Pt fainted on me while standing up

[anon456]

I'm a student and this is the first experience I have had with this-- we watched some videos on the subject though.

I had a patient who was not labeled a fall risk. She had to use the bathroom and me and an RN were helping her to use the toilet. Upon standing up, the patient started to sway and I knew she was going down. I told the RN "she's going down!" as the patient leaned into my body. I had a door jam behind me. I put my arms around the patient and we both leaned towards the door jam. It was controlled fall. Then I lowered us both down to the floor together, sliding down the door jam. Within a minute the patient had come around again and was able to be assisted to a chair, and then to the bed. The RN said I did great. I was not sore or anything.

However my instructor, who first commended me for keeping the patient safe, later said never to let a patient sit on me like that, and to make a choice between myself and my patient when it came to injury and safety. I really thought I had done a smooth job keeping us both safe, but at the same time I can see her point. I would not want to throw my back out, and if that door jam was not behind me to lean on I'm not sure how I would have saved the patient from being hurt without hurting myself. And if the patient had been any bigger I might have been squashed.

[RaeRae1997]

You thought fast and acted fast. Way to go! You also learned an important lesson that most nurses don't know till it happens. Everybody in the hospital or having a procedure is a fall risk (some obviously more than others). Just keep it in the back of your mind and you'll always be ready in the future. I'm sure a lot of my patient's think I'm a worrier cause I always make pt. sit up on side of bed for 5 minutes before getting up. Once they stand I make them stand for a few minutes beside the bed, that way if they start to get dizzy or faint I can push them back toward the bed. I also use gait belts, so I can keep a good hold on them and control any fall without hurting myself or them. Yes, I'm a worrier but I always liked that boy scout motto about being prepared. I've found the times bad things have occurred I didn't follow that "be prepared" motto and ended up getting burned. I also try to ask my patient's who are allowed oob if I can help them to the BR frequently, that way hopefully I can prevent a sudden immediate urge to get there fast. By the way I fell out one time at the dentist, I wish someone would have been fast on their feet like you were, cause I ended up with a big knot on the head and horrible headache.

[Zookeeper3]

YOU ALL ARE CRAZY! OP you did a wonderful job. My best buddy had a patient family "fall' on her. She is not only severly injured, she will ALWAYS be in pain... people that means at home in pain.. driving... can never lift her kids again. As the sole income provider, she is unable to pick up any additional overtime.

I'm sorry ya'll... my back is my paycheck. Being unable to work will bankrupt my family. Think long and hard about giving that all up. No one in any other career.... would even think of doing such a thing. I worked hard for my degree and I'd like to continue practicing nursing.

We are not martyrs that throw ourselves on the floor to padd patients. Don't ever think that:mad: Sometimes patients fall, period end of story.

and now time for the nursing students to tell me how heartless and cruel I am.... flame away...

[jrw03282009]

We are not martyrs that throw ourselves on the floor to padd patients. Don't ever think that:mad: Sometimes patients fall, period end of story.

and now time for the nursing students to tell me how heartless and cruel I am.... flame away...

HAHAHAHA!!! Not that it is someting to laugh about but I see your point. A year ago, I would have flamed but I have learned my lessons from previous responses and have learned to really pay attention to what is being said. Some thing I can't keep my mouth shut over though even still!

I WILL say that I totally agree! I will do everything in my power to keep a pt safe, it's our job! However, I will NOT place myself in the position of forever harming myself, if it can be helped. One of my instructors had her arm dislocated b/c a pt was fine till a family member walked in and at that point she decided to go down grabbing the inst's arm as she did, whooping and hollering the whole way there!

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I agree to not let yourself be permanently injured. That's what my instructor was aiming to say. I knew I could not support this patient and was not going to throw my back out while saving her. I figured I could just slide down with her and cradle her head.