[CapeCodMermaid]

Why would you allow your child to visit at work? No place I've been would allow that unless it was a special occasion.

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

Why would you allow your child to visit at work? No place I've been would allow that unless it was a special occasion.

I worked at a small rural hospital and my kids always visited. In fact, they brought my #4 son in to nurse a couple of times a day.

My son walks right by the nurses' station on his way to LTC with his grandparents for the church service. So, he stops to say hello and get some juice and graham crackers. At times my dh stops in to chat. My older kids came by too - usually for lunch money.

I also worked in a larger city ER - we brought our kids in there too - even the docs did.

California - "laid back" is the lifestyle. We go to church in shorts, Hawaiian shirts and flip flops. It is normal around here.

steph

[Michigan RN]

If my patient's have C-diff, MRSA, VRE or are a transplant patient, I would prefer that little children NOT visit.

Also, I wish people would get a clue and stop letting their little kids crawl around on the floor. They're in hospital for goodness sakes, the floors are not clean no matter how many times housekeeping mops them.

[Spidey's mom]

My kids never went into a patient's room. And we don't get isolation patients that frequently.

I too hate it when people let their kids crawl on the floor - I'm over there in a flash to pick the kid up and hand him/her to the parent.

steph

[GrumpyRN63]

I don't like seeing toddlers in the hospital, I just cringe at god knows what they are being exposed to, crawling,touching, yuck!. I think it's fine if it's small enough to be kept in a carrier or stroller or old enough to sit/behave. I wouldn't want my own children to be exposed to all the crap, I have on occasion brought them in to staff areas, don't generally let them go in as visitors.. in the old days you couldn't visit unless you were 12 or older...probably a good general rule, with some exceptions, and of course postpartum is fine/ generally clean.

[letina]

Originally Posted by nurse hobbit

The one that really got me was one lady had a 6month on a visit, called me to the room and pointed to the dirty diaper she had put on the over bed table and very clamly says" that needs to be thrown away" So I very potiley returned with a small red back and said " here you are" then left the room.

Love it!

[Dolce]

I don't mean to sound like a grouchy kid-hater, but......

I do not appreciate child visitors to inpatient units at the hospital. I had to instruct one mother that it was not okay for her 2-year-old to crawl belly-first on the floor while LICKING it. Kids don't have good hygiene. They don't know what is okay to touch and what is not okay. Their immune systems haven't been exposed to all of the nasty bugs that adult's have. Some of the patients that we have in inpatient units these days are SICK. I would hate, hate, hate to expose a child to something like that unnecessarily.

[scarymary]

Originally Posted by Dolce

I don't mean to sound like a grouchy kid-hater, but......

I do not appreciate child visitors to inpatient units at the hospital. I had to instruct one mother that it was not okay for her 2-year-old to crawl belly-first on the floor while LICKING it. Kids don't have good hygiene. They don't know what is okay to touch and what is not okay. Their immune systems haven't been exposed to all of the nasty bugs that adult's have. Some of the patients that we have in inpatient units these days are SICK. I would hate, hate, hate to expose a child to something like that unnecessarily.

We don't encourage children and once we have explained about the risk of infection families are usually ok with that. BUT in my last job, grandpa was dying and the family brought the brand new baby in to see him for a few minutes. We took photos for them and everyone cried, including the nurses. Grandpa smiled all day, beautiful to see.

I am all for infection control etc etc but we need to have compassion for people as well.

[GrumpyRN63]

scarmary, I agree completely, special circumstances should definitely be taken into consideration for the situation, I also agree with Dolce, the hospital is the dirtiest place, a lot of people bring these little kids and their crawling and licking everything, for me, its the health of the kid and what is appropriate, pt dying of course, appendectomy, not so much.... LTF sure, its the pts home, and it cheers all of them up, great for kids to visit. I think dolce feels like I do, I like kids, find them generally cute, not intrusive at all, heck, I have a few of my own! It's a different world with regards to these superbugs then say 10 years ago. JMO

[RNperdiem]

Thanks for the responses. I was specifically asking about assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
The people I saw yesterday were up in wheelchairs chatting in the lobby, or in the resident common room.
Mention kids, and the negative reaction is common. Mention "dogs" and people gush. Strange culture we live in. See, kids are assumed to be a public menace until proven otherwise.