Comatose patient can't close his eyes and has no curtain for sun protection

U.S.A. Maine

Published

Specializes in retired from healthcare.

One time the charge nurse asked me to turn this patient who was comatose and could not close his eyes.

He had no curtain and the sun was glaring in. I told her, "I did not turn him because the sun is in his eyes...."

She agreed with me.

Later on in another nursing home, I found a stroke patient who could not move and who was postitioned with

the sun burning her eyes out. One charge nurse had already asked us not to leave her like this and no one could remember.

Everyone who does patient care should try facing into the sun with your eyes shut when it's glaring in the window and see how many seconds you can stay there. This is memorable and instensely painful.

The last time I found a patient stuck this way I wrote a note to the DoN and alerted everyone to it.

I said I would call DHS if I found her this way again. From then on, they always turned her back to the sun.

Even with the curtain shut, it still can hurt their eyes.

This year I have only been assigned to work about five or six times. I called up my employer who said

"We are unbelievably slow right now, and I'll call you if that changes."

I talked to a girl out at a seminar who said she can't get any hours. She was a CNA.

I said, "What are all these old people doing?" She said she didn't know.

For the two of us and one other girl I knew, I wondered how many others have trouble getting assignments.

I never had a problem before this year.

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