patient yet.)

The next day, the same nurse OK'd the Snapple again, with the same result only that time we didn't get the patient back. I wanted in the worst way to tell that mother that she'd caused her son's death. I should be happy that I didn't add to her grief in that way, but I STILL want to go back and tell her whenever I think about it.

LillylMather · Jun 30, 2016

I was nurse ***** and was always completely upfront with patient families, and would cite 'visiting hours' to get them out when I needed. I would often send family members out with their abuse ringing through the corridors, but my responsibility is always to my patient first.

I have seen families do stupid and dangerous stuff that doesn't bear repeating and sometimes it takes a very clear...'if you do this or alter that mum/dad/son/daughter/grandad or grandma could die', that usually does the trick and I always found it amazing that they'd blame a child even when I saw them alter equipment settings!

I would even get requests from other wards/wings to come sort out a situation.

The really stunning thing is that I would often get patients thanking me for getting rid of the family member as they were usually the controlling know it all type that would make patients feel worse and complicate recovery/treatments.

I had another patient who insisted I was a witch so I would take to wearing a witches hat on ward...kids tended to behave when I was around...I wonder why:cheeky:

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

We had an anorexic patient who figured out how to unlock the pump. Every damn time! Sometimes you just cannot outsmart them. We all wanted to handcuff her, but you can't do that. Eventually she died...because she outsmarted herself, I guess. Sad. She was really intelligent, but very sick.

:down:

armyicurn · Jun 30, 2016

call security, your manager, the director and call a meeting NOW. Hell no, no touching. Arrrrgh

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jun 30, 2016

They disconnected the vent tubing (machines were MA-1's back then) from the ET tube and were shoving small pieces of pizza down the tube, and reconnecting the vent. They didn't get far. He bucked the vent with such force, he blew his aortotomy plegett. With the binder in place, the blood hit the headboard like you were spraying a high pressure garden hose. Mixed with the betadine gtt, the result was quite the mess, and a very dead patient. I still remember the family, blood covered and quite confused. "But he said he was hungry"

PIZZA? I know it's terrible, but I seriously can't stop laughing. What a mess. That poor guy.

AnthonyD · Jun 30, 2016

Once had a patient whose family member downloaded and read the entire user manual for the Drager Evita ventilator. He then fully adopted the role of the expert in vent management, making recommendations on different modes of ventilation, adjusting settings, etc.

pixiestudent2 · Jun 30, 2016

Families never surprise me. Working in CVICU in my first position, we had a family group that didn't fail to amaze. The patient had been in the unit for some time, and had lived through three open chest procedures on the unit, resulting in a rocky sternum. Patient was wearing a chest binder, and had a betadine drip going. Because of the propensity for strange occurrences, we had moved this patient directly behind the unit secretary's desk, as a means of keeping our eyes on him. One afternoon, during a code, I was scrubbed in with one of the surgeons when we heard screaming. I watched as the unit secretary looked into the patient's room and stepped back covered head to toe in blood. Since the unit was closed during codes, the family had found a way to sneak past us while we were occupied. Once in the room, they decided that the patient was hungry. They disconnected the vent tubing (machines were MA-1's back then) from the ET tube and were shoving small pieces of pizza down the tube, and reconnecting the vent. They didn't get far. He bucked the vent with such force, he blew his aortotomy plegett. With the binder in place, the blood hit the headboard like you were spraying a high pressure garden hose. Mixed with the betadine gtt, the result was quite the mess, and a very dead patient. I still remember the family, blood covered and quite confused. "But he said he was hungry"

That's has to be the most horrific thing I've ever read on allnurses.

amoLucia · Jun 30, 2016

For a semi-recent, nationally covered resulted of a family foregoing all common sense in feeding a patient, look no further than young Jahi (sp?). That should address those that think surely some kind of punishment follow such obvious negligent acts from families.

You beat me to the punch re Jahi.

For the uninformed, her family tried feeding the young lady FRESH post-op tonsillectomy. But she DIED on them. Type in "Jahi" here for more on the story.

I need to do some followup myself.

Sorry for the hijack. Couldn't find much new.

CeciBean, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

I can't. Not after the family we had that fed their post-gastric bypass daughter (age 24) a *full* McDonald's Big Mac Combo meal the day after her surgery and blew out the whole thing. And that was AFTER they'd been instructed on how much and when to give her what, and everything was clearly posted above the head of her bed.

"But she was HUNGRY!"

Argh.