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This is my first job as just a Sitter. While I was a Unit Secretary II for Munroe Medical Center I did take the Sitter course and when they don't need you to be a US they let you do the Sitter job so you can get your time in. I'm so thankful now that I was able to get that training because if it hadn't been listed on my resume I doubt if I would have landed this job.
Your duties include: observing the patient for the entire shift and documenting every 15 minutes what the patient is doing; watching tv, reading a magazine, sleeping, eating, or if they are agitated, thrashing around, or verbally abusive, or acting out. The nursing staff does all the hands on nursing care. Sitters are not allowed to touch the patients.
We have to keep ourselves protected in case the patient were to become violent, i.e., sit close to the door with maybe a desk or table/chair in front of you, do not display body language that could be deemed as challenging, no crossing of arms, etc. Just use a calm steady voice and try to deescalate if you need to.
For the most part the patients are Baker Act's, which is drug or alcohol related or the patient is threatening to take either their life or is a danger to others. Sometimes it's a chemical imbalance due to not taking their meds, etc.
Most of the time if they are on a unit they are calm and mostly sleep. You can read a book, or take your ipad or notebook or whatever if you have one. If they are in the ED it's usually a different story. It has been pretty scary at times when I did that, but you cannot show fear or let them pick up on it in any way. You have to be careful what you say and act calm and casual.
Your duties include: observing the patient for the entire shift and documenting every 15 minutes what the patient is doing; watching tv, reading a magazine, sleeping, eating, or if they are agitated, thrashing around, or verbally abusive, or acting out. The nursing staff does all the hands on nursing care. Sitters are not allowed to touch the patients.
We have to keep ourselves protected in case the patient were to become violent, i.e., sit close to the door with maybe a desk or table/chair in front of you, do not display body language that could be deemed as challenging, no crossing of arms, etc. Just use a calm steady voice and try to deescalate if you need to.
For the most part the patients are Baker Act's, which is drug or alcohol related or the patient is threatening to take either their life or is a danger to others. Sometimes it's a chemical imbalance due to not taking their meds, etc.
Most of the time if they are on a unit they are calm and mostly sleep. You can read a book, or take your ipad or notebook or whatever if you have one. If they are in the ED it's usually a different story. It has been pretty scary at times when I did that, but you cannot show fear or let them pick up on it in any way. You have to be careful what you say and act calm and casual.
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