When to Bring in the Parents To most moms, it does not matter how old your child is: They are still your baby. So, if your son is having surgery, and he happens to be 45 years old, he is still your baby. Many times, nurses that are just beginning their career might not understand this. It's a mom thing. How Much Parents Should Be Told? There is no easy answer to this question, it is somewhat open ended. If the patient is awake and alert, it's up to them what the parents are told, provided we are talking about adults. Many hospitals now offer privacy codes for every patient. The patient gives this code to anyone that they feel comfortable having access to their condition. Explain to your patient that providing this code does authorize you to provide details on their condition to whoever has the code. Think about how the parents feel, regardless of the patient's age, that is their child. You may see 40 patients a week, say 7 per shift, however, to the parent, their loved one is the only one they have concerns for, their concerns are not divided among 7 patients per day. Most will understand you have other patients, but if not, be tolerant. There is nothing more difficult than seeing your child hurt or in pain, regardless of age. Related: History of Nursing in the United States When sharing information with parents the best rule to remember is to answer only what is asked. In other wordsHow is my son doing? – He did well overnight, had some pain so we gave pain medication that allowed him to get some sleep. He is awake now and does not want to eat, but had some juice an hour ago. – There is no need to say more of an answer than what is being asked, don't offer info such as urine output, particulars that the patient mentioned, just, and cover the basics. Never tell a parent that the patient is being difficult. It may be very true, but if you tell that to their parent, the results will be an argument or defensiveness. If needed, say casually, the patient is not very happy at the moment, and then move on. Avoid sharing personal information, if a 30-year-old wants mom to know, let them tell her.
Patient Interaction during Parental Visits When a parent is visiting, try to allow alone time if possible. If you do enter the room, make the visit as short as possible while completing your
responsibilities. Be sure to talk to the patient when asking questions, this may help divert the parent from answering for the patient, an all too common problem. For any exam type procedure, ask the parent for privacy, the patient deserves to have the option of being examined without a parent looking on. For personal information, again, ask, for privacy, and assure the parent they can come back in the room shortly. When to say No We have all seen the talk shows where the meddling mom is overly involved in the life of her 35-year-old son. Number one, remember, without the code to provide information, they cannot be, told anything. Even with the code, information should be provided at a minimum level, they do not need complete details. If the parent is demanding, stand your ground, and remember the patient is your concern, and the parent is not a priority. Related: 5 Ways to Soothe Your Feet after Working a Long Shift An Actual Case A 29-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after surgery on his knee. The man was polite, and warned the nurses that his mom would drive them crazy. That was an understatement. The mom came in 30 minutes after the patient's arrival. She apologized for not being there sooner, but she was, as she put it, “letting the operating room staff have a piece of her mind�. Apparently, they did not keep her informed enough during the procedure and she was not happy. She then went on to tell the nurse what they would need, which involved a list of items one might request at a luxury resort. The patient apologized over and over for his mom's behavior, which continued throughout his stay of 3 days. The head nurse finally had to meet with the mom, and explain to her that her expectations were not going to be met, and essentially, she needed to back off the nurses and let them do their jobs. The mom was not happy, but did abide by the rules of the head nurse. Occasionally it takes a person to step in and offer polite but assertiveness in explaining how things would be done. Always respect your patient's privacy, and accept parental input only when the patient is in agreement. Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter