Emptying linen and garbage bags. ..part of a Nurses jobs description?

[Giveheart]

So I think most nurses do help cleaning staff by emptying linen and garbage bags if they are full. Especially on the night shift where there is less cleaning staff. Some even dispose of them down a chute. But what if you injure yourself while lifting these?...are you covered? Are you concerned about your own safety and refuse to do it?

[coffee4metech]

JUST fyi I'm not a nurse or a cna /PCT ..... I work in the OR in another realm of work that is not in direct patient care . Now just to get this off my chest when people walk around saying "this is not my job or I'm above emptying this or lifting that ". It is TOXIC to be having an attitude like that and let me tell you people listen and watch others its human nature , and when you display that behavior it can and will bring a whole entire department down . It's about the patient always , its not about your superior attitude and feelings about yourself .

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

JUST fyi I'm not a nurse or a cna /PCT ..... I work in the OR in another realm of work that is not in direct patient care . Now just to get this off my chest when people walk around saying "this is not my job or I'm above emptying this or lifting that ". It is TOXIC to be having an attitude like that and let me tell you people listen and watch others its human nature , and when you display that behavior it can and will bring a whole entire department down . It's about the patient always , its not about your superior attitude and feelings about yourself .

Yes, and every other department except nursing gets to say what isn't their job. I will agree with you about how TOXIC it is.

Good Day.

[Patchouli]

i agree that it is about the patients and not us, and that having an attitude about trash and linens can be toxic and a little over the top. however, at some point we should draw the line. we are supposed to be professionals, but when the hospital wants, all of a sudden we are secretaries, dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, nurses, whatever. at some point it is worthy of complaint and enough is enough. i don't mind changing the trash during my shift, but when you start to add everything else we're supposed to do, you start to wonder exactly what your job title means, and if they should be paying you a little extra for all the roles you are providing. love to see anyone else in the hospital do something extra not in their title or role.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

Is emptying trash outside of ANYONE's scope of practice, really? Even my kids can empty a trash can.

[chorkle]

Well, this certainly seems to be an emotional issue.

Would appreciate it, if someone could help my understanding here. In orientation, it was heavily emphasized that overflowing linen carts are an infection control issue. In all the discussion of this issue, infection control has not been mentioned. (Certainly, the hospital has an Infection Control Nurse--who does not seem to have noticed overflowing linen carts.)

It is not merely common, but rather it is universal--have never seen an exception, in several years--to come in at 0630 for the day shift, and to see every single linen cart overflowing with used linen, much of it obviously contaminated with blood, vomit, feces, and other apparently bodily fluids, etc. (Setting is a busy E.D. Yes, there are empty linen carts readily available.) The about-to-be offgoing night shift is sitting about, as if there is nothing to do which needs doing--RNs, Techs, everyone. It rather looks as if some (not all) of these folks have been sitting about for several hours. It is not even uncommon to see an RN load on top of an overflowing linen cart--into would be impossible--more used linen soiled with blood, vomit, etc., etc.

(Overnight, there is one Housekeeping person in the hospital, so there is no point in wishing s/he might come & empty linen carts.

Quite aside from overheard attitudes such as, I didn't go to nursing school to empty linen carts; call House-keeping; or one might hear a tech say something like, Why do I have to do this?--No one else does. (Which is true.) Is infection control really an issue? Or is this just one of those things Mgmt. gins up to look good for inspections?

[CNABESS]

Infection control is a HUGE issue and the responsibility of any person working in a health care setting. One thing that has been mentioned is the line that needs to be drawn. in order to save money, hospitals get rid of what they see as "non essential personnel". Positions such as dietary aid, housekeepers and what we used to call unit secretaries simply are done away with in my facility. This means the 2 CNAs on my unit are bringing residents to the dining room and serving them there because there is only one dietary aid on duty from 2-6 pm. Then we CNAs have to set up the trays for the 7 feeders on the unit. All this time the 1 RN on the floor is left alone to deal with everything that comes up. Supper takes about 2 hours to complete and by then all dietary staff is done for the day. That leaves the 2 CNAs on duty to clean the tables after supper so there can be an evening activity for those residents who are able (thanks to a lovely woman who volunteers her time). So, yes, the line seems to move over more and more each year. Nobody feels they are above any of the work, but we are too busy taking care of ill and helpless residents and rehab patients to accomplish it all.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

