This is Too weird...

[cute_cabbage2005]

Okay - I have this patient....a male, young, 23yrs. He has a private room. There's a young woman there with him. I assumed its his wife/girlfriend by the way they're acting towards each other....calling each other 'honey'. So around 2am, Im making my rounds, go into the room and the patient and this girl is in bed with each other spooning...sleeping.

Whoa! Im like.....UH...huh?? She wakes up...gets out of bed. Patient looks fine...I leave. Im at the nurse's station. The girl stops by and leaves me a note with her phone number in case I need to get a hold of her if something comes up. She leaves the floor. The note says she's his sister. I dont know what to say???? This is waaay to freaky for me!!!

[PiPhi2004]

I don't see the big deal. I would have offered her a cot (in the same room) but if they want to squeeze into one bed who cares? Might have made him feel better. Obviously she was not his sister :wink2:

I agree, whats the big deal? Unless he was extremely sick who cares if shes in the bed with him? My DH was admitted with susp diverticulitis and he was feeling just fine and I laid in the bed with him for a while. The beds are usually made to fit large people and both me and my DH are fairly small. Also, yeah she wasnt his sister and she knows she has to say she is to be kept in the loop. Doesn't seem to be a big deal to me at all.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Well, I would have had raised eyebrows as well to see them in bed together, and would have felt that the person would have had enough common sense not to say that she is his sister after laying so intimately in bed with him. In any event, they are grown...I would have probably offered a cot if possible, told the charge nurse of this weird event, shrug and gone on to see what other insanity would occur during my tour of duty...(wow, though...)

[mizfradd, CNA]

think Angelina Jolie

:roll:chuckle:roll

[Vito Andolini]

I would have just asked.

[ana tomy]

I wonder why people are soo afraid of taking someone aside and just asking? With care. I think our job is too risky to let things like that slide. People react to kindness. That you will call..no matter what. People don't have to lie..if you don't make them.

[Vito Andolini]

I would have just asked.

[RN1989]

She was probably embarrassed at getting caught and was trying down play it. Personally, if you are sick enough to be in the hospital - other people don't need to be in your bed.

[newtelenurse]

She was probably embarrassed at getting caught and was trying down play it. Personally, if you are sick enough to be in the hospital - other people don't need to be in your bed.

We've had folks in our step down unit get caught having sex---with chest tubes!!

[shelly304]

Maybe it was his girlfriend. She left the note saying she was the sister so the wife or real girlfirend would not find out....

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I don't see the big deal. I would have offered her a cot (in the same room) but if they want to squeeze into one bed who cares? Might have made him feel better. Obviously she was not his sister :wink2:

Having deja vu over this thread topic from a few months ago!

The big deal is that it's the policy most places to have ONE person to a bed, and that person be the PATIENT. I care that no one accidentally pull out my patient's IV, press on the tubing, slip off the O2, yank the foley, rub against a dressing, decrease circulation in a limb, interfere with my ability to assess, get vitals, etc etc.

Under no circumstances do we allow a visitor to sleep on the patient's bed, spooned or otherwise. If the patient is sick enough that it's a death watch, then NO ONE is to be in bed with him; we've got our hands full taking care of him as it is. And if he's healthy enough for a little sum-sum, she can stay in the bedside pullout until tomorrow--when he's discharged and they can do whatever they want.

As for the initial question: I'd be WAY less concerned over whether he was doing his sister....chances are excellent she was a girlfriend, and just wanted to be notified in case something happened (to this apparently healthy young fella). She should have been told (1) Get out of bed (nicely!) and (2) if you're listed as someone to be called, you will be. If you are not, you won't, and someone who IS listed should be calling you. I'm not playing the "but I don't want him-her to know I was here, they don't like me" game. The rest of the soap opera has nothing to do with me!

[oslogirl]

Yea, that is freaky.

[oslogirl]

Maybe it was his girlfriend. She left the note saying she was the sister so the wife or real girlfirend would not find out....

Thats a good question. I did'nt think of that scenario.