Sitters help provide constant care for hospital patients

FARGO -- Ardis Brandl is paid to hold people's hands. "Sometimes I go home feeling pretty lucky with my life," she said. Brandl works as a patient sitter for Essentia Health in Fargo. She sits with patients who are dying, combative, suicidal, a fall risk or might otherwise need supervision, such as young children whose parents can't stay with them. Sometimes she talks with people, cuddles children and holds patients' hands. "Just kind of keep them safe," she said.
But that doesn't make it an easy job. Some situations are emotionally difficult. One patient died while Brandl was there, shortly after his family had left. Patients might also be confused or belligerent. In those situations Brandl said she tries to redirect them and calm them down. "Some of them get a little rough," she said. "But you've got to remember that it's the illness." It's a paid position, and Brandl works as needed. She's retired after working in health care for many years, including as a nurse's aide and clinic receptionist. She took the job because she said she wanted to help people. "Sometimes I feel really bad for the patients and their families because there's nothing I can do," she said. "I'm just there to help them get through it." Families appreciate the sitters, Brandl said, especially when they can't spend all their time in the hospital room. "They're happy somebody is around and can stay," she said. "They get worn out, too, sometimes if it's a long stretch." Nurses also appreciate the help. Crystal Graening, a registered nurse at Essentia Health, said she has had to spend an entire shift sitting in a patient's room when a sitter wasn't available. Sitters, she said, allow nurses to do their jobs and help more patients. "Without sitters, it could cause a delay or setback in care if patients fall or they pull out a line," she said. Essentia has had the program for more than 10 years, said Jill Holmstrom, care management and float team manager. Some of Essentia's 18 sitters come from health care backgrounds, like Brandl, but others do not. It's a good job for college students going into health care because of the flexible schedule, Holmstrom said. "The whole reason behind it is to keep our patients safe," she said. Without sitters, patient care technicians (which are like nurses' aides) or nurses are pulled from their duties to sit with patients. "(Sitters) fill a huge need and it helps out our units tremendously," Holmstrom said. "The nurses know, then, that they can be more at ease knowing that there's a sitter in the room and they don't have to worry about getting into that room every 10 minutes to check on the patient." Sanford Health has used sitters for more than 100 years and has hundreds of sitters, said Darren Huber, Sanford Health spokesperson. "Today, we use more sitters than in the past to keep patients safe because people who are in the hospital are generally sicker," he said. "Hospital patient safety is the number one reason we have sitters as part of our care team." As challenging as it can be, it's also rewarding to see patients get better, Brandl said. But even if she doesn't see that, she said she knows she's providing an important service. "I feel like I'm doing something good," she said. FARGO -- Ardis Brandl is paid to hold people's hands."Sometimes I go home feeling pretty lucky with my life," she said.Brandl works as a patient sitter for Essentia Health in Fargo. She sits with patients who are dying, combative, suicidal, a fall risk or might otherwise need supervision, such as young children whose parents can't stay with them. Sometimes she talks with people, cuddles children and holds patients' hands."Just kind of keep them safe," she said.
But that doesn't make it an easy job. Some situations are emotionally difficult. One patient died while Brandl was there, shortly after his family had left. Patients might also be confused or belligerent. In those situations Brandl said she tries to redirect them and calm them down."Some of them get a little rough," she said. "But you've got to remember that it's the illness."It's a paid position, and Brandl works as needed. She's retired after working in health care for many years, including as a nurse's aide and clinic receptionist. She took the job because she said she wanted to help people."Sometimes I feel really bad for the patients and their families because there's nothing I can do," she said. "I'm just there to help them get through it."Families appreciate the sitters, Brandl said, especially when they can't spend all their time in the hospital room."They're happy somebody is around and can stay," she said. "They get worn out, too, sometimes if it's a long stretch."Nurses also appreciate the help.Crystal Graening, a registered nurse at Essentia Health, said she has had to spend an entire shift sitting in a patient's room when a sitter wasn't available. Sitters, she said, allow nurses to do their jobs and help more patients."Without sitters, it could cause a delay or setback in care if patients fall or they pull out a line," she said.Essentia has had the program for more than 10 years, said Jill Holmstrom, care management and float team manager. Some of Essentia's 18 sitters come from health care backgrounds, like Brandl, but others do not. It's a good job for college students going into health care because of the flexible schedule, Holmstrom said."The whole reason behind it is to keep our patients safe," she said.Without sitters, patient care technicians (which are like nurses' aides) or nurses are pulled from their duties to sit with patients."(Sitters) fill a huge need and it helps out our units tremendously," Holmstrom said. "The nurses know, then, that they can be more at ease knowing that there's a sitter in the room and they don't have to worry about getting into that room every 10 minutes to check on the patient."Sanford Health has used sitters for more than 100 years and has hundreds of sitters, said Darren Huber, Sanford Health spokesperson."Today, we use more sitters than in the past to keep patients safe because people who are in the hospital are generally sicker," he said. "Hospital patient safety is the number one reason we have sitters as part of our care team."As challenging as it can be, it's also rewarding to see patients get better, Brandl said. But even if she doesn't see that, she said she knows she's providing an important service."I feel like I'm doing something good," she said.