I had a very enjoyable night two nights ago, because for the first time in my nursing history I had a patient who literally turned their call light on every 2-5 minutes.
Reasons the patient turned her call light on:
1. I farted.
2. I coughed.
3. Can I sit at the nurses station naked?
4. My neck twitched when I took a breath.
5. Can you scratch my left pinky finger?
6. My tongue keeps touching my teeth, what should I do?
7. I think I have to poop but I'll wait until tomorrow to do it.
8. I'm about to call 911 because I keep hearing the nurses walk by my room.
I too was frustrated with frequent call bells and decided to take a pro active approach. At the beginning of the shift I would introduce myself and ask them if they needed anything and then do whatever it was that was needed. I explained that I would be passing meds at such and such time but they would see me again during med pass. After that task was done I went back to each room and offer my services again. I then told them that I would be making rounds every 30-40 minutes. And I would do just that. If someone was tanking or needed extra procedures I would go to the others room or send someone else to explain that I hadn't forgotten them, but I was busy with a pt and would be approx (10) min late. They would then ask if anyone needed assistance now. The pts started to trust me and know that if I said I would do something----- I would do it. I had very few call bells
I had a schizo patient on the medicine floor where I work (pt was pretty much a stable and ambulatory patient waiting on placement). They pushed the call light every minute or two and would say it was because they were lonely. It actually made me sad and it was before my hospital had portable computers. I can't sit in your room and chart on other patients. I had another patient push his call light every few minutes from the second he was told he would be getting discharged. (Of course several hours before the MD put in the actual order to discharge him.) I told him, the more time I spend in his room turning off the call light, the less time I have to spend working on the paperwork to send him home. He slowed up once his family came to visit.
ICE, Ice drives me insane. "I can't drink this water, it's too warm can you get me some ice?". Ok, fact #1, there is only one ice unit on a whole ward of 24 beds. WHICH HAPPENS TO BE AT THE COMPLETE OTHER END OF THE WARD. That's ok, I'll walk the mile or so down the other end to get your ice, which you will press the call bell again in 20 mins or so because it's melted and you want more. Despite there being 20 family members in your room and a supermarket across the road. If you want an endless stream of ice get them to do it. #2 there are over 3 million people worldwide who do not even have access to clean drinking water, yet you want iced water. In a public hospital. With said family members & supermarket.
"Can you move my pillows?". If they have had spinal/shoulder/arm/neck surgery or a a quadreplegic, sure, no worries. If they can do it themselves, get f****d.
The ones that really infuriate me are the ones who you go in and they ask "can you untuck the blankets from my feet?". Ok. Now they want their call bell moved, their TV turned down, the bed head lowered, their water topped up, their socks taken off and an extra blanket. You ask them nicely before you go "Is there anything else I can do for you?" No, so you go.
Five minutes later their call bell goes off again. They want to be taken to the toilet, their bedside table moved closer, their TV and light turned off, some more pain/sleeping meds, their blanket taken off because they're too hot now, their TEDS put on, their mobile put on charge and SOME F*****G ICE! Seriously! Am I working for the penthouse suite in the Hilton!? All the while I've got some poor guys IV Abx has just run out and needs a flush, someone else is needing their insulin and some other poor duck is almost falling on the floor trying to take herself to the loo even though she's just had an MVA.
I totally understand being completely helpless in bed (I've been there), but I would have to be on deaths door before I rang the call bell for such trivial ****.
Then there's the ever-popular "My mother was sent an orange popsicle on her lunch tray but she only eats the lime ones. Can you get her another one?" Or, "Can you send someone to move my Kleenex box?" Indicates with both hands how she wants it moved from its present location to another position about an inch away.
Then there's the ever-popular "My mother was sent an orange popsicle on her lunch tray but she only eats the lime ones. Can you get her another one?" Or, "Can you send someone to move my Kleenex box?" Indicates with both hands how she wants it moved from its present location to another position about an inch away.
Yeah, we could go on forever. I told some aides last night that I felt like saying "Slavery has ENDED, did you know that?!?" to an overly-demanding resident.
"Can you sing me a lullabye?" From a 56+ patient who' exhausted all the excuses you posted.
Another pt hospitalized for months got to the point of calling for temp adjustments q20mins as in: "can you turn the temp up 1/2 a degree" "put the temp down 2 degrees", "up 1 degree." "Down 2.5 degrees." Etc...
chinny7150
19 Posts
I too was frustrated with frequent call bells and decided to take a pro active approach. At the beginning of the shift I would introduce myself and ask them if they needed anything and then do whatever it was that was needed. I explained that I would be passing meds at such and such time but they would see me again during med pass. After that task was done I went back to each room and offer my services again. I then told them that I would be making rounds every 30-40 minutes. And I would do just that. If someone was tanking or needed extra procedures I would go to the others room or send someone else to explain that I hadn't forgotten them, but I was busy with a pt and would be approx (10) min late. They would then ask if anyone needed assistance now. The pts started to trust me and know that if I said I would do something----- I would do it. I had very few call bells