I loved your post (probably a little more than I should.)I have been advocating for yrs that in the interest of stress reduction management should support nurse by allowing us to use 3 explotives a week directly to those "special pts "Now,(caution ) don't be tempted to use them up on your first day because I assure you later in the week you will regret it. So wait it out, because a worthier pt is coming your way if you can just contain your zeal.
Alternatively we could have a "truth " day where like Dr Phil suggests we "tell it like it is "
"No, Mr X, I didn't forget to make rounds in your room .Your suspicion is correct I just don't like you" or
Mr X I placed a sign onyour door "THE most important patient " that way we can save yourself the 10 minute rumination and use your energy to get well."
Pills,alcohol, no thanks. Me, I own my psychosis proudly and also focus on QUALITY care. Experience has taught me to LISTEN and give pt what they need. Your patients will LOVE you for it and pt surveys will reflect your attentiveness .So how do you do that?.... Easy. Here's how.
To the family member who asks will their dad, who was wheeled out of open heart surgery 1 hr ago, "be discharged today? " "Oh Yes, but its a little nippy out did you bring in his jacket?"
To the post op day post CABG pt who I am assisting out of bed "Yes, Mr X I know my boob just pumped into you as I was "carrying " your 300lb body out of the bed and Yes, you are absolutely right.I WANT you! Let me just skoot the foley out of the way so I can gain better access "
To the woman who asks can her vented mom get a shower. "Absolutely, I have already measured the shower stall so I know the vent will fit "
To the demented pt whose daughter says her mom said I took her sweater. "Yes,your right, I DID steal your mother's sweater. The crusted sputum and food particles on it brings out the color of my eyes so beautifully ".
To the pt daughter who reports that her comatose mother with no brain stem activity reports her mother smiling. " Yes, sure.She is such a joker. We all love having her here."
To the pt who "knows" 3 shots of morphine is "not enough" ''You know,you are right. Your chest IS still moving so you could probably take a little more."
To management 'Thanks for noticing that my cubicle was short on tissues.Your one hell of a team player.When I'm done with this pt hemorrhage I will attend to his wet nose that you attentively noticed ".
To the supervisor who is sending me another admission "Thanks for helping me reached my goal weight in 1 single shift."
To the diabetic pt who just polished off 1/2 a box of chocolate and is sporting a 300 + sugar "Not to worry Mr. X that's what they made Insulin for.Would you mind if I have one of your chocolates? I guess everyone loves a little sugar. Me too!! "
So yeah, I'm happy. What's wrong with you people,.....Well clearly the only thing we are missing is the "right" kind of attitude!!
I've done that more than once myself, much to my embarrassment (and a VERY sore tailbone). And don't you just love the "Croc Stop"---you know, where you're zipping along and one clog suddenly decides it's not going to move one millimeter further, while the rest of you continues in the original direction at the original velocity?
I did that a couple weeks ago. Landed with my arms out in front of me. In front of the nurses station. I looked like I'd decided to slide into home.
The firemen brought the 15 year old girl into the ER writhing in pain and clutching her abdomen. The parents were right behind them. The ER doc evaluated her and told the parents that she would be taken to the unit right away. One of the firemen followed to make sure she was all right. When he returned, he told the parents not to worry, that the baby would be here soon. The father shouted "What do you mean? She wasn't pregnant when you brought her in here!" I guess firemen do work fast!
There was a guy that was juuuuuussssttt barely hanging on. I'd been in his room a LOT, trying to head of the code I was expecting to have to call on him any time now.
Administering blood. Got the first unit in, had just switched over to NS to flush the lines, and was turning very quickly to step back and out to the hall to order the second unit. Right leg moved out - okay, no problem..... Left leg -- ooops, a no-show. Sciatic a$$ lock (i've described this in various posts).
Another nurse came running into the room saying "What HAPPENED?" and there I was on the floor, trying very hard to come to terms with the fact that my face had been on the floor. I was definitely FDGB.
The patient, lucid for the first time since I'd known him, casually gestures to me on the floor and states: "She fell on her face. I think she hurt herself pretty bad, too. She hit Hard!"
After my first day of clinical, my dad called me to see how it went. He's got a very warped sense of humour. I explained to him that I was in a LTC facility, and my patient was comatose with very rigid contractures. He asked me how he did the daily "business of life" and I replied "Well, he wears a condom catheter." My dad was curious and wanted it explained. I tried to explain that due to his contractures, I needed two hands, one just to pry his legs apart and the other to put on the condom catheter. He was having trouble with this visual, and I guess it didn't help when I said: "You know what I mean Dad, it a two-hand job." As I said it, I realized how it sounded, but couldn't take it back.
There was a pause, then my dad yelled out to my mom: "Olivia, do you know what we our daughter's doing in nursing school!?"
I just finished my second semester of clinicals. I was working with a little girl, im not sure of her age, but she was in preschool. I came in and told her mom and her that I needed to draw a little blood for a test. The little girl handed me a red crayon and said "I'll draw blood too", and proceeded to "draw blood" on a piece of white paper.
I would think a policy exists to get you out of this ethical dilemma, & I would find out. Legal or not, I would think alcohol would not be permitted in the facility. Therefore, it seems appropriate that personnel, such as security, should be notified. It also seems appropriate for personal property to be confiscated if it is not permitted, but whose role is it to carry this out? I'm really not sure either of the 2 suggested actions listed would be beneficial to the patient or the nurse. Just takin' a stab at it here, but I think I would:
1) Seek clarification on hospital policy from my supervisor or someone else who usually knows what they're talking about
2) As a nurse, use interventions like providing education & referrals to rehab & support groups like AA, etc. that would be more likely to impact what the patient does when he/she leaves the hospital, rather than pouring their ETOH down the drain.
I take the alcohol away and lock it up and then inform the patient that he may ask for it when he/she is discharged. I put it on the belonging list and indicate that it was stored separating from the main belongings. Almost 99% of the time the patient sobers up and is discharged from the ER and has no recollection of the conversation and never asks for the alcohol back. I usually wait for about an hour after discharge and then dump it out.
I loved your post (probably a little more than I should.)I have been advocating for yrs that in the interest of stress reduction management should support nurse by allowing us to use 3 explotives a week directly to those "special pts "Now,(caution ) don't be tempted to use them up on your first day because I assure you later in the week you will regret it. So wait it out, because a worthier pt is coming your way if you can just contain your zeal.
Alternatively we could have a "truth " day where like Dr Phil suggests we "tell it like it is "
"No, Mr X, I didn't forget to make rounds in your room .Your suspicion is correct I just don't like you" or
Mr X I placed a sign onyour door "THE most important patient " that way we can save yourself the 10 minute rumination and use your energy to get well."
Pills,alcohol, no thanks. Me, I own my psychosis proudly and also focus on QUALITY care. Experience has taught me to LISTEN and give pt what they need. Your patients will LOVE you for it and pt surveys will reflect your attentiveness .So how do you do that?.... Easy. Here's how.
To the family member who asks will their dad, who was wheeled out of open heart surgery 1 hr ago, "be discharged today? " "Oh Yes, but its a little nippy out did you bring in his jacket?"
To the post op day post CABG pt who I am assisting out of bed "Yes, Mr X I know my boob just pumped into you as I was "carrying " your 300lb body out of the bed and Yes, you are absolutely right.I WANT you! Let me just skoot the foley out of the way so I can gain better access "
To the woman who asks can her vented mom get a shower. "Absolutely, I have already measured the shower stall so I know the vent will fit "
To the demented pt whose daughter says her mom said I took her sweater. "Yes,your right, I DID steal your mother's sweater. The crusted sputum and food particles on it brings out the color of my eyes so beautifully ".
To the pt daughter who reports that her comatose mother with no brain stem activity reports her mother smiling. " Yes, sure.She is such a joker. We all love having her here."
To the pt who "knows" 3 shots of morphine is "not enough" ''You know,you are right. Your chest IS still moving so you could probably take a little more."
To management 'Thanks for noticing that my cubicle was short on tissues.Your one hell of a team player.When I'm done with this pt hemorrhage I will attend to his wet nose that you attentively noticed ".
To the supervisor who is sending me another admission "Thanks for helping me reached my goal weight in 1 single shift."
To the diabetic pt who just polished off 1/2 a box of chocolate and is sporting a 300 + sugar "Not to worry Mr. X that's what they made Insulin for.Would you mind if I have one of your chocolates? I guess everyone loves a little sugar. Me too!! "
So yeah, I'm happy. What's wrong with you people,.....Well clearly the only thing we are missing is the "right" kind of attitude!!
The firemen brought the 15 year old girl into the ER writhing in pain and clutching her abdomen. The parents were right behind them. The ER doc evaluated her and told the parents that she would be taken to the unit right away. One of the firemen followed to make sure she was all right. When he returned, he told the parents not to worry, that the baby would be here soon. The father shouted "What do you mean? She wasn't pregnant when you brought her in here!" I guess firemen do work fast!
There was a guy that was juuuuuussssttt barely hanging on. I'd been in his room a LOT, trying to head of the code I was expecting to have to call on him any time now.
Administering blood. Got the first unit in, had just switched over to NS to flush the lines, and was turning very quickly to step back and out to the hall to order the second unit. Right leg moved out - okay, no problem..... Left leg -- ooops, a no-show. Sciatic a$$ lock (i've described this in various posts).
Another nurse came running into the room saying "What HAPPENED?" and there I was on the floor, trying very hard to come to terms with the fact that my face had been on the floor. I was definitely FDGB.
The patient, lucid for the first time since I'd known him, casually gestures to me on the floor and states: "She fell on her face. I think she hurt herself pretty bad, too. She hit Hard!"
Love
Dennie
After my first day of clinical, my dad called me to see how it went. He's got a very warped sense of humour. I explained to him that I was in a LTC facility, and my patient was comatose with very rigid contractures. He asked me how he did the daily "business of life" and I replied "Well, he wears a condom catheter." My dad was curious and wanted it explained. I tried to explain that due to his contractures, I needed two hands, one just to pry his legs apart and the other to put on the condom catheter. He was having trouble with this visual, and I guess it didn't help when I said: "You know what I mean Dad, it a two-hand job." As I said it, I realized how it sounded, but couldn't take it back.
There was a pause, then my dad yelled out to my mom: "Olivia, do you know what we our daughter's doing in nursing school!?"
I just finished my second semester of clinicals. I was working with a little girl, im not sure of her age, but she was in preschool. I came in and told her mom and her that I needed to draw a little blood for a test. The little girl handed me a red crayon and said "I'll draw blood too", and proceeded to "draw blood" on a piece of white paper.
I would think a policy exists to get you out of this ethical dilemma, & I would find out. Legal or not, I would think alcohol would not be permitted in the facility. Therefore, it seems appropriate that personnel, such as security, should be notified. It also seems appropriate for personal property to be confiscated if it is not permitted, but whose role is it to carry this out? I'm really not sure either of the 2 suggested actions listed would be beneficial to the patient or the nurse. Just takin' a stab at it here, but I think I would:
1) Seek clarification on hospital policy from my supervisor or someone else who usually knows what they're talking about
2) As a nurse, use interventions like providing education & referrals to rehab & support groups like AA, etc. that would be more likely to impact what the patient does when he/she leaves the hospital, rather than pouring their ETOH down the drain.
I take the alcohol away and lock it up and then inform the patient that he may ask for it when he/she is discharged. I put it on the belonging list and indicate that it was stored separating from the main belongings. Almost 99% of the time the patient sobers up and is discharged from the ER and has no recollection of the conversation and never asks for the alcohol back. I usually wait for about an hour after discharge and then dump it out.