Monday, April 24, 2006
Demented Damage
Normally I love working with patients with dementia, even the so-called combative ones. I can be cursed at, spit at, scratched, punched. None of that stuff generally bothers me.
Today is another day that I wish I had my camera working properly. I'd love to upload photos of the battle wounds I've acquired at work today. This little tiny old lady with dementia with very long, strong fingernails got mad that I wouldn't let her go to the bathroom by herself. I have to say - the excoriations she has been so kind as to give me are a bit painful.
I think part of the problem is that she doesn't speak English. I tend to be much more successful in redirecting enraged patients who speak my same tongue. Wish me luck with the rest of my shift today! I've still got 8 more hours to go with this spitfire!
Today is another day that I wish I had my camera working properly. I'd love to upload photos of the battle wounds I've acquired at work today. This little tiny old lady with dementia with very long, strong fingernails got mad that I wouldn't let her go to the bathroom by herself. I have to say - the excoriations she has been so kind as to give me are a bit painful.
I think part of the problem is that she doesn't speak English. I tend to be much more successful in redirecting enraged patients who speak my same tongue. Wish me luck with the rest of my shift today! I've still got 8 more hours to go with this spitfire!
Comments:
I love these types of patients too! LOL, they are so lovable, right?! Are we crazy? As Kate Clinton said to my brother, "You do the work of angels." Oh, guess what, my brother got a full-time job working w/first respondents to Ground Zero. His title is "Disaster Psychiatrist." How great is that? Right up his alley (what he likes doing), trauma work.
i have huge admiration for you guys but there is no way i could do what you do. there must be times when you just want to scream out loud for the sheer frustration of it all.
Jenny - I love psych nursing. I seriously considered switching my specialty after spending three months working in a locked geriatric psych ward. That's awesome about your brother's new job. Tell him "congrats."
CJ - Actually, I can't say I do want to scream much. I think the patients do plenty of the screaming for the both of us. ;-) I do, however, say a firm "no" on a fairly routine basis. But yes, I think this kind of work is more of a calling than something just anyone might choose to do.
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CJ - Actually, I can't say I do want to scream much. I think the patients do plenty of the screaming for the both of us. ;-) I do, however, say a firm "no" on a fairly routine basis. But yes, I think this kind of work is more of a calling than something just anyone might choose to do.
