Your call-light is like the magical lamp in the Disney movie Aladdin ....you only get three wishes. In this case you only get 3 times to use the call light per 12-hour nurse's shift. Please choose your times appropriately and for real serious issues only. In an effort to maintain the mental sanity of the nurse caring for you, your call light might need to be removed if you abuse the right of having one.
hate to rain on everyone's parade and yes call lights have frustrated me too.......and yes there are those patients that do abuse the light but, I have found that the overall majority have a deeper issue like fear......that has them ringing. Some patients feel frightened during shift change.....they fear no one will hear them when the nurses are in report. All patients day or night know when shift change has arrived due to the noise level of the on comming and off going shift. Hence the call light cue......I used to make last rounds, usually with an CNA, and ask if anyone needed, water, bedpan, pain med, blanket whatever....... and tell them where I was going and how long I would be gone. They seemed comforted.......they knew where I was if they needed anything and assured them that the CNA's knew we were in report and will hear them. I know the off going **** is trying to get the heck outta there and get work done, but remember those patients are frightened, alone, and in pain. Now, when that is not enough I set limits........I have told a patient that would put the call button on (on purpose) when you were still in the room because he needed something else.......I will come back every 15 min to check on you.......put your call light on only if you can breathe, have chest pain ect..........I understand you have needs and may be frightened but you are making it impossible to anything else to get done....if this is not enough we can provide your family with a list of private duty personel..........It stinks at first because it is a real pain in the a-- but eventually I lengthen the time between and when they know I am good to my word........you build their trust they seem to behave......worst case senario I have made the patinet a constant observation just to save everyone's sanity!
Gosh--I thought this was a place for nurses by nurses, we're supposed to support one another, and should also recognize when a thread is started in jest and humor, no one intended this to get anyone on their soap box! OR to make patients sit in pain or crap the bed, give it a break we we're blowing off some steam Ms. high and mighty
Call bells can be VERY frustrating. We always say at my hopsital, "This is not Seven Oaks Hotel/Day Spa." There are some patients that truly do abuse the call bell system. Pts whos families stay the entire day/night, the moment some of them leave, they are on that call bell ringing because they are so used to having someone with them. I've had pts who call the bell to tell me Bed B is picking their nose. I always run to call lights, because you really do never know what it could be, pt is in pain, pt is coding, can't breathe, etc. Then there are the ones who are straight up telling me to rub their feet and grab that glass of water that is but an inch away from them, when they are fully capable, and that is frustrating. Especially during rounds or when you are extremely busy.
Another thing I cannot stand is, you answer the bell, tell the pt you will get their meds, and the moment you walk back to the desk they are ringing.. You go in, and they ask for their meds again. *slaps forehead*
...Then of course, there are the elderly men who would rather fall and bust a hip then call and bother a young lady for some help.
But really, it all can depend on where you work as a nurse. Obviously in ICU you are going to be running to catch that call bell. On geriatrics and wards with alzheimer's pts, you may take your time and get frustrated a lot more often. I once had a man ring the bell just after shift change... I would go in there and he pretended to be asleep. I left, and he rang once more. I came back, and he pointed at Bed A, trying to blame the bell-ringing on him Do they not realize when you ring the bell it lets us know which bed you are in?
The call bell divas that push all my buttons are the ones that have got fed up waiting for their call bell to be answered after all of 12 seconds so decide to pull the emergency bell. It doesn't seem to faze them that firstly a very loud bell sounds or secondly the room is filled with every doctor or nurse in the department!!
I quite like it when we have doctor changeover and have the ultra keen newbies responding as I can think of no greater detterent that having a naso-pharyngeal tube inserted by a new doctor desperately trying to assist as they have been taught that that bell tends to indicate some poor patient is in dire straights :-)
I would much rather them hit their call light then be have to run to a bed or chair alarm lol.
I remember being a patient in the hospital and I hit my call light, because I would need help going to the bathroom in about a half an hour. Well I used to work in a nursing home and it would take the aides(I was not an aide at the time) about a half an hour before they got to some call lights. I was in shock when the nurse came in after only five minutes to help me. I felt really bad to say the least.
I would much rather them hit their call light then be have to run to a bed or chair alarm lol.
I remember being a patient in the hospital and I hit my call light, because I would need help going to the bathroom in about a half an hour. Well I used to work in a nursing home and it would take the aides(I was not an aide at the time) about a half an hour before they got to some call lights. I was in shock when the nurse came in after only five minutes to help me. I felt really bad to say the least.
