Heinous or Forgivable???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was doing a 1:1 observation with an elderly confused woman who tends to wander. So I was in the room with her and the 19 year old unit clerk came in with a piece of paper that said " My name is !#@*. If found please return me to Unit @*!$. she then stuck the paper on the lady's back with a piece of tape. I waited until she left and I removed it because I think that is totally degrading and if someone did that to my mom I would knock them out. So later the lady and I were walking down the hall and the unit clerk goes, ' Where is her sign"? I said, "she took it off,"(even though i am the one who took it off) so then the clerk goes and gets the sign and sticks it back on her back and I was like, " come on, don't put a sign on her back, ' and she gets all nasty and goes, " well everyone else does it, " I said, " well if she is supervised like she is supposed to be and has hospital ID like she is supposed to, then she shouldn't need a sign, " Not to mention the fact that it is altogether tacky and mean. I find it the equivalent of putting a KICK ME sign on someone's back. So then the clerk grabbed the paper and ripped it up in little pieces and and stomped away like a 2 year old. The sad thing is that she just started nursing school. What does everyone else think of this? Am I overreacting?

I've worked in a lot of places doing a lot of things, and I've heard such things mentioned. It is a Cause for Termination to do something like that twice in the most recent LTC and dementia wards I've been around.

I work in an ER. If you send her my way and I know the story, I might be tempted to put a sign on her saying, "Holding for Brain Transfusion". Then again, I wouldn't. It is degrading, humiliating, insulting, inconsiderate, abusive, nasty, cruel and vicious to put signs on people.

I hope nursing school teaches a little human comprehension to the 19 year old. On the other hand, if there is no compassion at 19, is there hope for it to develop?

This is why we have to keep on studying, learning and most of all thinking about what we do and how we do it.

I shuddup now.

that little idiot

signs are not used on people plain and simple.

if she tried to do that when I was taking care of a patient a.she wouldnt get anywhere with her little "sign" and b. she would get a huge huge "talking to" about respect,courtesy and common decency and compassion

this situation needs to be handled directly and quickly so that it never happens again. If you dont feel comfortable being the one to set her on the right track then I would most definitely go to your superior and explain what happened.

It concerns me that she said everyone else was doing it. If you see this type of behaviour on your unit it is your responsibility to not let it happen.

We are there to serve our patients in a professional and caring manner. We are not there to sit and watch them belittled and dehumanized by some sign happy idiots!

so yeah its heinous

in a big big way

I have a sign for our little sign maker

"hi I'm an uncaring idiot who lacks compassion and common sense, if found please do not return me to

_____ (nursing unit."

this post has really angered me incase its not blatantly obvious

19 or not,everyone else is doing it or not, she needs to be dealt with!

I AM DISGUSTED BY THIS....AND TO THINK THAT THIS GIRL IS GOING TO NURSING SCHOOL.....IT IS JUST NOT A THING I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT....SOMEONE NEEDS TO SLAP A SIGN ON HER BACK...........SAYING "I AM NOT WITH STUPID, I AM STUPID".....YES I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE IS JUST TAKING THIS BEHAVIOR (SP?) FROM OTHERS, BUT DOES SHE NOT HAVE A BRAIN OF HER OWN TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR (SP?)????????????????

SOME PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN AT THE BACK OF THE LINE WHEN THE BRAINS WERE BEING GIVEN OUT....:)

having worked geriatric psyc....

:( :eek: :(

your facility obviously had safe and HUMANE practices... hence the one to one. We would take a polaroid picture (after family consent) and post one of the wanderers in the other two units, just in case a resident visited. Exit doors LOCKED.

As everyone has stated.... not acceptable anywhere.

This person can learn alot from your compassion....but you can't pay people to care... just show them the way OUT!

No. No one would ever dare put a sign on my Mom. Never.

And to act that way as a nurse is deplorable.

I'm with you Sr. Margaret. She needs to be educated. She has obviously been misled.

This kind of behavior lacks compasion and is childish. However, as much as I would like to, attacking her will only put her on the defensive. Lead by example and use some compassion in teaching her the how and why. By using some compasion in teaching her she will be more receptive. Then if she doesn't get it fire her for cause.

Okay, folks, she's nineteen.

I think I've grown a little compassion since 19 BUT I probably had a few things to learn. (Though I don't think I would have done THAT!)

The most important thing that happened here is the interaction you had with her. You let her know that what she was doing was way out of line.

And the good news was that she had enough humanity to be embarassed by her own behavior, hence the ripping up the note and stomping off.

I would tell this to the Charge nurse or NM, but probably if I were a NM, I wouldn't necessarily act on it unless it was part of a pattern.

And if she was disrespectful or tacky with clients again, I'd be on her like a dirty diaper.

Originally posted by hapeewendy

that little idiot

This sums it up the best. Let's just hope the nursing school she is attending is good at weeding out the undesirables.

:o Heather

Originally posted by LasVegasRN

All that would have needed to happen was that resident's family to walk in and see that. If I saw one of my loved one's with a sign on their back like that, someone would have to hold my purse.

And mine too.... (hubby calls it my "flight bag")....heh heh

I must agree with everyone else... This put tears in my eyes and hits close to home... my dad is 82 but thank God shows no signs of dementia,or alzheimer's BUT if he ever did.... and something like this happened I personally would have seen to it that this person lost their job!!! I'm just strarting pre-req's but I would not want this person to be in any of my classes let alone call herself a nurse... this is the kind of person who gives nursing a bad name...You did well by telling her she was wrong...hope you said something to the supervisor.

Sharon

Specializes in correctional, psych, ICU, CCU, ER.

(sigh)

She's 19 that pretty much sums it up, and she must have some pretty bad role models.

Now YOU get the awsome responsibility to explain to this poor, misguided youngster what is meant by a 1:1.

If that doesn't work, Vegas will hold her own purse, and I'll keep my fannypack(That's where my gun is holstered) .

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Originally posted by JailRN

If that doesn't work, Vegas will hold her own purse, and I'll keep my fannypack(That's where my gun is holstered) .

Thank you. Thank you very much.

:chuckle Pistol packin' Mama. I LOVE it!!! :lol2:

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