Why do nurses think their patients need to be in bed at night?
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sitting in a chair (or bed), as i'm sure you know can cause pressure sores. if the gent had been sat in his chair all day , then it is not condusive to his health to be sat in it all night as well. nurses have a duty of care to promote the good health of their patients and as such should try to ensure that the man is well cared for, however, if the gent was really insistent then there would be nothing a nurse could do except advise him against it. nurses are care professionals, not prison warders, so we can't really make anyone do anything.
although it may have seemed hard to you, do you know the man as well as the other nurses? if not, then there could be a very good reason why they are supporting this man in that way.
I would guess it is health and safety he may fall foward or wake up with a bad back
health and safety probably. Why didnt you ask?
I think if you were to fall asleep in your chair at night and sleep there for 8 hours you would be in more pain.
If it was good enough for Florence Nightingale, it's good enough for you. When you're chief nursing officer, you can make up your own rules.
patient's health and safety is the reason why. first, have you tried sleeping in a chair for 8 hours? your back is goin to be sore and will definitely ache, and besides it's not comfortable.and safety because the patient may fall while in a deep sleep and can cause further problems like fractures.
It's a question of Health and Safety. If the patient was to fall out of the chair and injure himself then this could be a cae for litigation. However, every patient is an individual and we need to accept their wishes (within reason). Unfortunately there are a lot of nurses who still think they are in the 1950's and are not prepared to take other peoples feelings or wishes into account. Sometimes there needs to be a compromise.
One word.LITIGATION. In this sue happy world we now live in, many nurses fear being robbed of everything they've worked hard for due to someone's ignorance. The nurse who told the man to get into bed was only watching out for themself. In nursing, it's called CYA. If the man fell out of the bed, the hospital would be responsible. However, if the nurse willingly and knowingly allowed the patient to sleep in a chair, then the hospital, or whatever type of institution you are in reference to, would blame the incident on the nurse and disavow any responsiblity. The hospital would simply state it's their protocol for patients to sleep in beds, and the nurse acted out of protocol by allowing the patient to sleep in the chair. As a nurse, what I do in situations such as that is inform the patient that they would be safer in the bed, and should sleep in the bed. I would then document my "education" of the patient, and the patient could sleep where ever they were the most comfortable. I doubt the nurse was just trying to be mean or trying to display some authority they thought they had, but this of course is a slight possibility also.
He might fall out of the chair, but in bed he can be propped up safely. He is not insured for sleeping in a chair, or any injuries sustained either by incorrect posture or otherwise, and the hospital could get sued if either occured.
Also patients like that can stop other patients getting their rest.being ill, they do need their sleep. The doctors come round in the day, so it makes sense if the patients are awake to get the benefit of their care.
My mum has just spent ten weeks in hospital and she preferred sleeping in a chair too, it's what she does at home, so trying to get her into a routine of going to bed was a little traumatic at times.
Obviously the safest place for a patient is in bed, for health and safety reasons, there would be less temptation to wander around at night.
At night time, it appears even staff are less alert, lulled into the false security of thinking all patients are in bed asleep. We know that's not the case.
My mum was so restless, she wandered the ward, passed the reception desk and managed to get herself a black eye in the process by walking into a bath hoist, which was inappropriately stored.at 2a.m!
It's not a case of staffing levels being inadequate to afford a one to one basis, it's more a case of at least ONE of them, being alert and doing the job they get paid to do...
After mum's episode in the night, she was adamant that she was taken to another bed at times.. methinks that would be to put her in a "secure" room. although the staff denied this, we do know it DOES happen. The only reason I can think of is that it would make the night shift less stressful.
Probably for safety issues
What kind of chair? I have had a few Pt's. whom prefer to sleep in a recliner and they were allowed to sleep in their chair, a recliner though ( the kind like you have in your living room). As far as sleeping upright in a regular chair I have never seen a patient who liked to sleep in a chair that just sits straight up. Some people claim they sleep better in their recliner though. There may be circumstances that may prevent this particular patient to be allowed to sleep in a chair, such as safety, or skin break down issues as mentioned in the above posts. Did the patient have any issues with dementia? In this case their are others issues to consider, the patient would not be mentally able to make the best decison for themselves. I'm referring to as in a Long Term Care facility.
When sleeping, the circulation slows down, which would generate a greater chance of DVT in a sitting position. A chair is easier to fall out of. Surely kyphosis and lordosis would form much easier in that position, certainly kyphosis. I have seen hospital chairs, I didn't even like sitting in them. Neck injuries would form from sleeping in a chair. Humans are designed to sleep laying down.
It's mainly because of the risk factors for sleeping in a chair. Depending on the patient's condition, it could have been very dangerous for him to sleep in the chair. Any problems such as sleep apnea, fall precautions, and certain medications don't bode well with sleeping in chairs.
Just remember...you're a student...ask your teacher what the reasons may have been. Believe me, you'll have students of your own one day, and you'll need the answers for them, too!!
yeah this woman on a ward i was on wanted to sleep in her chair too and they said no i just dont know
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