Oh lord, there is one unit at my work where EVERY SINGLE patient has a bed alarm and a chair check. It drives everybody insane, and yet, pts still have falls. They also know that standing up will get our attention... which doesn't help much with the alarms either.
Whew, thank God for that lecture;) Because none of us whom are able to simply joke with each other would EVER have been a patient, never have visited anyone in a hospital and certainly as nurses would have no idea that anxious patients hit the call buzzer. What have we done without you all this time?? To think it lasted until page 2 this time, for either the nursing student of professional patient to set us straight.
:barf01::grn:
I hate to rain on everyone's parade and yes call lights have frustrated me too.......and yes there are those patients that do abuse the light but, I have found that the overall majority have a deeper issue like fear......that has them ringing. Some patients feel frightened during shift change.....they fear no one will hear them when the nurses are in report. All patients day or night know when shift change has arrived due to the noise level of the on comming and off going shift. Hence the call light cue..... (This continues on an on....)
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Do you ever come home and hear the call bells echoing in your head, while in the shower? Do you actually stop to listen and think, who the heck is ringing this time? I do...
I have answered my home phone after long,crazy nightshift..............Can I help you?
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Patients who do not use the call bell more than a certain number of times (as tallied by an automatic system), should receive a discount on their hospital bill upon discharge. If their insurance pays for everything, the discount should be made in the form of a little check in a thank-you card sent to them at home.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Why does someone always have to preach this type of thing, when everybody already knows it? It doesn't need to be explained, we KNOW. It's ok to vent even when you DO know the above. It's meant to be in good fun, nothing more.
Not all topics require serious discussion, or an insulting of intelligence.
I agree! I accept your chastisting! But personally, now as a patient who cannot walk without assistance as of a few months ago due to polymyositis, and after being at the bedside for 30 years, my POV and feeling guilty about bothering staff, afraid I'll be one of "those patients" has opened my eyes a little, knowing what they are saying "out there" worried about the staff because I know how busy it is........I just wanted to share a personal POV.
I agree! I accept your chastisting! But personally, now as a patient who cannot walk without assistance as of a few months ago due to polymyositis, and after being at the bedside for 30 years, my POV and feeling guilty about bothering staff, afraid I'll be one of "those patients" has opened my eyes a little, knowing what they are saying "out there" worried about the staff because I know how busy it is........I just wanted to share a personal POV.
Again, I understand. But as long as, while you are a patient, you are not ringing to have things handed to you that are within your reach, to have your TV channel changed, etc, you are in no danger of being "one of those patients." Call for legitimate reasons, and there would never be an issue. KWIM?
I once read on here (I don't remember who wrote it) "There's a special place in hell for the inventor of the call bell..."
At work we just say a man must have invented the call bell. Same goes for those geri chairs with no steering and the old crank beds that don't always turn properly and have a mind of their own.
Agreed.
dragonflyaltoids
53 Posts
hate to rain on everyone's parade and yes call lights have frustrated me too.......and yes there are those patients that do abuse the light but, I have found that the overall majority have a deeper issue like fear......that has them ringing. Some patients feel frightened during shift change.....they fear no one will hear them when the nurses are in report. All patients day or night know when shift change has arrived due to the noise level of the on comming and off going shift. Hence the call light cue......I used to make last rounds, usually with an CNA, and ask if anyone needed, water, bedpan, pain med, blanket whatever....... and tell them where I was going and how long I would be gone. They seemed comforted.......they knew where I was if they needed anything and assured them that the CNA's knew we were in report and will hear them. I know the off going **** is trying to get the heck outta there and get work done, but remember those patients are frightened, alone, and in pain. Now, when that is not enough I set limits........I have told a patient that would put the call button on (on purpose) when you were still in the room because he needed something else.......I will come back every 15 min to check on you.......put your call light on only if you can breathe, have chest pain ect..........I understand you have needs and may be frightened but you are making it impossible to anything else to get done....if this is not enough we can provide your family with a list of private duty personel..........It stinks at first because it is a real pain in the a-- but eventually I lengthen the time between and when they know I am good to my word........you build their trust they seem to behave......worst case senario I have made the patinet a constant observation just to save everyone's sanity!
Gosh--I thought this was a place for nurses by nurses, we're supposed to support one another, and should also recognize when a thread is started in jest and humor, no one intended this to get anyone on their soap box! OR to make patients sit in pain or crap the bed, give it a break we we're blowing off some steam Ms. high and mighty