White Lies
As CNAs, we lie. A lot. All the time actually. I know what you are thinking, 'That's awful!' and that is kind of true, but it also is better for the patients sometimes. I work in geriatrics, where my patients are forgetting everything. My dementia and Alzheimer patients especially struggle, and life is often miserable being trapped in the memories they are. Sometimes reality isn't the best way to deal with a situation. I'll give an example--I have a patient that will hardly eat. It isn't uncommon for her to go a few days without eating anything besides a cracker or two, or maybe a cookie. When you lose your sense of taste and/or don't have much motivation to live, why eat? The only way we can get her to eat is to tell her that her mom is looking for her, and she is in the dining room waiting for her to come eat breakfast with her. My patient will jump up and hurry down to the dining room, and by the time she gets there and breakfast is in front of her, she has forgotten about her mom, and we can convince her to eat.
I have had people question whether that is ethical or right. I see where it seems heartless, but sometimes it helps when nothing else will. My patient that had the 'children' would refuse her shower every Saturday I worked, without fail. I would tell her that her son had called and told me he wanted her to shower, and it usually worked.
I am appalled however, when I stop to count how many white lies I tell in a shift. When I stand at the judgment bar, it is going to be a long long list. And I'm sorry for whoever is standing in line behind me. :) A list of the most common white lies a CNA tells in a shift:
My first reaction, honestly, was shock. I had no idea what to do. Nothing in my CNA class had prepared me for this moment. However, I didn't have much time to think about that, as she suddenly dropped. I dove for her and caught her, and set her gently on the floor, as she refused to stand up. We called for the med tech, pulled up her pants and got her into her room onto her bed, and then the med tech arrived with her 'chill pill'. The med tech went to feed it to her, and she refused, turned her head, and kept screaming.
I finally said to her "The doctor said this would help with the pain. He said it would help numb you." She stopped and turned, and opened her mouth. A little while later she had calmed down and was fine. We went on to have a false labor and delivery every Sunday for a few weeks, which was fun and embarrassing, one time including family members of another patient passing by at the worst of the moment, but that's another story for another day. The point is, the white lie I told that day helped her, so sometimes a well meaning white lie is acceptable I think. :)
I have had people question whether that is ethical or right. I see where it seems heartless, but sometimes it helps when nothing else will. My patient that had the 'children' would refuse her shower every Saturday I worked, without fail. I would tell her that her son had called and told me he wanted her to shower, and it usually worked.
I am appalled however, when I stop to count how many white lies I tell in a shift. When I stand at the judgment bar, it is going to be a long long list. And I'm sorry for whoever is standing in line behind me. :) A list of the most common white lies a CNA tells in a shift:
- I'll be right back
- I don't know what happened to your dirty clothes
- I'll get fired if I don't help you ________
- (talking about spouses who have passed away and asked where they are) I just saw him/her! I'll go find them after we ______
- You can go back to bed after we_______
My first reaction, honestly, was shock. I had no idea what to do. Nothing in my CNA class had prepared me for this moment. However, I didn't have much time to think about that, as she suddenly dropped. I dove for her and caught her, and set her gently on the floor, as she refused to stand up. We called for the med tech, pulled up her pants and got her into her room onto her bed, and then the med tech arrived with her 'chill pill'. The med tech went to feed it to her, and she refused, turned her head, and kept screaming.
I finally said to her "The doctor said this would help with the pain. He said it would help numb you." She stopped and turned, and opened her mouth. A little while later she had calmed down and was fine. We went on to have a false labor and delivery every Sunday for a few weeks, which was fun and embarrassing, one time including family members of another patient passing by at the worst of the moment, but that's another story for another day. The point is, the white lie I told that day helped her, so sometimes a well meaning white lie is acceptable I think. :)
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