Our CCU is split up into “sides.” When the aforebloggedupon alarms happen, the nurses on that side generally go investigate. Last night, a ventilator alarm kept going off and I could tell that it was on the other side…
I waited a few more seconds and because the alarm was still, well, alarming, I got up and started to walk towards the sound. I then heard “I need help in here!” from the room and quickened my pace. It was coming from the room of a patient that has been there for over a month. He’s been steadily, but slowly, getting better. He has a tracheostomy, which is what the vent was hooked up to.
When I got in there, I discovered that although unrestrained all day until that point, the patient was now starting to try to disconnect the vent from his trach, which isn’t very hard to do - it’s on there snuggly, but will come off if you pull on it. I was sure he was kind of out of it and didn’t know what he was doing.
When we finally got him restrained again and the vent re-connected, I noticed that he kept looking up at the television with a weird look on his face. I followed his gaze to the TV. What I saw there was horrifying - there was a crowd and a stage, and on the stage was a not-in-shape man wearing only a Speedo and either singing or lip-synching to Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.”
Without having any way to change the channel from the monstrosity playing out before my eyes, I may have tried to rip off my ventilator as well.
I have been an Intensive Care nurse for 11 years. This blog is about my experiences as a nurse, and the experiences of others in the healthcare system - patients, nurses, doctors, paramedics. We all have stories!
Comments
That is priceless. . .certainly one of the top ten reasons to decannulate yourself.
added by Sam on 02.26.03 3:14 pm | Permalink
Obvious question (you can tell I don’t work in medicine): if its known that CCUs are bad environments for patients mental health, why not try and change the environment instead of strapping them down? OK - people will still be in a painful and confusing situation, but why not have the monitors alert the nurses via an earpiece instead of disturbing everyone on the ward?
added by Iain Sharp on 03.10.03 9:52 am | Permalink
Change the environment how? For the most stable patients, we’re able to close their doors, but the very purpose of ICU is intense observation. Is the artifact on the monitor caused by the patient shifting around in bed, or because they are having a seizure?
We like to keep them unrestrained (restraint paperwork sucks) but sometimes that isn’t possible. We can’t watch them every second - we have another patient to attend to. And a second is all it takes to do some major damage. Since they’re confused, they try to pull their lines and tubes out. Re-inserting lines and tubes can be traumatic and dangerous.
As for monitors alerting only one nurse, sometimes that nurse is on the other side of the unit for whatever reason, or in the bathroom heaven forbid. Other nurses milling about will be able to respond to the central monitor much more quickly.
Actually, while we’re at it, why don’t we just hook it all up to a buzzer that the nurse wears around her neck? :P :)
added by geena on 03.12.03 1:21 pm | Permalink
Where can I follow up for more information
added by Lorainne on 04.11.04 12:34 am | Permalink
help me please
added by anna on 01.25.05 8:18 am | Permalink
help me please
added by anna on 01.25.05 8:18 am | Permalink
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