What did you do

Nurses General Nursing

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What did you do/say to patients who ask you to do things for them (help them void, change, bring them stuff near them, etc) when they are perfectly capable? And what have their reactions been? Were they almost always angry if you refuse?

Can you get into trouble by refusing to do things for the patients can do for themselves? Esp. Can you wash me when they can. I hate that.

Most of my patients want to do as much as they can. For those that don't try I try to find out what is going on. Many of them don't realize they have "permission" to do many of these things for themselves, while most are just looking for some TLC. Although I generally don't have time for much TLC :(, I think it is a basic human need - one that people really desire even more at a time when they are in the hosp, often scared and vulnerable.

For the really "needy" I will make sure I've done everything for them they can think of before I leave their room, explain that I will return in a while to do more of the same, and remind them if they have something urgent in the meantime to use their call light. It doesn't always work, but often does.

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Specializes in ER.

I ususally tell them to go ahead and do whatever it is and I'll stand by and watch so I'll be there if they need help. Then confine myself to verbal cues and telling them how well they are doing. It will take the patient twice as long to do it themselves, but it will save them asking for help once they've proved they can do it on their own.

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See... I think I'm going to have a problem with this after I graduate. I have a hard time telling "no" to people unless its totally unreasonable. I think I'm more of the "count to 10" type of guy... but I would definately give them the dreaded, "what are you on" look that I am so famous for. lol

P.S. You can observe this look in my profile lol.

Alois Wolf, you sound a lot like me. You might find once you are working as a nurse that it is a lot easier to say no (nicely) to rediculous requests when you are running your tail off trying to balance the care of a full patient load! :nuke:

A lot of times I find the families are worse than the patients, expecting the nurse to wash the patient, sit with them in the bathroom while they void, etc, when the patient is perfectly capable of being independent.

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I usually say with a smile "I'm going to let you do that." If they protest, I simply ask "Is there some reason you can't do it for yourself? Are you having pain/shortness of breath/nausea/dizziness/whatever?" Unless they give me some specific reason that is valid, then I give them the "Self care is part of your recovery process/who will be doing these things for you at home?" spiel.

If they continue to protest that they cannot do these things for themselves, I typically say something like, "If you are really not capable of self care activities then just FYI the social worker will be visiting you today or tomorrow, as we are going to need to discuss nursing home placement. We can't send you home unable to care for yourself." That usually gets their lazy a$$ off the bed in a hurry.

I just modify the spiel appropriately for family members who want us to do everything for their loved one; stuff the pt or the family could be doing themselves.

Honestly, most people just need a little encouragement, or they just need to know it is OK for them to get up; it won't hurt the IV, it won't make their tele go crazy, they aren't required to stay in bed. But every once in a while, you get someone who is simply lazy or likes to boss the nurses around.

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I read this thread and I love the "If you can't do for yourself, we need to discuss nursing home placement". I also don't like the creepazoids who want a nurse to place their member into the urinal for them. I'd probably say to them (if my mood was bad enough and I didn't care about the write-up I'd probably get) that they were perfectly capable of doing that, and if they still had trouble, I could find a pair of tweezers that they could use.

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Specializes in cardiac.
What did you do/say to patients who ask you to do things for them (help them void, change, bring them stuff near them, etc) when they are perfectly capable? And what have their reactions been? Were they almost always angry if you refuse?

Can you get into trouble by refusing to do things for the patients can do for themselves? Esp. Can you wash me when they can. I hate that.

I always ask them what they do when they are at home. If they answer they do it themselves, then I suggest that they try to do the same things as at home and I watch. If I see that they are incapable of performing these tasks by themselves related to generalized weakness ect, then I offer to assist them. Some people just need a little nudge. Others can try to take advantage of you. (Had that happen before) I always explain that the object is to get them back on their feet so they can go home and live independently. I explain that if they can't function taking care of themselves then they may need to have a re-evaluation of where they are going to live. Meaning, they may need assistance. This generally perks the one's who are faking it up. There are people that truly need help in these areas. We all know it. BUt, we are also smart enought to weed out the people who are trying to abuse our services for whatever personal agendas they may have.
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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I work mother/baby so most of our patients are reasonably healthy and able to do for themselves.

All my fresh admissions get pampered a little because I think they deserve it after delivering a baby. I don't spoonfeed them (!) but do try to give them a bit of a hand as they are for the most part exhausted.

What I love are the new daddies that look at me like I have 3 heads when I hand them their babies for a diaper change. Them: "I don't know how to change a diaper!" Me: "Well, now is a fine time to learn!"

:)

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I use a sense of humor,laughingly say something like "Ann, come on ,you know you can do (whatever) how do you expect to go home if you can't ,yada,yada." All this while smiling. They have always reacted positively,but of course, knowing your pt before hand is paramount.The importance of getting out of bed,I also explain per pulmonary,circulatory and socializing w/ others in dining room(for meal time)reasons when they just want to eat from their beds. 9 out of 10 times they will acquiese, they really know you are right.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

as a tech, i once had a patient who was mostly confined to bed at home because of her weight. she was expressing the desire to get up and start walking again, but was refusing to wash herself because she "couldnt" do it. i firmly put across the point that you can't say can't unless you try first, and that i was going to stand there and watch her wash as much of her front side as possible during her bed bath & that i would happily do her back and any other areas that she couldn't reach. i am big on having patients do as much as possible for themselves, especially when i know they are capable.

there have of course been lazy people who could ambulate to the bathroom independently with their iv pole and will then proceed to call and tell me they need to be wiped. i promptly hand them a wet cloth and watch while they do it themselves. on some of these pts, i have been tempted to ask "who is going to do this when you go home?/are your hands broken or otherwise impaired" but ive managed to hold back.

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Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.

you rock my world AL7139!!!

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I asked a pt,such as you describe ,how she would wipe at home, she said she would call her daughters!!!! I did tell her I was sure they wouldn't be able to drop eveything to do that, &( smiling)that she wouldn't be very popular.

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