Patient Family reporting poor care

[nickikh23]

I'm hoping someone will be able to provide some insight as to how to handle this situation.

My NM pulled me aside the other day to discuss an issue with a patient that I had been caring for this week. This particular patient is a confused patient who was vent-dependent for over two months and has just now progressed to trach collar around the clock. He was an open-heart patient gone bad. He has been on two point restraints from the beginning because he pulls at all his lines. He is a confused patient who does not believe he is in the hospital, does not believe he came in to have surgery, who tries to get out of bed to go to doctor appointments, etc. He has attempted to decanulate himself multiple times when we are turning him in the bed. The restraints had become a safety precaution for him. He had recently progressed to not needing any restraints at all. I had heard in passing that the wife is angry that we "tie the restraints too tight" and that he is "fully aware" of what is going on with him. The other night his wife claims that he mouthed to her that someone had hit him. The patient's wife stated that she then saw this same person that he pointed out enter another patient room, displaying a harsh tone and yelling at this other patient. She states that she came practically eye to eye with this person and now the patient's wife is demanding a name of this person to report them.

My NM came to me because I am one of the people on the floor who was working that night who fit the description that the wife provided. I was caught so incredibly off guard and can't even believe that anyone would treat any of our patients in that way. I have never seen anyone visit this patient so I don't know how she came "eye to eye" with me. The clothing colors the wife described about this person do not fit the outfit I was wearing that night at all. I looked back on my schedule and am now noticing that I was not even working the night the wife claims that this happened. The night before that I had worked I was in and out of the patient room once to get vitals for the nurse. The other patient who was supposedly spoken to inside the room with a harsh tone was out of bed to chair in the hallway until nearly 10:30PM, two hours beyond visitng hours.

My NM is as confident as I am about the care I provide to our patients. I respect and understand that she is only doing her job by asking, but I can't help but feel frustrated. She told me to consider the issue resolved and that she trusts me fully with the work I do on our unit.

I am still so frustrated and am wondering if anyone's been in a situation similar to this.. how did you handle it? Should I email my NM the realizations I had about not even working that night and the other patient sitting out in a chair outside the room, or should I just let it go? I can just see my NM having myself and the patient's family stand face to face and the patient's wife saying, "yes, that's the one" despite my complete innocence. I am really bent out of shape because I know how hard I work and how much I care for our patients. I'm graduating from nursing school next year and am feeling so put down by the fact that this family insists that this has all happened.

I know I shouldn't let it get to me because I know that I did not do any of what this family is claiming, but ahhh.. it is frustrating.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Yes definately put the bug in your manager's ear that you were not there the night in question as that will get you off the hook.

That would definately be a blow and I'm sorry for what you're going through. Hang in there.

[puggymae]

I for sure would tell the NM that you were not there on that night.

This reminds me of one of those TV shows where bystanders pick innocent people out of a line up and that person goes to prison for 40 years for a crime that they did not commit!

You cannot please some family members - and some family members are confused themselves and cannot (or won't) recognize it in their family.

Try not to fret - this probably won't be the last time you face this situation in your nursing career.

[leslie :-D]

one time we had a very disgruntled family member, who had accused the aide of being too rough with the pt.

i relayed the concerns to this aide:

she denied any wrongdoing and i definitely believed her (she's wonderful!).

as i was dealing with this family member, the aide walked up to us and said to the family member, "i understand you have some concerns about the care i provided to your father".

she then proceeded to offer her sympathy re: their "desperate" situation:

reassure them she valued the relationship she had developed with their loved one;

and it is always her intent to offer any type of care that will only decrease the pain.

this aide was assertive, yet soothing and sincere.

the family member ended up softening, and admitting their experience had been very trying.

he also apologized.

i never asked this aide to speak with the family member.

she did this on her own.

if it's something you feel comfortable with, it's something you may consider?

just make sure a nurse or nm is present.

best of everything.

leslie

[CHATSDALE]

if it is any comfort to you this happens to everyone at least once

patients are out of their gourd and families are worried and under stress makes for a volitule sittuation

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Definitely provide her your time card.

Cripes.

[SharonH, RN]

Oh what a nightmare, I'm sorry you're going through this. Nothing is more deflating than providing the best care you can for a patient only to be accused of harm or neglect.

[psalm, RN]

And document any accusations you may get while on shift. If a pt. or visitor says " I called for over an hour for a pain pill" or whatever. I will document what was said, when I was alerted to the need, and what was done. That's all you can do to cover yourself.

Good advice above, from earle58, etc.