So, my colleague and I :), have a patient tonight who has literally, literally I tell you, hit her call light at least every 5-10 minutes. You go in, she wants a drink. She wants her gown straightened up. She can't reach her TV remote.
She wants a light turned on. She wants a light turned off. She wants her blinds closed.
No, she doesn't have anything to help her sleep, but I think my friend is getting ready to call and get her something. ?
Tell me your strategy for dealing with folks like this. (It can be funny or serious)
My Queen #2 *will* take pills with water, but if you merely pour some water from her bedside pitcher into a small cup, will make an awful face and declare that "It's WARM". So again, the interpid nurse must fly to Greenland, chip some ice into a gold-plated bucket, fly immediately back, parachute into the facility, and serve icewater in a crystal glass, on a lavender satin pillow, in order to get said pill taken.
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
djh123 said:
I love it. Yes, contrary to popular opinion, there is not just ONE Queen of England - there are MANY. I had one lady who would act like I was INSANE, asking her to take a pill with an ordinary cup of water (I mean, can you believe I'd do something so 'common'?). She'd ask for apple juice, and if it was unavailable, oh boy, I might get her to take something, or I might not. I joked w/aides that we had to have freshly-squeezed apple juice, JUST flown in from Washington state, and that it was chilled to the perfect temperature with chips of ice (also just flown in) from a glacier. THEN, and only then, might the queen be able to take that pill, you lowly servants.
Can't be drinking that high-falutin' apple juice out of a DISPOSABLE styrofoam cup!!!!
If they're alert, I just ask what else might they need at the moment, because I may not be back for awhile. If they don't get the hint that way I'll let them ring if I have to before I let another patient wait, then attend to them. If that still doesn't work I'd probably just call them out on it and ask them if they'd like to maybe come sit in the sunroom/whatever area there may be for patients.
I'd also make sure they were comfortable and all that to improve the chances of sleep.
If they're confused, they come hang out with me at the desk while I chart.
For the ones that I think are just lonely, I offer to call the hospital chaplain to come and chat with them. I'm fortunate that our facility has a chaplain on site 24/7/365, and they're happy to come and just spend a little time with someone who needs extra non-medical attention.
For those that just have what I call "Queen of England Syndrome" but no actual needs, I explain that I have five other patients and I need to spend time taking care of their MEDICAL NEEDS, so I'll need The Queen of England to ask for NON MEDICAL REQUESTS just once per hour, please.
I assure you, there are plenty of Kings of England out there....
My Queen #2 *will* take pills with water, but if you merely pour some water from her bedside pitcher into a small cup, will make an awful face and declare that "It's WARM". So again, the interpid nurse must fly to Greenland, chip some ice into a gold-plated bucket, fly immediately back, parachute into the facility, and serve icewater in a crystal glass, on a lavender satin pillow, in order to get said pill taken.
Oh but you're doing it wrong, you're supposed to use whale's tears.
Well, sometimes it is not QUITE lying but just... exaggeration. A bit of it.
One time, I pulled the concerned relative aside and told, like it was the greatest secret ever:
- that we are trying to find a good facility for the patient and close to home (true);
- that good SNFs are few and far between (well... kind of true);
- that even in good SNFs there is one RN for 20 patients (true, in general);
- that if the patient continues to hit the button every 2 min, presses it when nurse is actually in the room, etc., the good SNF will find a way to send the patient back to acute in no time (CAN be true);
- and that the SNF can refuse to take him back (not ‹usually true, AFAIK)
- and then he will have to go to another SNF, which could be way worse than the first one (true again)
I have no idea what was said between those two, but the frequency of hitting button in that room came to screeching stop almost immediately.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
This technique will not be found in any policy/procedures manual. In addition, state surveyors would frown upon it. Nonetheless...
My former coworker, a rough-around-the-edges CNA from south Louisiana, smiled while she told the frequent call light strikers, "You have got to stop riding this call bell. I will check you in an hour, so tell me everything you need when I return."
I assure you, there are plenty of Kings of England out there....
Oh yes, oh yes. Let's see: one King of England I had would sometimes - all at once - want his blinds lowered all the way (which some hapless FOOL had left up perhaps 2"), the bathroom door closed, the pillow moved 1" to the L, the TV remote placed properly on the bedside table, and more. One of my aides at the time actually told him one time - 'jokingly' and uh, not so jokingly, "You're the reason I go home and DRINK at night", ha ha. He said 'Nooooo', in a tone of 'couldn't be true', and she said 'Oh yes'.
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
martymoose said:
We had one once that we counted the number of times they hit the call light ( computerized system)
TWO HUNDRED AND TWELVE TIMES. in an 8 hour shift.
Someone needs to program one like a PCA pump... it "times out" for a specific period of time and doesn't work again until your allotted time is up no matter how many times you press it!!!
My poor British self...... 
djh123
1,101 Posts
My Queen #2 *will* take pills with water, but if you merely pour some water from her bedside pitcher into a small cup, will make an awful face and declare that "It's WARM". So again, the interpid nurse must fly to Greenland, chip some ice into a gold-plated bucket, fly immediately back, parachute into the facility, and serve icewater in a crystal glass, on a lavender satin pillow, in order to get said pill taken.