I was working yesterday evening on 2nd shift when the family of one of my residents came and announced that her husband died. The poor lady starts to scream and cry. I came out of the room where I was working; the family cimes to me and says:"Mama's gonna need something for her nerves; her husband just died."
I know the lady has a right to know, but why couldn't the family had told me first, do I could've given her some medicine before it got to the dcreaming/wanting to go home stage (the family did not want her coming back to the home, oh no, nurse, you must tell her she can't come home). It could have been a lot easier for that lady of I had the opportunity to dose her before you gave her that news and then say you don't want her at home. Needress to say, the family left after that; they had wrecked their damage; other matters to take care of now (I guess more little old ladies to upset or a child or two to run over).
I understand they were upset, too, but the lady has anxiety issues and she's really quite fragile.
I was fuming. I didn't show it or express it, but I was thinking, "You jerks!"
I agree PRE-MEDICATING would have done little to no good in this situation. What would have done good is having CONSIDERATE family members that would have first let the staff know they were going to deliver bad news (so that at the very least, the nurses and CNAs would try to give the patient more attention) and then arranged to have at LEAST one of them stay with grandma for the evening so that she wasn't alone in an institution dealing with the loss of her spouse with NO FAMILY in sight.
I get it. The little old lady is in a nursing home because she needs 24/hour nursing care. That isn't an excuse for her family to abandon her there in her dire time of need of emotional familial support. It breaks my heart how people treat their elderly parents/grandparents.
lifelearningrn, BSN, RN
2,622 Posts
I agree PRE-MEDICATING would have done little to no good in this situation. What would have done good is having CONSIDERATE family members that would have first let the staff know they were going to deliver bad news (so that at the very least, the nurses and CNAs would try to give the patient more attention) and then arranged to have at LEAST one of them stay with grandma for the evening so that she wasn't alone in an institution dealing with the loss of her spouse with NO FAMILY in sight.
I get it. The little old lady is in a nursing home because she needs 24/hour nursing care. That isn't an excuse for her family to abandon her there in her dire time of need of emotional familial support. It breaks my heart how people treat their elderly parents/grandparents.
rant>