Patient fx hip after family refused alarm

[Emilyinsc]

Ok, the family for a short term rehab patient did not place an alarm due to family's refusal (this happened on a wed). He fell a day & a half later, breaking his hip and nose. The NH is coming down hard on the admission nurse since she didn't place the alarm on wed (but remember the family refused). Who is responsible? the admission nurse who wasn't present on the night of the fall? the nurse on duty? or the NH? or no one since the family since refused the alarm & it was documented.

LET ME KNOW.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Maybe my facility is more strict- we USED to be able to document if a person refused the alarms. Now we are not allowed to even do that. If they have been deemed a fall risk, then the alarms go on. The facility even has random spot checks by auditors to see if we have them on. If one isn't on, the floor gets wrote up, and of course they find out who the nurse is who has that particular pt,so they get wrote up too.

[tbehlow, LPN]

I would of explained to the family that it is required to have alarms , for residents who are risk for falls.. I'd they still refused I would of documented in detail , how it was explained and the family refusal .

[Aurora77]

Patients do and should have the right to fall. Patients can refuse ANY treatment.

With rights come responsibility. If the patient and family refuse to do what is necessary to keep the patient safe, the family should take responsibility for all costs incurred with the fall. They should also not be allowed to sue for damages as a result of the fall.

Unfortunately, this isn't the case and the first person to be blamed will be the nurse. I'm all for advocating for my patients, but I'm my own advocate first. Someone (or their family) wants to place themselves intentionally in harm's way, I can't stop them, but I'm sure as a the world covering my own butt.

[Bringonthenight]

We don't have bed alarms in my country at least in my experience. What exactly does it do? When does it alarm?

And why do families refuse it? I'm confused.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

The beds we have have sensors based on the pt's weight. If the pt gets up, or sits up, depending on the setting, a loud ,piercing , shrill beeeeeeeeeeep goes off, and makes people run(literally) to that room to try to get there in time to hopefully redirect pt back into bed, or at least minimize the imminent fall.

Kinda stinks in semi private rooms. I know if I was a pt rooming in with a confused person who constantly set the alarm off every 5 minutes(and I am not exagerating- that does happen sometimes) I would tell management I am sleeping in the hallway.Customer service only when it's convenient I guess.