I got a pt the other night, 30 days inpatient, new CA. Fresh from ICU, the reporting nurse tells me, family nightmare. Within 15 mins of arrival, 3 nurses, and the CNA are besides themselves. The bed wasn't right, we need soda, we are staying the night, etc, etc. The day after we get another pt, similar deal in the next room, creating a group from hell. My thought on this is if everyone involved, the doc, admin, the floor staff draw a line in the sand, this crap stops. Instead I see nurses and aides in tears some days from sheer frustration. I mean the family actually barging into the staff
break room with demands. Does anyone work for a facility that actually has a protocol for this nonsense? It has become so common, and we all know, no matter what we do, how much time etc we put into these people they are still going to complain. To the detriment of the 5 other pts and families who are reasonable. Just wondering and appreciate any imput
If I were a patient, having a family member constantly hovering at the bedside would drive me insane. Go home, already!!
I have to wonder how many patients actually feel that way but are afraid to offend the family member? And, how many family members would really prefer to be elsewhere but are afraid of offending the patient? Not saying that people shouldn't visit but not move in to stay.
I have in the past encouraged people to go home by saying that they need to go home and rest, as the patient will really need them more after discharge. It worked sometimes.
I would think that open visitation in ICU's could potentially be detrimental to the patient. They get little enough rest as it is, due to the things that have to be done.
A lot of patients are also terrified of being in the hospital, and want someone there.
I've been reading this thread, and thinking about my Mom. She is scared of and angry at the healthcare system. It is only because of my sis and I that she has finally found a doc that works with her enough to give her a sense of control, so she can be talked into seeing him when she gets another UTI. She is also highly educated and worked in admin at one of the largest county hospitals in the country for 20 years. I have to admit, some of her fears are not unfounded.
The very few times when whe has been an inpatient, either my sis or myself have been at bedside pretty much round the clock. No one knows that I have a medical background, and we (as family members) ask for nothing for ourselves. We take care of the little comfort things for Mom without bothering anyone (except to ask where blankets are kept, and things like that). We aren't noisy. We're there when the surgeon comes in to give her the results of a test, while she's gorked on a PCA pump and CRS. And we keep her compliant and from walking out AMA because, in her words, "Healthcare has become a crooked, money-grubbing scam!" But rest assured, I am watching everything like a hawk. I'm subtle, not hounding, unless something is wrong. Then I will protect her.
I failed my father, and it caused him a great deal of misery because I trusted one night and went home. I would have caught the problem. I don't blame the nurses, because I don't know the circumstances onn the floor that night. I just know that I could have prevented him that pain, and I have to live with that. I won't leave my mother's side, and she doesn't want me (or sis) to.
Ok first, someone needs to make a large, colorful "EMPLOYEES ONLY" sign for the breakroom. Hmm. I wonder if you could even put in smaller print under that something like "All others will be promptly asked to leave the unit".
Also, this thread got me thinking about this girl who suddenly began flipping out one time. I was working on a m/s floor and this girl (visitor) was a former nurse on the tele floor. Suddenly, she starts feeding this elderly lady pt all of these symptoms of MI to her..."You're nauseous aren't you?" "I think she's having a hard time breathing" and on and on. We called Rapid Response to appease her (pt was actually fine). She then started demanding we draw a set of CEs, get a 12 lead, she needs to be transferred to tele, etc. and even went so far as to demand this stuff from the MD on the phone.
Now this MD was one of the coolest, most laid back docs. But he let her have it! Even the nursing supervisor came up there and walked out shaking her head and said, "That woman is just a b***h."
Oh yeah, so that is my advice....If you are fairly tight with some of the docs, tell them about these problem family members too because NMs and admins always want the docs to be happy.
Speaking of precedence, many times over the years I could have cheerfully strangled my day-shift co-workers who informed patients' families that why yes! They were allowed to sleep in the other bed in that semi. Then here I come in the middle of the night, trying to root them out of the bed and the room, calling for a stat clean because an admission is coming and the entire room looks like a bomb went off... all the while being yelled at by Jed and All His Kin that they have the right to move in and take up residence.
Yes, this was MY complaint - we had open visiting in our ICU - it WAS supposed to be limited to 2 to 3 people in the room, with only 1 staying in the room overnight.
