So... What if patient says that the wristband is not them?...

[Student2001]

What would you do if patient shakes his head when you ask if they are who they are? I`m on a med surg floor for clinical and everyone is on ventilator.. have mental issues.. and can`t talk. I asked my patient if his name and date of birth was right and he shook his head no .. i asked again and then he said yes.. but i`m just wondering what to do when they say no. Is there something in the chart.. do i go get the charge nurse.. what steps do i take to make sure of the person`s ID?..

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is the reason to have pictures on the chart!!

What about those, such as Old Order Amish who refuse photographs? They're a big group treated at my facility.

[Student2001]

Thanks so much for the help.. the patient has no family so this was a very tricky one... and yes CI is a little bit "odd" and has been known to answer a question with a question.. (what do YOU think.. figure it out.. don`t you know that already.. think back to class.. blah blah )! Anyways-- I`m glad I have my awesome allnurses forum to help me -- its been a god-sent since I had this instructor and now I know the value of having places like this!

[Student2001]

no he did not know how to write.. mentally retarded and this would be very tedious to do before every medication as well as very strenuous for a patient whos sat goes down to below 90 with even the smallest exertion. I think i did right by reading off the name band and having him nod yes or no.. with his circumstances.. instructor says thats what they all do on that floor with intubated patients but just the issue with potential miscategorized ID is the issue

Well, the rule is "never ask a yes or no question". Phrase it so that it requires an answer. Of course, things will be different when a pt is on a vent and their speaking abilities may be compromised. Are they able to write their name on a white board?

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

Thanks so much for the help.. the patient has no family so this was a very tricky one... and yes CI is a little bit "odd" and has been known to answer a question with a question.. (what do YOU think.. figure it out.. don`t you know that already.. think back to class.. blah blah )! Anyways-- I`m glad I have my awesome allnurses forum to help me -- its been a god-sent since I had this instructor and now I know the value of having places like this!

Replying to a question with a question is actually a pretty good teaching technique. It makes the student think about it. I homeschool my son and at first he would constantly ask me the answer to a question rather than thinking about it for a minute or looking it up. He would take the easy way out and just ask. Perhaps your CI was trying to get you to critically think in this situation. What would you do if you were no longer a student and was a staff RN when you ran into this problem? What would be the steps you would take?

I have a close friend that has been a clinical instructor for several years and she told me that often students don't apply what they learn in class when they arrive for clinicals.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I'm a bit scared at how many of the responses in this thread say to "ask him another question"... the patient's trached and vented, HE CAN NOT TALK.

If it were me, I would get the charge nurse or someone who has seen this patient before and knows what they look like.

As for photos in charts, when I did my psych rotation, all the charts had a Polaroid photo in the front. It's kind of hard to get a proper identification from someone who is telling you that their name is Jesus Christ. I would think that something similar would/should be done for any patient with a compromised mental status and/or the inability to verbalize.