Insane visitors!

mark_LD_RN · Jul 19, 2002

had a good one last night! i had a pt the night before in with low dose pit induction had people with her almost all night she got no rest. started regular pit induction in am before i lft i came back to find patient still laboring, now very tired, aggitated and having diffucult time of it over all. got report from day shift that they had trouble with visitors all day they posted sign on door for visitors to check with nurses and 2 vistor limit signs on door.midwife even went in to talk to them. i got in room had 6 people in there girl is cring people telling her all kind things to do and their damn birth horror stories. i knelt down by bed asked pt who she wanted in room? she told me only me and her mom. i turned asked everyone to leave they all just stood and loked at me, after i insisted they leave all but one left. she turned to me and told me you can not put me out! i walked up to her told her to leave or i would remove her. well she refused and i physically escourted her out of room off L&D unit to the waiting room. she was Pissed to say the least. but patient was very happy and finally able to relax.

and on the phone thing, i hate when the phone continues to ring during labor especially during delivery. during pushing and delivery i turn phone off now, it has been a big help.

shay · Jul 19, 2002

Originally posted by mark_LD_RN
i got in room had 6 people in there girl is cring people telling her all kind things to do and their damn birth horror stories

First, Mark, my hero....way to go playing bouncer for your poor pt.. Second, WHY THE H*** DO PEOPLE GET OFF BY TELLING PREGNANT WOMEN BIRTH HORROR STORIES???

I can pick out the pt. who had a 'horror story swap' at their baby shower a mile away. Why do women insist on doing that to eachother?? Why?? And 9x out of 10 the stuff they say is blown waaaaaaaayy out of proportion and MEDICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, i.e. the pt. who said her baby was 'crowning' for 3 hours. It's like fishing stories for pregnant women!!! The more they tell it, the longer the labor and the more it hurt!!

Stepping off soapbox.......

L&D.RN · Jul 19, 2002

Ahhhh, you guys are making me feel like I'm at work! I guess it's the same story all over, huh?! A lot of nights I just scratch my head & wonder where these people come from.

I agree, we need Heather here in Washington too! (Still laughing!) LB

fergus51 · Jul 19, 2002

LOL!!! I love ya shay! I had to kick out a room full of visitors last night. All our private rooms were full so we had to put 2 patients in a shared room and one's boyfriend wanted to sleep there. We don't allow co-ed shared rooms for a good reason (you don't want to hear that story!) so I had to kick him out (and the other 5 people with him) and they made it seem like it was the worst thing in the world. Freaks.

CATHYW · Jul 19, 2002

Mark, you sound like you are just a very compassionate nurse! On the flip side, though, you'd better watch "escorting" one of those lovely horror tale-tellers! If you touch her at all, she is likely to charge you with battery! Best let security handle those kind. You need to "save yourself" (LOL) for those who need you!

NICUNURSE · Jul 19, 2002

I worked on a postpartum unit for a year and here's what I found works. First, when visitors come in after hours, I let them know right away, that visiting hours ended at 8 pm, but, I will allow them to visit for 10 minutes. That way, they feel that they are getting to see whoever they came to see, but the limits are set right away. I've found that this usually works and if not, I have no problem going into the room and asking them to leave. Also, I have had a patient (before her visitor arrived) tell me that she wanted everyone to leave by a certain time but she didn't want to seem rude. Sure enough, ten minutes before she wanted them to leave, I went in there and gave them the 10 minute warning. Worked like a charm. As for children on the unit, we have a standing rule...no children, except for those of the patient are allowed on the floor. That means in the hall, in front of the room, anywhere. Even though the baby will be exposed when they go home, we still have the other 20 or so babies on the floor that are suseptible. I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't want my baby exposed to unecessary germs, just because aunt jane didn't want to leave her kid at home

ADN 2002 · Jul 20, 2002

We have a BIG problem with kids coming onto the floor. Our rule is 14 and over can come in, unless they are the baby's sibling then they can be any age. What is it with people? We're constantly kicking kids off the floor. And, we've had people snuck in, we've had people hiding under the bed, behind the curtain, in the bathroom - they KNOW they're not supposed to be there! We had to call security the other day (such as it is - we have 1 security guard for the night shift only) to escort some people out.

And cell phones...I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a room to see somebody shove a cell phone under the blanket. It's like hello? I've already seen it! And, I tell them the policy, no using the cell phone in the hospital. For whatever reason, people know they can't use it in the hospital, but that just doesn't apply in L&D or out on the floor right after the baby's born. Any other time, it's not a problem up there. I had to tell one family to quit using the cell phone the other day and I came back and somebody's cell phone starts ringing, and the patient starts shouting, "Turn it off! Turn it off! You can't use that thing in here!!" I kinda liked that pt...

:nurse:

mark_LD_RN · Jul 20, 2002

thanks shay, for the compliment!

Cathy, I had given some though about the escourting out scenario. I had witnesses near by, and security was supposed to be on the way, but at night we only have one security guard, he has to make rounds and is main priority is ER. I just could not stand to watch it go on any longer my poor patient was crying and shaking she was so upset.

I feel the same way shay, why do people feel the need to tell those exagerrated birth stories to their supposed friends and family it does no good. i can usually spot the ones that heard birth stories a mile away just like you can. I make all my patients promise to tell only truthful version of the birth if they must share it with others.

by the way i heard a good birth story the other night, patients mother was telling her " when i had you i screamed and cried for 12 hours in severe pain before the doc realized you were going up in the wrong direction instead of down. so he reach in up to the elbow and grabbed you and pulled you out. when he did he broke 2 of my ribs." I could not contain myself i had to leave the room in laughter, after i composed my self i came back and explained how unlikely that was. any one else heard some good stories lately?

finallyRN · Jul 21, 2002

Last night we had a 20 week fetal demise. I had just brought the baby in for mom to see for the first time. The door flies open and four people walk in, 2 adults and 2 children. I went to the door and asked them to give me a few minutes and closed the door and curtain. As I went to walk back to mom the door opened and they came barging in asking to see the baby too. I tried to tell them that it was up to Mom but before the words came out of my mouth they were right up at the bed looking and trying to touch the baby. Mom started to cry right then. I asked them to step out for a few minutes then, that they could see the baby after mom was done.

shay · Jul 21, 2002

Finally RN, THAT IS DISGUSTING. God. Some 'friends.'

I love that my unit is LOCKED. It really cuts down on the freaks and whackos. And when we have a demise, forget getting in...you'd have an easier time sneaking into Communist China than sneaking past our unit secretary. I am very protective of my poor demise pts, and that would have just pissed me off to no end.

Mark, there have been some times when I hear those STUPID birth stories (baby going up instead of down? UM, WAS SHE GIVING BIRTH ON THE MOON??) that I have a hard time not just busting out laughing and ROLLING MY EYES.

mother/babyRN, RN · Jul 21, 2002

Ok, here's my thing...Hospital spends a zillion dollars to "educate" it's staffers how to be nice to each other. The customer is always right and all that...Cater to everyone...NOW, they want us to throw people out....MY position. Not the jailer. Not environmental services. NOT dietary or anyone ELSE but nursing....

My pet peeve is the boyfriend in bed either with the pt or instead of the pt. I throw them out of the bed. It's the priciple of the thing...The other night I was alone with 8 pts in various stages of recovery and I have visitors on the night shift requesting tea and toast AND wake up calls......Nope...No can do......

mark_LD_RN · Jul 21, 2002

mother baby you are not alone. i feel like a butler at times, bringing tea,coke snackes etc. I really hate when i get the pt something she requests then all the visitors in the room start asking for coffee or snacks. what do they think it is.

i see the s/o or family in the patients bed frequently, the best one is i had a pt she had identical twin sister, often the sister would be in bed instead of the patient, being i work nights it gets hard to tell the difference at times. our tech actually took the sisters temp and bp by mistake. good thing i did not go in and check her bleeding,:).