pts who say "it's ok" and it's not!

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Ok, a pretty vague title, but this is ticking me off. Have a patient who stays on the phone all night and has a roommate who would like to sleep. I know this because I have both patients and it's obvious the non-chatting roommate is tossing and turning, pulling blanket up over head, etc.

So I ask Chatty Cathy if she wouldn't mind wrapping up the phone call (it was 0030, late enough, yes?) because her roommate was trying to sleep. So Miss Chatty says "she's asleep, and she doesn't mind anyway, I asked her earlier". I look over at roommate, who is wide awake, and say "she's not sleeping". I ask roommate, "are you having a hard time sleeping because of the phone conversation?" and Chatty Cathy interrupts "she said it was fine, it isn't bothering her." So I look at roommate, who says "it's not bothering me, it's fine". So Chatty Cathy proceeds to go off on how she always talks QUIETLY (nothing she ever does is quiet) and she was CONSIDERATE of her roommate (another never). Meanwhile, the roommate is again pulling covers up over her ears, while SHAKING HER HEAD that it obviously wasn't the case!

So I have to have Miss Chatty all harumphing that I'm bothering HER about her incessant phone calls, and meanwhile the roomate IS being bugged, but when I tried to intervene on her behalf, she made me look like a PITA. Nice. So much for trying to help....argh.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Private rooms are so nice. Sorry your poor patient (and you!) has to put up with this. I would involve a charge nurse or manager in the case. Set guidlines for the chatting pt so she understands that it isn't acceptable.

Or get your other patient a private room. I am sure the trouble of a quick move is better than the incessant chitchat.

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I am surprised the phones aren't turned off in patient rooms after a certain time, every place I worked at has been like that.

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Wouldn't that be great? Except we're stuffed to capacity, can't move either of them, and since the non-chatting, non-sleeping roomate has verbalized "oh, it's fine", then it only looks like harrassment to insist that Chatty Cathy shut up.

As it turns out, eventually both fell asleep.

Just bugs me that I tried to do the right thing by the lady who couldn't sleep, and she fed me to the Wolf (Chatty Cathy could be called that, too, LOL).

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I am surprised the phones aren't turned off in patient rooms after a certain time, every place I worked at has been like that.

Incoming calls, yes. Outgoing can happen anytime. After all, they have the right to call OUT, just not have the phone ring at all hours. Besides, people use their cell phones all night, too; sometimes we do have to tell them to get off and shut up but usually don't have the other party in the room pulling the rug out from under us when we're trying to help.

Oh, well...if she's tired in the morning it's not like *I* didn't try!

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
Incoming calls, yes. Outgoing can happen anytime. After all, they have the right to call OUT, just not have the phone ring at all hours. Besides, people use their cell phones all night, too; sometimes we do have to tell them to get off and shut up but usually don't have the other party in the room pulling the rug out from under us when we're trying to help.

Oh, well...if she's tired in the morning it's not like *I* didn't try!

Well I am sure days will be like "man she slept all day!". I would tell them to make sure she is VERY busy. lol

:coollook:

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Ok, a pretty vague title, but this is ticking me off. Have a patient who stays on the phone all night and has a roommate who would like to sleep. I know this because I have both patients and it's obvious the non-chatting roommate is tossing and turning, pulling blanket up over head, etc.

So I ask Chatty Cathy if she wouldn't mind wrapping up the phone call (it was 0030, late enough, yes?) because her roommate was trying to sleep. So Miss Chatty says "she's asleep, and she doesn't mind anyway, I asked her earlier". I look over at roommate, who is wide awake, and say "she's not sleeping". I ask roommate, "are you having a hard time sleeping because of the phone conversation?" and Chatty Cathy interrupts "she said it was fine, it isn't bothering her." So I look at roommate, who says "it's not bothering me, it's fine". So Chatty Cathy proceeds to go off on how she always talks QUIETLY (nothing she ever does is quiet) and she was CONSIDERATE of her roommate (another never). Meanwhile, the roommate is again pulling covers up over her ears, while SHAKING HER HEAD that it obviously wasn't the case!

So I have to have Miss Chatty all harumphing that I'm bothering HER about her incessant phone calls, and meanwhile the roomate IS being bugged, but when I tried to intervene on her behalf, she made me look like a PITA. Nice. So much for trying to help....argh.

This has happened to me, too. I never try again to help someone who will not only not stand up for herself but who also won't even back me up when I go to bat for her. I have even been known to say, but, Mrs. Smith, you just told me it DOES keep you awake. does it or doesn't it? If she can't work up a little courage at that point, sorry, I have other stuff to do. I wonder how the topic came up between the roommates. Did the phoner ask the other one? Or what? Some people are just too timid.

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Yeah, I probably should have said "didn't you say you wanted it quieter to sleep?" but I guess I just didn't have the desire to try more at that point. Was already under that bus, y'know ;)

Hard to imagine how it came up between them: they didn't talk at all as far as I could tell. Chatty Cathy whines to the staff, and when she doesn't have us, picks up the phone and whines to family. Visiting relative has already told me he'd rather NOT receive any of her wee-hour whine sessions, but just can't tell her no! Ok, if he won't grow a set, what does he want ME to do about it?

I hope that I don't have either patient by next shift, LOL!

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

In defense of Chatty Cathy's roomate, she was probably afraid to tell her it wasn't ok to be on the phone all night. If she was a witch to her nurse, imagine how she would treat her roomate when alone.

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Oh for the days when the room phones were shut off at 10pm.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.
I ask roommate, "are you having a hard time sleeping because of the phone conversation?" and Chatty Cathy interrupts "she said it was fine, it isn't bothering her." So I look at roommate, who says "it's not bothering me, it's fine". .

You set her up--you didnt mean to of course, but she is polite and didnt want to be made the bad guy by having roommate hang up the phone. So she said it is not bothering her--just to keep the peace.

In the future I would say "Sorry Cathy but you and Nancy need to get your rest, so I need you to make your phone calls tomorrow in the day"

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Not everyone can just stick up for themselves. I happen to be that type of person who HATES conflict and would suffer just to not disturb the peace. So in a case like this, it's really not fair to assume that the person you are sticking up for doesn't appreciate it- but if she didn't stick up for herself in the first place- it's because she doesn't want to be confrontational- and putting her in the position again just makes it worse. If you are to intervene- then you just have to be the authority and not involve the "peace-keeping" roomate- instead- simply suggest it is inappropriate to be talking on the phone at 3am and that she needs to wait until daylight unless it's an emergency. If I were the patient I would have said it was ok too, even if it wasn't. Don't blame the patient.

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