Share The Weirdest Reasons Patients Push The Call Light

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jun 15, 2006

This morning I discharged a young female patient after a laparoscopy done for a tubal pregnancy. In my discharge instructions to her, I included "no sexual intercourse". When I left to make copies of the written discharge instructions for her and then came back to give her the copies, her and her husband were arguing over when they had sex last. :imbar Then she asked me how long before they could do it again. I told her at least until her follow up appointment in a week with the ob-gyn. Then she told me she didn't care, "but he does". Med-surg is never boring.

minkajane · Jun 23, 2006

My nurses probably thought I was nuts after I had my C-section. I don't respond well to pain meds. The morphine made me throw up all afternoon and the other stuff they gave me made me loopy. My husband left to be with the baby while I was in recovery and I threw up in a plastic tub. I couldn't get out of bed, so I needed someone to come dump it out. I had no idea what to say, so I buzzed the nurses station and said "I threw up again. Just thought you should know..." I shudder to think of the crazy stuff I said on those pain meds that I don't remember now.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2006

Student Clincal placement on a elderly care ward, in my bay of 7 patients we had one lady CVA and severe right sided weakness would buzz or call 24*7. She wanted us to dial for her, feed her which she could. fetch blankets drinks etc. I gave up the day she asked to be put back to bed, which i did when i then suggested we take her dressing gown off as she would be too warm she refused only to ask 5 mins later while i was doing a dressing. Had her call nurse during visiting hours only to get verbally abused at her beside. 80 year olde never married lived used to be a nurse and a complete PITA, though i was not going to make it to registration as i mights say somthingi'd regret.

traumaQN · Jul 12, 2006

I had a lady pull a call light once.. because she needed some "self confidence"

banditrn · Jul 13, 2006

probably because many who are self pay feel entitled and want to get their mo:nurse: neys worth

I found that the medicaid patients were the worst, the younger ones, anyhow.

BURNOUT - what we used to do with the really heavy pts. was to put the bed way up, then put the head down, then pull them with 4 staff. A lot easier to pull them down than up.

banditrn · Jul 13, 2006

Not the weirdest, but probably the one that irritates me the most is the guy that is completely self-care during the day - gets himself up, dressed, goes to the BR, etc. But at noc when there's only two of us, he has to be helped to the BR, pants pulled up and down, etc. :uhoh3:

tab1961 · Jul 14, 2006

i work in ltc on 11-7 shift. we have this one resident that rings 3 to 4 times a night just to tell that she is going to the bathroom. and when she is comming out of the bathroom she pulls the call light & by the time we get to her she is half way across the room headed towards her bed & we ask her what she needed & she says i just wanted you to know that i was going back to bed.

:madface:

PiperLPN · Jul 14, 2006

so did you wipe his butt?

PiperLPN · Jul 14, 2006

Cheerfuldoer - so did you wipe his butt?

Sister of Eluria RN · Jul 16, 2006

A few months ago, I had a patient incessantly calling for "The Nurse". I was a PCT at the time, and, after answering the light several times only to be told that no, the patient didn't need anything in particular, just "The Nurse", I called the room, told them I was their nurse (who was standing next to me, laughing hysterically), and asked if there was anything specific I should bring into the room when I made rounds.

The patient proceeded to ask if she could "pee in the white thing in the toilet".

We just about died laughing.

emllpn2006 · Jul 17, 2006

recently I had a patient who was a big uppity person in state politics who had complained to the hospital board about the last nights nursing staff. I was still a student so was told to do everything this woman asked. I spent the day dialing the telephone, holding her make up mirror and adjusting her covers and pillows. The call light must have went off 5000 times that day saying dial my phone, then I would leave a few minures later call light would go off and it would be hang up my phone, five minutes later dial my phone. I felt like screaming you can hang up the phone easier than pushing the call light so just do it. I held my composure though and made it though the day. BTW was in the hopital for a knee replacement nothing to do with hands.

banditrn · Jul 25, 2006

Had a guy push the lite the other nite - to say he couldn't FIND the lite. :uhoh3: :uhoh3: