I need some opinions. The other night I was helping out in PACU. (I am usually in ER or Preop, but occasionally go to PACU when needed) I was asked by another nurse to transport her patient upstairs. The patient was early 30's female, very nice, always saying thanks when people helped her. We talked as I took her to her room. She had surgery for a cancer recurrence, so we talked about the surgery, her young kids, her family, etc. It was shift change, so I ended up having to wait with her for quite a while to see her nurse, the PACU nurse has to have face to face time with the receiving floor nurse. During this time we chatted some more. Then I left when her nurse got there.
The next day I was off. I was thinking about this patient and how nice she was. I called her room to check on her. I just let her know I had been thinking about her, and asked how she was doing...get well soon, etc. She seemed very appreciative.
A few days later I told her PACU nurse that I had spoken with her. This nurse was very offended with me and said I had broken HIPPAA (sp?) laws by calling the patient to check on her. Is this true? I just thought I was being nice. When I had my daughter, the L&D nurse called the next day to check on me. I know hospitals can be lonely places and thought one might like to hear a friendly voice and know someone was thinking of them.
The one thing I've learned about being a nurse for the last 5 years is to get thick skin. People will always have a opinion about everything you do and don't let it get to you, you are who you are for a reason and leave it at that. Wonder did that make her day better!
While lawyers aren't especially trained/educated in psychology, they need to invoke faith in their capabilities, and be able to make clients think they are in good hands. That allays the s/s gusblom brought up. And legal costs related to work, are tax deductable and need to be included in the monetary award to the nurse, when the plaintiff loses.
Methinks Gusblom knows about the 2 nurses in west Texas who were wrongfully sued by a physician whose best friend was his witness, the sherriff. That is such an aberration of legal process, that it hardly fits the situation here. Here we have deceitful, spoiled family members who should be movie directors controlling a mythical story, having it their way.
The patient's greatest gift was leaving those losers.
You seem to be fixated on me and thats a little dangerous. This really is unhealthy.
The same could be said about the nurse who is fixated on a patient and continues the interest and contact with said patient even after her work with that patient has been completed.
Professional nurses give their all during their shift Including caring and professional nursing care and when the patient is no longer under their care, move on to the next one. Only in the movies should nurses continue a personal contact.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
How did we get from phone call to patient's room after a rapport was developed between the two women to f i x a t e d ??? Neither the nurse or the patient would likely have mentioned it again if the jealous other nurse ddn't couch her jealousy in the guise of the great and powerful HIPAA or "HIPPO" gods. Just not reading the OP as a stalker. . .
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
The same could be said about the nurse who is fixated on a patient and continues the interest and contact with said patient even after her work with that patient has been completed.
Professional nurses give their all during their shift Including caring and professional nursing care and when the patient is no longer under their care, move on to the next one. Only in the movies should nurses continue a personal contact.
Yeah, you're right. But a classic movie, "A Farewell to Arms" would have had Helen Hayes butt canned for consorting with Gary Cooper, but maybe today they could change the plot and fall in love at the preliminary hearing. --snark-- (sorry)
How did we get from phone call to patient's room after a rapport was developed between the two women to f i x a t e d ??? Neither the nurse or the patient would likely have mentioned it again if the jealous other nurse ddn't couch her jealousy in the guise of the great and powerful HIPAA or "HIPPO" gods. Just not reading the OP as a stalker. . .
With all due respect, I disagree. We develop a rapport for the sole purpose of providing nursing care and not to satisfy our personal need for socialization, or quench our curiosity ( if we were right about a hunch or diagnosis) .
If the patient wants to or feels a need to maintain the contact, and the nurse agrees, let it come from the patient.
BTW, it is the facilities right to set policy on this.
With all due respect, I disagree. We develop a rapport for the sole purpose of providing nursing care and not to satisfy our personal need for socialization, or quench our curiosity ( if we were right about a hunch or diagnosis) .
If the patient wants to or feels a need to maintain the contact, and the nurse agrees, let it come from the patient.
BTW, it is the facilities right to set policy on this.
Just my professional opinion.
Which part exactly did you disagree with? No one is disagreeing that the rapport is developed for providing nursing care....there's no one flipping burgers here, the topic is nursing.
Who are you to say that the patient didn't benefit from receiving a phone call to chat? We don't know, we weren't there....so we have to look at what the OP said. The OP's description of the interaction supports that the patient welcomed the phone call. We have no evidence to suggest otherwise.....anyone who says they do is making stuff up. So, no evidence of anyone being "fixated." That is all just invention.
So, again, what are you disagreeing with from the post you quoted?
Which part exactly did you disagree with? No one is disagreeing that the rapport is developed for providing nursing care....there's no one flipping burgers here, the topic is nursing.
Who are you to say that the patient didn't benefit from receiving a phone call to chat? We don't know, we weren't there....so we have to look at what the OP said. The OP's description of the interaction supports that the patient welcomed the phone call. We have no evidence to suggest otherwise.....anyone who says they do is making stuff up. So, no evidence of anyone being "fixated." That is all just invention.
So, again, what are you disagreeing with from the post you quoted?
I disagree with using the rapport that was developed for the sake of direct patient care on a specific shift, and extending it for a caring-phone-call-from-home-follow-up-chat-calling to ask how are you and if my hunch about your care panned out. I disagree with the nurse initiating contact outside the parameters of her job responsibilities, and I still consider it a fixation which is unhealthy. If they were to run into each other at the market, in the hall or similar, it would be appropriate to ask how are you? but nothing more.
It is not for me or you or anyone to say if the chatty phone call was beneficial to the patient or not- only the patient knows that. I can't say what the patient felt about the phone call and if the OP described it as positive I still dont know as the patient might have been polite or still under the impression that the nurse represents the hospital for which the patient is still obliged to. The OP can not know if the phone call was welcomed or not and that is not the point. Bottom line, it is unprofessional unless the facility demands it as part of their follow up care. Some nurses described here situations where follow up was part of the care, in which case it is expected and professional.
My advice to the OP is that if she wants to continue a relationship with the patient after her shift is over, and if her boss (the facility) approves, she could give the patient her personal phone number or email address or a business card with this information and tell the patient, "I really enjoyed being your nurse today, if you want to call me on a personal basis for anything, feel free- here is my card".
I'm sure somewhere out there someone will disagree with my assessment of the situation - you developed a rapport with this patient - and I see you did nothing wrong a familiar face or voice can be a God send when your stuck in the hospital.
When my Father was in the hospital his nurses and cna's from the nursing home came to see him he really enjoyed the attention and as it was the last few remaining days of his life - I was very greatful to them all for
" checking up on him" as well some of the ER nurses came up on the floor to sit with him until he was settled in
Quite a content filled post, thanks for the contribution...
BettinaBeam
3 Posts
The one thing I've learned about being a nurse for the last 5 years is to get thick skin. People will always have a opinion about everything you do and don't let it get to you, you are who you are for a reason and leave it at that. Wonder did that make her day better!