i agree that it is about the patients and not us, and that having an attitude about trash and linens can be toxic and a little over the top. however, at some point we should draw the line. we are supposed to be professionals, but when the hospital wants, all of a sudden we are secretaries, dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, nurses, whatever. at some point it is worthy of complaint and enough is enough. i don't mind changing the trash during my shift, but when you start to add everything else we're supposed to do, you start to wonder exactly what your job title means, and if they should be paying you a little extra for all the roles you are providing. love to see anyone else in the hospital do something extra not in their title or role.

oh girl, this battle has been fought for many many years. yes, we are expected to be secretaries, dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, it specialists, counselors, referees, transporters, lab techs, mentors, waitresses, and handwriting specialists when deciphering orders. this is precisely why we are stressed out!

oh, and i must add this one caveat: we are expected to do it with the understanding that the hospital is over budget, so we will not be getting raises, but we need to put on our happy faces and work extra hard since jcaho is coming next week. another thing: please do all of the above extra work without error. love, management.

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

Exactly how many workers have you seen at a Burger King or Mcdonalds whose job title is "housekeeper" or "janitor" or "sanitation tech", etc. Having a daughter who paid her way through five years of college working at McDonalds I can tell you that the person who was cleaning the restroom when you went in is possibly the same person who puts your burger together a few minutes later (think about that your next trip). Even the managers and supervisors have to mop and clean. It all depends on the time of day and who is free when the mess is found.

We don't have housekeepers at night. I empty trash in rooms and hoist linen bags every night I am at work. For some reason or another I never wondered if it was part of my scope of practice. I'm in a patient's room, the waste basket needs emptying, I empty it, put in a fresh bag, toss the full one in the big can in the dirty linen closet, and go on. Takes a total of about a minute. Same with a linen bag. If I fill it, I change it out. Why let it pile up?

But if many more of us start doing that ... management will figure nurses can absorb more and more of others work.

Then you know what will happen .... busy, busy day plus unable to empty the trash and linen bags... nurse fired because unable to cope with workload

[Poi Dog]

We are not allowed to empty trash bags. Why? I have no idea. We have no housekeeping crew at night and the stench of the trashcans is horrible. Imagine flipping open the lid and being overwhelmed by Eau de poop and Eau de urine. Barf. To make it worse, the bins are in the patient rooms. That does not seem sanitary to me.

Give me some bags, darn it!

[PsychRN98, ASN]

I've always worked nights and I have always emptied trash that needed to be emptied, cleaned up urine, vomit and feces, and changed linen bags, including throwing them down a chute. There is almost NEVER enough housekeeping staff at any facility on the night shift, and of course never enough staff, lol, so sure, part of working as a team is to take part in even the crappiest, no pun intended, chores.

[McGyverRN]

In the hospital where I've worked before, they usually have utility staff incharge for those garbages and all. So I think it's not the nurse's responsibility anymore.

It's not the nurse's job...but it is, because the pt/family will complain about it not being done and the nurse will do it just to appease them. It's much easier to do it than to page housekeeping...wait...tell them the trash needs empited...wait...wait....wait..all the while the family is looking at you like "aren't you going to empty it?"

When it comes down to it, the nurse is responsible for everything, including housekeeping, dietary, nurse's aids, and doctors!

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I work in L&D. We have ZERO aids, not even a unit secretary. The RNs do it all. I will often take out the trash or linen. We even have to clean our triage rooms ourselves; sometimes several times a day. When I was working the night shift I even cleaned rooms, full on mop and everything. House keeping goes home at 2300 and we need to do our best to keep at least one labor room ready if they are not being used by laboring patients. I do not worry about injuring myself, and if I do; it is covered under workman's comp. And no, I would not refuse--or it would be my job...