Stopping patient care for another patient

Lynx25, LPN · Jul 31, 2012

Nope, not wrong at all. Unless you are (A) On fire, or (B) have forgotten how to breathe, you can be next, but you can NOT be "RIGHT NOW!" If you constantly get interrupted, how can you get anything done?

Also, shame on your DON for climbing in bed with the family right off the bat.

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Jul 31, 2012

You weren't wrong, there was no difference in the priority of their needs so you did what any other nurse would do, the right thing. Some people are impossible to please and you will just have to accept it and stand up for yourself to your DON. Sorry you had to deal with this.

DizzyLizzyNurse · Jul 31, 2012

You were absolutely right. Contrary to some family and patient's beliefs, one patient is not more important than another. And getting interrupted a bunch of times during a med pass is a good way to make a med error.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

No, you were not wrong. You should not feel bad. You cannot be two places at once, although management seems to think you can be.

One thing that I do that seems to work for reasonable patients, although we aren't allowed by management to do it: I say, "I'm sorry for the delay. I was with another patient at the time I was told of your request, but I'm here now! Here's your pain pill! Anything else you need?"

Most seem to respond positively to that. If the family or patient is impossible to please, nothing you could say or do would make it better.

DSkelton711 · Jul 31, 2012

Thanks for asking the question. To be honest I am tired of being pulled in so many directions for non-emergent problems that must be attended to "this minute" by rude people. I am now a DON and I hope I can have my staff's back when dealing (nicely) with families. Even though I understand that we must generate revenue, my staff is very important to me. I think you did the right thing.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

No, you were not wrong. You should not feel bad. You cannot be two places at once, although management seems to think you can be.
One thing that I do that seems to work for reasonable patients, although we aren't allowed by management to do it: I say, "I'm sorry for the delay. I was with another patient at the time I was told of your request, but I'm here now! Here's your pain pill! Anything else you need?"
Most seem to respond positively to that. If the family or patient is impossible to please, nothing you could say or do would make it better.

Can I ask why you wouldn't be allowed to say you were with someone else? Seems to me there is nothing wrong with that! You aren't disclosing personal information, you aren't saying 'I was with Mr. So-and-So.'

I hate what health care is becoming...when did it become more important to kiss everyone's butt than to actually make people better? Just a scary thought for the future of nursing, more about customer service than health care... Ugh...

thesundowner · Jul 31, 2012

if I am in the middle of medication administration with one patient, nothing short of a code blue/rapid response/pt about to hit the floor will pull me away from that. That is how errors happen. Your DON sounds like a ***** - just tell the truth, move on, and keep doing a good job.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

How does your manager suggest you handle that scenario in the future?

msjellybean · Jul 31, 2012

The only time I'll leave a patient to tend to something/someone else is for a code being called on my floor or when a bed alarm goes off nearby and it's one of those patients that you have to be quick about... for example, we have a lady on the floor right now who, with her bed alarm on the middle setting, would be out of the bed and at the nurses station by the time the alarm sounded. That is one that I'd probably leave someone, to attend to.

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

I would not worry about it. You can't be in 6 places at once sometimes people just had to wait. I might though, if you know you are busy, see about asking a coworker for a little help if you know you'll be a while with a patient or task (maybe get the charge to pass a pain pill for you?). I also usually ask my assistant to tell my patient and family that I'm in another room and will be with them very shortly.

I usually sweetly say to patients or families "I am sorry it took me so long to get here. I was told your request but was already in the middle of something with another patient. I had to finish that up and got here as soon a I could. I understand you wanted (whatever they wanted). Is there anything else you need or would like?"

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

Yes, you were wrong.

Patient A requested pain meds. You then delivered the RX.. and went on to complete the med pass and complete the bedside needs.

That was YOUR agenda.

Patient B (and now we have family concerns) requests pain medication.

Waiting for pain relief is a VERY long time in the patient's and family agenda. Ten minutes is a very long time when requesting pain relief.

You needed to address patient B's pain before you completed your tasks on patient A.

You were NOT cutting patient A short. You just didn't juggle the situation correctly.