I didn't have a major problem with the open visiting - with most of the patients it wasn't a problem. When it got to BE a problem, tho, was when the day nurses would allow the rooms to fill up with visitors, and allow them to do whatever they wished. It made it that much harder for us at noc to get them out and enforce the rules.
I remember one night going into a room, and there were 3, yes 3, chairbeds spread out around the patients bed. I couldn't move in the room! I woke 2 of them up and told them they'd have to move so I could get to the patients bed - and they weren't very happy.
We also had a problem a few times with huge families taking over the visitors lounge and making a party of it and leaving huge messes to be cleaned up. I remember one time this poor little lady was in one of our beds - she was basically non-responsive, and they were just waiting for her to die. Her entire family, including great-grandchildren were all camped out in the visitors lounge - they seldom went in her room. One night two young men from that party came up to me and said "We don't have any money for food." and then just stood there.
I WANTED to say "Well, go home and make a sandwich, and as long as you're there - stay there." What I did was offer them soda crackers. Good grief.
One night two young men from that party came up to me and said "We don't have any money for food." and then just stood there.
I WANTED to say "Well, go home and make a sandwich, and as long as you're there - stay there." What I did was offer them soda crackers. Good grief.
I'd have wanted to say "Get a job".
I will offer juice or snacks to family members who stay at the bedside assisting or calming their loved ones... but in circumstances as you describe, they wouldn't even get the cracker.
A lot of patients are also terrified of being in the hospital, and want someone there.
I've been reading this thread, and thinking about my Mom. She is scared of and angry at the healthcare system. It is only because of my sis and I that she has finally found a doc that works with her enough to give her a sense of control, so she can be talked into seeing him when she gets another UTI. She is also highly educated and worked in admin at one of the largest county hospitals in the country for 20 years. I have to admit, some of her fears are not unfounded.
The very few times when whe has been an inpatient, either my sis or myself have been at bedside pretty much round the clock. No one knows that I have a medical background, and we (as family members) ask for nothing for ourselves. We take care of the little comfort things for Mom without bothering anyone (except to ask where blankets are kept, and things like that). We aren't noisy. We're there when the surgeon comes in to give her the results of a test, while she's gorked on a PCA pump and CRS. And we keep her compliant and from walking out AMA because, in her words, "Healthcare has become a crooked, money-grubbing scam!" But rest assured, I am watching everything like a hawk. I'm subtle, not hounding, unless something is wrong. Then I will protect her.
I failed my father, and it caused him a great deal of misery because I trusted one night and went home. I would have caught the problem. I don't blame the nurses, because I don't know the circumstances onn the floor that night. I just know that I could have prevented him that pain, and I have to live with that. I won't leave my mother's side, and she doesn't want me (or sis) to.
Just a POV from another side.
This is a valid pov, however I don't think you are the type of visitor being vented about. If you are helpful and quiet and non-disruptive then I can't see a complaint except that allowing the good ones to stay sets the precedent for the bad ones who wreak havoc. Tough situation. I've had families who are ducking into other patients rooms looking for the nurse just to say that they need a blanket or ______. You go in to assess the patient and they keep you in there rearranging the room for 30 minutes, they want food and drinks for the little ones, do you know how to order movies on the TV, can you wait to explain the meds when they get off od the phone, They start messing with equipment like taking off o2 sat monitors etc... hanging around the nursing station creating a HIPAA issue, it just gets to be too much. I once walked in and found my patient's family member had camped out with her newborn 2 week old twins in the room. They needed diapers and she forgot wipes (not an L&D floor so no I don't have any of that stuff), the babies are crying and disrupting the whole floor. Poor patient wasn't getting any rest. Then she wanted to ask about developmental issues with the babies and what type of formula is best etc... I already had 5 patients and didn't need 3 more! Families should not be allowed to disrupt the work and flow of the unit.
