visitor policy vs alien invasion

Specialties Emergency

Published

:confused:

hey :confused: what are the visitor policies like out there? we have a 1 person per patient right now because of the flu. normally though, it is 2 per patient. however, there are usually no less than 3-4 per pt at times.

i find it annoying at times. i wouldn't mind visitors if they repected what i do. they are in your face and won't let you do your job. alot of times they answer questions for the patient. sometimes you ask them very nicely to wait in the wr but the refuse or become indignent.

it is very hard to ask a pt the required domestic violence questions with thier s/o breathing down thier necks refusing to leave the pt for even 1 sec!

just some frustrated venting.

magik girl:(

Just as annoying as the 30 visitors in a room is the massive volume of calls we get from caring family requesting to speak with the patient or a family member. We don't have phones in the room. Luckily ACC clerks don't transfer these calls to us, they page overhead for family members. There have been times that one family will get 10 pages in an hour to come to the lobby for a phone call.

You would think in this day and age of EVERYONE having a cell phone, one of the visitors could field all the calls.

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Originally posted by marcicatherine

Just as annoying as the 30 visitors in a room is the massive volume of calls we get from caring family requesting to speak with the patient or a family member. We don't have phones in the room. Luckily ACC clerks don't transfer these calls to us, they page overhead for family members. There have been times that one family will get 10 pages in an hour to come to the lobby for a phone call.

You would think in this day and age of EVERYONE having a cell phone, one of the visitors could field all the calls.

our rooms all have phones. they are stupid and hard to use. sometimes our clerks don't help matters much. we all have walky talkies and if the pt does not answer their phone it rings over to the clerk. most of the time they will just announce over the radio "will the nurse that has rm..... please report there and help them with the phone?!" yeah, ok. i'll just drop my foley, ngt or iv and go right there!

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Specializes in Emergency Room/corrections.

we have a strict policy of 1 person at the bedside. Only exception being the pediatric patient who is allowed 2.

We have finally figured out a way to deal with the incoming phone calls for patients, our receptionists/switchboard operators take messages, and give them to the patient or to the nurse. It has reduced the chaos quite considerably.

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True story (honest to God). I was working in a very busy ER (50 beds). I answered the phone(always a bad move) below is the transcription:

caller: "I want to speak with Pookey"

me: "Who is Pookey"

Caller: "My girlfriend"

Me: what's Pookey's last name?"

caller: "Um,,,,, I don't know. Could you look for her, she's got a panther tatoo on her back and has gold teeth"

ME: I'll get right on it my friend" (then push the eternal hold button)

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Originally posted by harry Krishna

True story (honest to God). I was working in a very busy ER (50 beds). I answered the phone(always a bad move) below is the transcription:

caller: "I want to speak with Pookey"

me: "Who is Pookey"

Caller: "My girlfriend"

Me: what's Pookey's last name?"

caller: "Um,,,,, I don't know. Could you look for her, she's got a panther tatoo on her back and has gold teeth"

ME: I'll get right on it my friend" (then push the eternal hold button)

hey! i'm pookey. why didn't you put my call through?:roll

:p :p :p

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Originally posted by MAGIK GIRL

our rooms all have phones. they are stupid and hard to use. sometimes our clerks don't help matters much. we all have walky talkies and if the pt does not answer their phone it rings over to the clerk. most of the time they will just announce over the radio "will the nurse that has rm..... please report there and help them with the phone?!" yeah, ok. i'll just drop my foley, ngt or iv and go right there!

If management put phones in all of our rooms, I think I would have to find a new job. What a nightmare!!! I shudder to image the problems that would create!

With the availability of cell phones today, it is nearly impossible at times to get the patient off the phone to do an assessment. I walk out of patient's rooms on a daily basis for that reason. We have big, very prominent signs in each room telling patients not to use their phones

I feel for you Magikgirl. Again, what a NIGHTMARE!!

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Originally posted by marcicatherine

If management put phones in all of our rooms, I think I would have to find a new job. What a nightmare!!! I shudder to image the problems that would create!

With the availability of cell phones today, it is nearly impossible at times to get the patient off the phone to do an assessment. I walk out of patient's rooms on a daily basis for that reason. We have big, very prominent signs in each room telling patients not to use their phones

I feel for you Magikgirl. Again, what a NIGHTMARE!!

OMG! some times i feel like little lulu with her bell!:devil:

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the best icu i ever worked in doesn't exist anymore.

we had patient/family coordinators...these were two nurses on light duty due to lifting injuries.

these two angels were so helpful as they had icu experience and knowledge and handled all the extensive family calls and family conferences etc.

they attended the morning report meetings with the docs so they knew what was going on in the unit. plus they could help check blood for transfusions, take multiple phone calls and actually take phone orders as they were rn's. the charge nurse handled most of this but they were backups if needed. i know we try very hard to not have injured nurses but this is a really good way to allow them to still work and not lift.

now for my venting too, i hate the family that has a little knowledge and trys to tell you how to do your job. yeh, i went to college for this and i have been doing this for 12 years...so why do i look brain dead to you?

and the other one is asking for test results or specific lab results then asking "what does that mean". my answer is usually, why did you ask if you don't know how to interpret the answer? i would like to help you to understand what is going on with your family member but when you ask me specific technical questions i assume you have extensive knowledge.

i have found i cannot teach 4 years of nursing schooling and 12 years of knowledge in 20 minutes. period....

and last but not least, when all else fails ask god, that is who didn't offer the big "forever" warranty on body parts.

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Another funny thing about the phones... I always laugh when I ask another nurse "how do you dial out on the phone?? And the patient says "Oh just push 8-0 then dial the number"

They could also probab;y tell me the extension to CT scan and the hospital cafe....

Dr. Jerry Springer consult stat in the ER

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and they most definately know the way to the 4th floor.....

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Originally posted by harry Krishna

..............They could also probab;y tell me the extension to CT scan and the hospital cafe....

Dr. Jerry Springer consult stat in the ER

;) they could probably do and read the ct while frying up some scrapple!:chuckle

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