April 2019
Elizabeth
Rodriquez
,
RN
Observation Unit
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa
,
FL
United States
There was a 97-year-old female who only spoke Dutch, HOH, with no family at bedside, who became agitated last night. She was screaming, kicking, scratching and trying to bite the staff. She kept trying to get up and walk but was not steady at all. We were not able to communicate with her because the cyracom didn't have any Dutch translators available last night. The Primary nurse called the patient's daughter multiple times so she could translate but once the call ended patient started right back with the screaming, keeping all other patients on the floor awake.
I called bed file and the nursing supervisor trying to get her a room with a door. We were able to move some patients around and were waiting for a room to be cleaned, so we could move patient. At that point, we were thinking about sitting the PCT with the patient but it was going to be useless because the PCT didn't speak Dutch. I called her daughter and explained that we (the staff) couldn't communicate with the patient and that her mom kept trying to get out of bed and was being aggressive with staff. I asked if any family member could come to stay with her? The daughter said she could, but the buses were not running at that time. I felt bad, so I asked the daughter if she was ok with me paying for an Uber for her, and she said yes. I asked for her address and sent her an Uber. The nursing supervisor was informed.
Once her daughter arrived, the patient was calm, laughing, pleasant and cooperative. Her nurse was able to finish her tasks, and all the other patients were able to sleep. My only regret is that I didn't send the Uber sooner!
I called bed file and the nursing supervisor trying to get her a room with a door. We were able to move some patients around and were waiting for a room to be cleaned, so we could move patient. At that point, we were thinking about sitting the PCT with the patient but it was going to be useless because the PCT didn't speak Dutch. I called her daughter and explained that we (the staff) couldn't communicate with the patient and that her mom kept trying to get out of bed and was being aggressive with staff. I asked if any family member could come to stay with her? The daughter said she could, but the buses were not running at that time. I felt bad, so I asked the daughter if she was ok with me paying for an Uber for her, and she said yes. I asked for her address and sent her an Uber. The nursing supervisor was informed.
Once her daughter arrived, the patient was calm, laughing, pleasant and cooperative. Her nurse was able to finish her tasks, and all the other patients were able to sleep. My only regret is that I didn't send the Uber sooner!