Sitting down in patient rooms.

Nurses Relations

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Do you do this? What do you think of it?

They are starting something where I'm employed encouraging (next time mandating) that we spend time sitting at the bedside. According to EBP, patients perceive us better and feel we have spent more time with then when we sit versus stand. Something that will increase our scores.

Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

I also try to do this during an admission or during downtimes when I have a patient that just wants an ear. However I prefer that it be left to our judgment because it isn't feasible or appropriate for every single patient.

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I try. It doesn't happen with every pt every day, however even just 30 seconds sitting on an arm rest shows that I care.

On another note, - those rooms where the floor looks like a better place to sit then any of the options :barf02:

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I do when there is a spot.

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Specializes in CWON - Certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse.

If I am teaching I really try to sit so the patient and I are eye to eye. I do so because I want my patients to feel like I am focused on them and their needs. With the frequent flitting about of staff trying to get blood drawn, tests done, etc sitting and conversing helps a patient to feel like a person and not an object.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

I do it I just thought I was lazy!!

If I am feeding someone I always try to sit as my frame leaning over them could be intimidating fat 6ft woman ! when I am replacing TEDS I will grab some moisturizer and a chair and do a 30 sec foot rub which tends to lead to a 5 min conversation but o well ☆

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Specializes in GI,Telemetry, Trauma ICU, Endoscopy.

Like most I do it when I can. I enjoy when I have that time because a better a connection is made between the patient and I.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I sit on the stool in almost every room I go into at least a few times during their stay.

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Specializes in Family practice, emergency.

When I can, I sit. I wish I did it more, it doesn't take any more times, but patients think I spent more time and I feel more relaxed and less focused on other tasks I need to do. It adds a personal touch.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Yes I always sit with my patient during their intake and/or shift assessment, when time allows. I like my patients to know they have my undivided attention, even if only for a few minutes. I do think it makes a big difference in patient perception of our care.[/quote']

THIS.

I haven't had any issues in sitting with my patients; I will ask FIRST (think: personal space), then will either pull a chair beside them (think: personal space) or sit on the bed and have a moment with them.

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Specializes in ICU.

I think this is great!! In the year 2009, I spent a lot of time in the hospital. Probably 6 out of the 12 months. I have epilepsy and it was at it's worst that year. I had a horrible seizure in February of that year and ended up hitting my head and neck so hard I caused a blood clot in my carotid and it broke off and I had a PE in my lungs. I also had a severe case of pneumonia. I was in the hospital for 3 months. The nurses who spent time with me made the difference.

My son had just turned 3 at the time. I was in the hospital in Indianapolis and I live 40 minutes away. My husband at the time came down when he could, but with work and being a father at the time I didn't get to see him or my son much. I was scared, and I missed them terribly. If a nurse just came in and spent 5 minutes with me talking to me, it made my day. Really it did. Just to have someone listen to my concerns and how much I missed my family. I had a few who would do that with me every time they worked and I so appreciated it. My neurologist's office had about 15 different docs in it and I had a different one pretty much every day who didn't know me from Adam. I was just a chart to them. The nurses who took care of me and were there got to know me and it really helped me from falling in a deeper depression. Spending time with your patients and talking to them for a few minutes really does help.

They put me on vancomyicin for the pneumonia. I was pretty sick. I ended up being allergic to it and I got Red Man Syndrome. I wasn't even recognizable for like a week. I swelled up and turned bright red. I ended up coding on 2 different occasions. I had to be resuscitated. I could not feel anything, but I remember this clear as day. I had a nurse who whispered in my ear, "Breathe, honey, breathe." After that I started breathing again. As I sit here and type this I can clear as day hear her voice in my ear. She was one of the night nurses who always checked on me whether she was assigned to me or not that day. I barely remember the doctors from those 3 months, but I remember the nurses to this day and am grateful for the ones that made me feel like a person and not a chart. I think sitting at their bedside will help accomplish this. It will give people a greater sense of comfort.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Do you do this? What do you think of it?

They are starting something where I'm employed encouraging (next time mandating) that we spend time sitting at the bedside. According to EBP, patients perceive us better and feel we have spent more time with then when we sit versus stand. Something that will increase our scores.

I'll preface this by saying that I'm old and have bad knees, but yes, I sit in patient rooms whenever I get the chance. I slide the chair over next to the bed where I can easily bend over and check the urimeter and chest tube cannisters for drainage, and while I'm sitting there I take 30 seconds or so for a friendly non-nursing exchange with the patient. "WOW! I didn't realize the sun was out -- I'm glad it's stopped snowing," or "Looks like your grandkids worked really hard on that drawing. How old is Heather?" It doesn't take that long, I can assess a number of things about the patient while I'm doing so, and it's a whole lot more possible (for me) than squatting to look at the drainage.

I've been a patient all too frequently in the past couple of years, and I've noticed that whenever my nurse takes a moment to sit down in my room, it makes me feel special. Maybe she LIKES me, and she's not just popping into my room because she's PAID to. (OK, yes, I should know better, but really, if it makes ME feel better, think about how much better it will make someone feel who doesn't know better!) Plus it's an often much-needed moment of human (as opposed to professional) contact.

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I'm a new grad without an RN job at present, so I can only comment coming from someone who had done clinicals and had a low patient load

But I tried to sit with them whenever possible. when I was doing IVP I would take a seat next to them and make it more of a conversation rather than me giving them a med. I did this, too, when giving people who needed more time to take their meds. I felt like it helped slow me down so they could see I wasn't rushed (even when I might have been at times). I learned so much about some people doign this that I might not have had I just done my job and left.

Additionally, when doing teaching I like to sit with them and help them understand. Again, by sitting it's more of a conversation and not an authoritarian kind of thing which *I* personally would prefer were I to be hospitalized.

Hopefully I'll be able to carry this over when I get my first job because I really loved having those moments

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