I'll be honest that having confused patients used to frustrate me to no end. Lately though, I've been trying my best to take a different approach and not take things so seriously. Laugh when you can (of course out of their ear shot) and not let the sometimes nasty or crazy things they say bother me! (Not sure why I used to take it to heart, they have NO idea what they're talking about!)
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A couple of weeks ago, I was so lucky to have 2 incredibly confused patients, 2 shifts in a row! In A's defense, she wasn't quite as confused the first day, but her nice like GI procedure cocktail had her crazy out of her mind on day #2.
These ladies were quite opposites when it came to their confusion. A refused to use the call light, so anytime anyone passed by her room she was would try her best to lure them in. While J enjoyed screaming & yelling and calling the nurse's station way more than necessary.
J was insisting that I had her in prison. That I was "scary" & "mean" -- and of course she just so happens to know someone in law enforcement, she's going to call 911 (good time to unplug that phone!), and that I am going to prison anytime now! Luckily her daughter informed me that she takes her anti-depressant at bedtime, and that helps her sleep most of the night. 100% god send! But of course J had the time to call out to "black woman" (aka Mary, CNA), who she promised she'd pay if she helped her escape! (This was a GREAT one to laugh about later on in the evening!)
Then we have A on day#2 - she was pretty happily confused talking with her invisible friends almost the entire night! Insisting that the blankets on her chair were friends and was absolutely AMAZED when I was able to pick them up... so insisted for the rest of the evening I needed to chase her friends out from under her bed too! Ohhhh my, versed & fentanyl -- you really do some people WRONG!
Up Next -- big scary man says he's going to kill you, and you're pretty sure he means it -- but totally forgetting the number we call for emergencies, most likely due to adrenaline levels, AH!
