What would you have done?

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Ok we had this patient the past 2 weeks. He's a professional athlete who had a of things go wrong during his admission. As charge nurse (and for the first week or so I knew nothing about him other than some people relayed to him as a PITA) I felt compelled to help smooth things over. So last week I went in to introduce myself and try to make his stay better. Everyone (administration included) were bending over backwards for this guy, so needless to say I payed extra attention to him to make sure his needs (physical, emotional, etc) need were met and he's really a nice guy and I enjoyed talking to him. He's very far from home and it's the holidays. He had a lot of people's cell phone numbers (mine included in case any issues arose when I was off - i'm the only 'official' night charge). On saturday he called me up (my day off) and asked if I could pick him up and take him to his hotel as his kids (early 20's) had gone to get airline tickets and he wasn't anticipating on the discharge. I was already out shopping and in the area and the hotel was about 1.5 miles away. I said yes. I picked him up, asked him how the last few days had gone and if he had felt better. He said he was and was glad to be going home.

Cut to Christmas Eve. My director calls me at home saying she wants to have an extensive meeting tomorrow morning. Do you guys think I was over the line? I felt like I was helping both my unit and the patient and avoiding issues all the way around. It was my day off, so it's not like I was on the clock. I'm so worried now about getting my tail chewed off that I haven't slept since Christmas eve and I'm having terrible GI distress.

Physicians routinely give out their cell phone numbers to VIP patients. I myself have done it on several occassions. I'm not aware of any policy against it with us.

In my mind, whatever "boundaries" were crossed here are between you and yourself. What you do on your off time (including driving patients around) is your business, not your employer's.

What you did was kind, and potentially generated good feelings that could (based on what you describe in your posts) potentially spare your facility from legitimate complaints of negligence and malpractice. If anything, your supervisors should be thanking you.

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Specializes in L&D, medsurg,hospice,sub-acute.
I'm a little uncomfortable with all the personal info listed here. You might want to consider editting some of it. I hope it works out ok for you because obviously you did it with pure intentions.

When I went to nursing school, none of this was bad, or wrong--and all of the times any of us took patients out of the facility--any facility--we had doctors orders and permission--I appreciate your concern, but am unsure what you think I would get in trouble for???? Or what was so personal versus acceptable nursing actions????

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Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.

Too bad your supervisors can't read TiredMD's comments! He is 100% corect IMHO.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Too bad your supervisors can't read TiredMD's comments! He is 100% corect IMHO.

Like a lot of nursing, this is a judgment call. Personally, I'd be comfortable with driving him.

A different type of patient, say, a homeless drug addict psych patient, would get the taxi voucher. ;)

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The crappy part is, she probably only got in trouble because the patient thanked her supervisor for her good deed!

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When I went to nursing school, none of this was bad, or wrong--and all of the times any of us took patients out of the facility--any facility--we had doctors orders and permission--I appreciate your concern, but am unsure what you think I would get in trouble for???? Or what was so personal versus acceptable nursing actions????
I think they were referring to the OP. There is way too much personal info given on this thread about the patient. From her posts, it would be very easy to figure out who this person is...
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Why did this one patient need so many personal cell phone numbers? Why would so many people need to be "on-call" for him?

It sounds ingratiating to me. I don't think all those people were trying to help, I think they were to trying to get close to a celebrity.

If it's such a "nice" think to do, I agree with the previous poster who wondered who'd do it for a homeless drug addict. Yes, they get a voucher and wait, for as long as it takes, for a taxi - not because the nurses aren't "nice" enough to take them home, but because that is the policy.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Physicians routinely give out their cell phone numbers to VIP patients. I myself have done it on several occassions. I'm not aware of any policy against it with us.

A different type of patient, say, a homeless drug addict psych patient, would get the taxi voucher. ;)

Double standards, anyone?? :stone

Note to TiredMD's patients: if you are Joe Schmoe you will not get his cell phone number; however, VIP patients do. TiredMD cares for them differently than he takes care of you.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules A viewpost.gif

I'm a little uncomfortable with all the personal info listed here. You might want to consider editting some of it. I hope it works out ok for you because obviously you did it with pure intentions.

When I went to nursing school, none of this was bad, or wrong--and all of the times any of us took patients out of the facility--any facility--we had doctors orders and permission--I appreciate your concern, but am unsure what you think I would get in trouble for???? Or what was so personal versus acceptable nursing actions????

Sorry if I wasn't clear its the HIPAA stuff that makes me nervous. Like someone else mentioned it wouldn't be hard for someone to figure out who the client is, who you are, that you've given the facility responsibility for MRSA etc. and that would make me uncomfortable. Best wishes to you. Jules

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Double standards, anyone?? :stone

Note to TiredMD's patients: if you are Joe Schmoe you will not get his cell phone number; however, VIP patients do. TiredMD cares for them differently than he takes care of you.

Yes, to an extent.

My only obligation to patients is to provide the highest-quality medical care to all my patients. The medical care I provide a homeless addict will be equal to what I provide a middle-class soccer mom or a 4-star admiral.

But the personal touches like giving them my cell phone number, driving them places, etc, are solely at my (or anyone else who works in the hospital) discretion. We do this all the time, with coworkers, family members, VIPs, or anyone else the staff wants to go all out for. There is nothing wrong with it.

Nothing in this story suggests that the VIP got superior medical care (from what is described, it may have actually been substandard).

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I would think that a professional athlete would have the financial resources to hire a taxi service. I feel that catering to celebrities and giving them personal VIP service from the nursing staff is unethical and unprofessional. It sounds like everyone was starstruck.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Tired MD does have a point, after reading his post.

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