I am beginning to feel like this needs to be an issue when contract time comes up, or a mass meeting with administration. setting FIRM LIMITS ON VISITATION, INCLUDING THIS NONSENSE OF FAMILIES CAMPING OUT IN PATIENTS' ROOMS AND THE WAITING ROOMS. THERE NEEDS TO BE NO CHANGING OF THE RULES BY NURSES WHO DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO STAND UP TO THESE NIT WITS. ONE SET OF RULES FOR EVERYONE! Nurses need to put their foot down and stop being doormats. To hell with Press Gainey!
What are visiting hours??????? 24/7 here, with couches that turn into bed for families members to move in. Nevermind that grandma just came back from OHS 3 hours ago.....go ahead, take a nap in the bed, you are tired. Stay all night and talk to grandma every 15 minutes......"Grandma needs to sleep, she just had OHS," says the nurse repeatedly.
But of course, it's all about keeping the customer happy!!!!! Hello, hospital, sick people, jerry springer families from hell who move into the room, waiting room, with some who just don't want to tell their families to leave them the heck alone, leaving the nurse to be the "b****."
I really think visiting hours should be brought back - it would be to the patient's benefit to actually get a bit of rest instead of having to entertain their families....
Personally, I think every nurse in the country should write a letter to the editor about how difficult it is to take care of pts. because of having to deal with demanding selfish entitled families. I'm even tempted to print out some of these threads and leave them in a few waiting rooms.
When our ICU switched to open visitation it was horrible I worked 7p-7a and every drunk family members would come in after the bars closed. It was a nightmare. We had to use security just about every night. Many families were asked to leave and/or get arrested. The hospital finally closed the ICU's from 9p until 7a for visitors
After 8 years in an open visiting ICU, I don't even have the energy to recount some of the rediculously entitled s*** I have observed. I would rather slit my throat than go back to that hot mess. I am generally one of the most laid back people you will ever meet, but I can not deal with admin allowing nursing staff to be abused for the sake of press-gainey. I have many an uncharitable thought about those entitled folks!:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire
I agree with much that is being said like the lock on the break room door. However; I still think how I would feel if I had a family member in the hospital regardless of the problem, especially if it was my husband, I would want to stay the night with him. Maybe you just need to be very blunt and tell the family you are doing the best job you can, and their attitude and actions are keeping you from doing your job. Sometimes families are so emotional and stressed they don't even realize how much of a nightmare they can be, try and put yourself in their situation and see if you can come up with a solution that not only solves you problem, but doesn't offend the family.
Children running around a health care facility really are a danger.
Several years ago, an unsupervised child runnning all over the unit ran into another pt's room, and crashed into me while I was withdrawing an IV needle, causing me to get a dirty needle stick.
I reported the incident to mgmt, but nothing was done. I was so angry, I kind of lost it, and verbally repremanded the monster-child's parents myself. That did have some effect, but the damage had already been done.
We really need to return to the old days of strictly enforced visiting hours, and no child visiters allowed.
:lol2::chuckle:chuckle:lol_hitti:roll:roll
zamboni
189 Posts
A lot of patients are also terrified of being in the hospital, and want someone there.
I've been reading this thread, and thinking about my Mom. She is scared of and angry at the healthcare system. It is only because of my sis and I that she has finally found a doc that works with her enough to give her a sense of control, so she can be talked into seeing him when she gets another UTI. She is also highly educated and worked in admin at one of the largest county hospitals in the country for 20 years. I have to admit, some of her fears are not unfounded.
The very few times when whe has been an inpatient, either my sis or myself have been at bedside pretty much round the clock. No one knows that I have a medical background, and we (as family members) ask for nothing for ourselves. We take care of the little comfort things for Mom without bothering anyone (except to ask where blankets are kept, and things like that). We aren't noisy. We're there when the surgeon comes in to give her the results of a test, while she's gorked on a PCA pump and CRS. And we keep her compliant and from walking out AMA because, in her words, "Healthcare has become a crooked, money-grubbing scam!" But rest assured, I am watching everything like a hawk. I'm subtle, not hounding, unless something is wrong. Then I will protect her.
I failed my father, and it caused him a great deal of misery because I trusted one night and went home. I would have caught the problem. I don't blame the nurses, because I don't know the circumstances onn the floor that night. I just know that I could have prevented him that pain, and I have to live with that. I won't leave my mother's side, and she doesn't want me (or sis) to.
Just a POV from another side.