Share The Weirdest Reasons Patients Push The Call Light

loving it · Dec 14, 2006

I once had a patient ring the call bell and when I got there they said, oh we were just checking to see how long it took for you to get here!

doingourbest · Dec 16, 2006

I Have a patient who stops up her toilet on a daily basis intentionally and then comes out the next day to say that no one ever fixed it and it has been stopped up for months, when once we realized she was doing this we always have several witnesses every time they unclog it, she stills insists that no one ever did.

On my rehab unit we have the monopoly on blind people. We had an old blind doctor on the unit who used to make everyone do everything for him. This is also the reason his wife could no longer take care of him at home. Very capable physically, or as many have said a "walky talky", this man would make us feed him every bite of his meal. If we put a sandwich in his hand he would say "I can't find my mouth" in this horrible whine. When we brought him the urinal, although he was capable of using the restroom, we would actually put his member in the urinal for him and he would be yelling I can't find my member and "am I urinating? He was constant one on one care and the most dificult patient I have ever had, but my kids sure thought the stories were funny. Shortly after this patient went to another facility, we had a blind person who completely changed my opinion of blind people altogether. We had a large number of blind folks like this man yet not as extreme. We got a blind man who did everything for himself. I would go in and see that his call light was not within reach, and he would say "that's okay, I can find it" fed himself dressed himself, everything. Just drives me crazy the horrible stupid things these blind residents wont do for themselves. I mean "I can't find my member" come on.

nurse414 · Dec 16, 2006

Best one I had was an older male that pulled the rip cord inthe bathroom. I entered the room to find the floor floaded. I knocked on the door and asked if he was ok and if the toilet had over filled? He stated, "No, can you come in here? All I can get out of this shower is cold water." He was trying to take a shower with the bed pan sprayer- I informed him that was for washing bed pans and BSC when they were dirty. The water was not dity, but not meant for showering people and I could take him down the hall to the community shower. I laughed by butt off! The kicker was he was not confused. You gotta love this job!:roll

AliRae · Dec 21, 2006

In our PICU, there are certain rules about call bells. One of them is that, in an intubated patient's room, you only push the bell if your kid is trying to extubate him or herself, or for other similar emergencies. We had a girl recently who had been quite sick- CVVH, the whole deal. We had just extubated her about half an hour earlier, and the call bell went on in her room. 5 or 6 nurses ran to her room expecting to see her coding, only to be met by the confused face of the resident, call bell in hand. "I just wanted to make sure it worked before I tried to teach her how to use it."

Okay, Sparky, we appreciate your enthusiasm ... but next time, let us handle it, please? We're more than capable of figuring out when our patients are awake enough to use the dang thing. And also, you made us think we were going to have to code her. That wasn't fun.

AliRae · Dec 21, 2006

This was more "awww" than funny... I had a sweet, but quiet little 7-yr-old the other night, whose mom had to go home for a little while so I made sure the pt knew how to use the call light. Awhile later she did hit her call light, and when I got in the room she said "can you tuck me in?" Made my night.

oh, and PS, that's the best thing i've read in a while. I remember one time I had a fresh post-op T&A and his parents rang the bell because he was awake and crying. I got there quick with my morphine, but all he wanted to do was jump out of his crib into my arms and snuggle for a while. Why he preferred me to his parents is beyond me, but it sure did make me feel special!

mandirocker · Dec 25, 2006

Some of these stories are very Funny....and as others have said have the Awwww factor of a 10

Before i graduated high school last year, i did a nursing internship.

one weekend i was in the ICU, shadowing a nurse who's pt. was post-op T&A who had aspirated i believe.

the entire weekend, just to keep this cite kid from pushing the call light, i colored, played and read books to this little boy.

Ttttooooooo Cuuutteee..

I think little moments that are the awww factor is what nursing is all about.....

Making a difference in someone's life.

Mandi

talaxandra · Dec 26, 2006

Christmas Eve. My patient had her call bell cord stretched across her abdomen and was pressing her bed control. I sorted it all out, popped the call bell in her hand, and had almost made it to the desk when she buzzed.

"Hi, Mrs Bloggs, what can I do for you?"

""I need the buzzer."

"Yes, you pressed the buzzer. What can I do for you?"

"How do I buzz for you?"

"By pressing the buzzer, the way you just did."

"But what if I need you for something?"

"If,' between gritted teeth "you need me for something, press the call bell and I'll come straight in. The way I just did. Because you pressed the buzzer."

"Should I just bang on the sides of the bed with this?" waving the xcall bell in the air.

"No, that is the buzzer."

"Oh, thank you darling, thank you,"

Sixth buzz of the night. Night twelve of this admission. Seventh admission of the year.

rsslpn · Dec 26, 2006

I have had the "how does this thing work" "what does this button do" and the "just seeing if this thing works" calls more times than I can remember! Not so funny but gross, we have a woman where I currently work who uses the call bell for something that it is NOT intended for! I don't think she realizes that using it for her pleasure also makes it ring.We don't touch that bell to move it without gloves on! YUCK!

sorry to gross anyone out!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 28, 2006

Christmas Eve. My patient had her call bell cord stretched across her abdomen and was pressing her bed control. I sorted it all out, popped the call bell in her hand, and had almost made it to the desk when she buzzed.
"Hi, Mrs Bloggs, what can I do for you?"
""I need the buzzer."
"Yes, you pressed the buzzer. What can I do for you?"
"How do I buzz for you?"
"By pressing the buzzer, the way you just did."
"But what if I need you for something?"
"If,' between gritted teeth "you need me for something, press the call bell and I'll come straight in. The way I just did. Because you pressed the buzzer."
"Should I just bang on the sides of the bed with this?" waving the xcall bell in the air.
"No, that is the buzzer."
"Oh, thank you darling, thank you,"
Sixth buzz of the night. Night twelve of this admission. Seventh admission of the year.

LOL! I think we've had the same patient!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 28, 2006

Going along the same lines as the post before me: patient calls "Nurse! Nurse!" and her voice carries into the hallway. I go in, she says she needs a bedpan. I remind her that her callbell would be a better way to get me, since if I wasn't happening down the hall I wouldn't have heard her at all. She says "oh, that's if I need someone to bring me water". Umm, ok, but you can use it for OTHER needs too, Luv..... :idea:

AfloydRN, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2007

Just to make sure I was still on duty and didn't go home yet.To check and make sure it works right. To turn the light off- it's on the call button. To put my head up/ down- manual controls are on the bed.

squeakykitty · Feb 2, 2007

Going along the same lines as the post before me: patient calls "Nurse! Nurse!" and her voice carries into the hallway. I go in, she says she needs a bedpan. I remind her that her callbell would be a better way to get me, since if I wasn't happening down the hall I wouldn't have heard her at all. She says "oh, that's if I need someone to bring me water". Umm, ok, but you can use it for OTHER needs too, Luv.....

As long as it's not used for a sex toy.:uhoh21: :rolleyes: