Out of control resident!!!!!!

[Misslady113]

This is just boiling me over. I work as a CNA on the 3rd shift. We have a resident here who rings the call bell non-stop. Sometimes if you go in there he will come up with ridiculous reasons for assistance, like rubbing his feet, change his diaper(even though he's dry) can't find his cell phone, can't find his cellphone, and again..can't find his cellphone.

Lately he has been at war with the nurses and just rings the call bell for no reason. When we go in to assist him he tells us in the most spiteful way that he just wants it on and don't touch his callbell. It's every 5 to 15 min he rings the bell. If we shut it off he turns it right back on. The d**m bell is so tired of ringing that sometimes the thing stutters and has to reajust itself.

Now he has this new thing where he calls the facility number all night long and when we answer he says nothing. Then calls back over and over and just lets it ring all night.. This is becoming disruptive to the residents and staff and I'm sick of it. Administration is well aware of whats going on and nothing is done.

What can we do about this guy? HAs anyone been in the same situation? I just feel something needs to be done but I'm just a CNA so I don't know what to do?

[upandcomingRN]

Unfortunately, I believe it's safe to say that there are a handful of us nurses who have been caught in a situation dealing with combatative patients. Although we have the mindset to "expect the unexpected", sometimes we find ourselves stuck in these tough scenarios. I wish you the best of luck while dealing with this hard to please patient, just keep on keepin' on. I also believe a psych consult is in the near future for him.

[onetiredmomma]

Along with other suggestions, I would add (if he is cognitively able) make a contract with this man. Tell him someone will check on him every 15 minutes, then after he earns your trust increase the time to every 30 and so on. Hopefully if he learns someone will stop in to see him he will calm down and be able to relax.

[Leelee2]

Nursing care plan?? Needs to be addressed by unit manager and nurses, possibly social services.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Typical management not doing anything about a serious problem.

I think we have all had this type of problem. I know the bell can't be taken away from him - we are not allowed to do this in Australia.

He definitely has anger and psychiatric or psychological issues. Sounds like he wants attention (you don't have to be studying psych to work that out!), but it's more than that. What sort of upbringing did he have? Was he neglected or has a got an unhappy, neglectful wife/family? Sometimes people just desperately want to talk but don't know how to go about it, and yes, he could be lonely but he sounds angry to me as well.

I've had patients like this and one way I dealt with it, was to try and find time to actually sit and talk re what is bothering them, though this might take some time. But yes, he does need a psychologist maybe to see him for an assessment and perhaps he may even be at the beginning stages of some sort of personality disorder and/or dementia.

I also brought in magazines for a patient like this - he liked fishing and my brother had heaps of old fishing mags - and lo and behold, the bell slowly stopped ringing as much. Has this patient got a TV as well?

Also make sure all his things are within reach, ie: glasses, water, etc so he can't use the bell as an excuse for everything and it would be great if someone could take him outside for a walk one day to distract him.

Let us know how you go with this patient as they can waste a lot of time, and can be a big distraction when working.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

1. I would find a way to attach his cell phone to him so he would not lose it.

2. He is probably very lonely. When I have patients like this I bring them out to the nursing station to sit in a chair, put a bedside table with them and give them something to read. It gets them out of their room and sitting them up for a while makes them tired. Sure, they overhear stuff at the desk but these patients don't remember what they do from one minute to the next. We give them something to drink and talk to them a bit. They like that. But then they get tired of listening to us and they want to go back to bed. I have never seen it fail once. No more calls on the light.