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?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Both my daughter, age 20, and I work in the same nursing facility, and let me tell you, she didn't need any training or in-services or a**bites to teach her how to treat residents with respect. As young as she is, she knows instinctively how to behave with all types of residents---even the most demented of them---and she would no more put a "label" on a confused wanderer than I would. The youth of the employee in question neither explains nor excuses her insensitivity. I hope she realizes that she is not cut out for this line of work BEFORE she wastes a lot of money, her instructors' time, and her employer's reputation.

HEINOUS of the US. :nono: on her.

Specializes in Latest interests: Hospice Home Care.

Maybe this clerk was acting on someone else's authority. clerks are usually too busy doing desk stuff -that for her to take the time to put this sign on a patient's back-well, she was not doing this on her own, was she?

After reading all the comments, I have to admit that people were downright opinionated about the whole thing.

I feel sure that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this story.

Just my humble opinion. I would like to put signs on people's backs -- "Danger, keep away!" (for instance when a resident has a history of lashing out at another without warning) Just kidding!

Or put a sign on a doctor's back that says "Catch me, if you can" Or maybe one on the cook "Read my lips--we don't have steak!" What about a housekeeper "Beware of frequent stops" Or how about one for the administrator-"I'm watching you"

Then there must be a sign for the the receptionist- "I put everybody on hold, nothing personal"

Just trying to lighten this thread a bit, no offense intended.

Everything we need to know, we learned in kindergarten and life exemplifies what we do with that knowledge.

Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

I think it was rude and disrespectful.

But then, I have to note, our hospital does have sweatshirts for wandering patients that are bright green... I think they say "if found, please call, with the phone # of the hospital security dept on them. Underneath the hospital's logo design of course. ;) Some units have a wanderguard system, but those that don't have to use the sweatshirts or sitters/constant attendants. ALL wandering (or potential) pt's get photographs taken by security which are kept in the front of the chart for if the pt does go missing.

Are these sweatshirts just as disagreeable, I wonder?

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by pebbles

I think it was rude and disrespectful.

But then, I have to note, our hospital does have sweatshirts for wandering patients that are bright green... I think they say "if found, please call, with the phone # of the hospital security dept on them. Underneath the hospital's logo design of course. ;) Some units have a wanderguard system, but those that don't have to use the sweatshirts or sitters/constant attendants. ALL wandering (or potential) pt's get photographs taken by security which are kept in the front of the chart for if the pt does go missing.

Are these sweatshirts just as disagreeable, I wonder?

I happen to think so....Any pt with the potential to wander should be in a unit equipped with a security system..If it means moving a few beds then so be it.....Those systems maintain the highest levels of safety and dignity for those pts....Think about this-if your (I mean the general "you") 18 month old child were hospitilized would you stand for it having to wear a shirt with those intstructions? Or a big name tag like a dog wears? "If I am lost please return me to...." I think we would expect our children to be in a safe environment-just as we should demand the same for our elders.......

this girl needs to go to a class on alzheimers and on one maturity

Not sure if what we have is any better. For our wander risks we have bright orange PJ's. If they are found downstairs off the unit staff walks up to themand asks if they can help them, a quick look at an armband tells where they belong. At the VA PJ's are given to all pt's, and color coded as to size. So you do see alot of diffent colors of PJ's. As to the clerk - let her come tomy unit as a pt - hehehe

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