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

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

Specializes in Cardiac.

I agree with nursing staff taking out trash/linens from pt rooms because it makes for a cleaner environment and promotes pt comfort(ie: smelly trash or linen bags). Another poster said that even if there was 24/7 housekeeping staff available, you would have to page housekeeping, wait for them to get to the unit, and then tell them what needs to be done. By then, you could have emptied trash and linen from the whole unit! lol Anywho, I do think that housekeeping should clean up bodily fluid messes, but I'm sure you would run into the same problem… Leave it all up to the nurse! They can handle it! *rolling eyes*

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Just for clarification- when one refers to 'scope of practice'- aren't they talking about the highest level of skill allowed for a certain title (LVN,RN,CNA,etc)? It just seems to me that when concerned about 'scope' of practice, you should be thinking "Am I allowed to answer this medical question, or lance this wound" and not, "Am I allowed to take out the garbage or flush the toilet". 'Scope of Practice' is about qualifications, correct? I don't know anyone over the age of 3 that isn't 'qualified' to take out a size appropriate bag of garbage or laundry.

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Specializes in L&D.

My job description ends with "and do anything else that is required"....

so I empty garbage, linen bags, mop floors, etc when it necessary!

ALL of it goes with the turf, so to speak!

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All I can say is WOW. I work in vet med. Essentually I'm the dental hygenist, rad tech, lab tech, anesthetist, surgical assistant, pack wrapper, "nurse" janitor, receptionist, cage/kennel/stall cleaner, etc. Basically I do everything except diagnose, prescribe treatments/medications or surgery. Yes I has a BS in veterinary technology as well as advanced training and I still clean. We don't have housekeeping staff. The staff and the doctors do all the housekeeping at our hospital. This means everything from cleaning and sanatitizing cages; cleaning the surgery; putting packs back together and sterilizing; maintaining and cleaning equipment; laundry; dump trash; clean trash cans; grounds keep; etc. We take bags and buckets of trash out to the dumpster. Since our patients don't use the toliet, these bags and buckets are full of more then just paper waste. A five gallon bucket of horse manure can easily weigh 50#. I'm just shaking my head.

Fuzzy, CVT

Sorry my spelling is off, I guess I just lifted one too many buckets of horse manure today.

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Specializes in volunteering!.

get the lift team?

*kidding*

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If you look at your job description, you can probably fit pretty much everything is part of your job. I worked night shift, we had no housekeeping, so i would empty garbage.

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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?

Well, I have no problem emptying and replacing garbage liners, they're light. But since housekeeping now deems themselves unable to remove IV poles and pumps from the room (never mind suction canisters), I won't be emptying and changing out 100lbs of linen bag anytime soon. I already lift over 1200 lbs of wt. a day, according to a study recently done. NNU website, if you care to read it.

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Specializes in ICU, Informatics.

Duties as assigned...yep, that means you do what needs to be done. I am so tired of people who think "not my job". I was taught in nursing school 25+ years ago to keep my work environment clean. Nothing is worse than having an emergency and then running into a room that has dirty linen and full trash cans. My rooms are always neat, orderly, stocked and ready for anything!

If you don't think it is "your job", I don't care, bottom line is it needs to be done, so either do it yourself or call housekeeping to do it.

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Specializes in FNP.

I didn't read all 8 pages of this, but to answer the original question, no, I didn't. I didnt give my employer any more ways to take advantage of me than they had innately. I don't do it at home either, lol, I hired a housekeeper here too ;).

I didn't turn 450lb pts either. My last hospital didn't provide the staff or equipment to do so, and I'm wasn't going to risk injuring myself deliberately. Sad but true.

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As a nurse who works for an employer walks through those doors into the building you are required to do what ever is asked of you or quit and go elsewhere. If you believe the request will hurt the patient then refuse to do it. They could still fire you. What do you do when you must turn a 450 pound patient over in bed or help a 160 lb patient to the bathroom? I know that trash bags do not weight this much. A nurse is an employee and must get the job done what ever the jobs is. With the changes that will take place in the near future, budget cuts will remove these support staff, so get ready to handle more dities or as I said quit! A little tough love but a furure reality!

Huh?! :eek: If I have a large patient or a heavy patient, I'm not risking MY back (which has to last ME the rest of MY LIFE) -- I get help. Had a back injury yet? No? Well, trust me. I'm not going there -- not for any patient, not for any job. So if you are turning 450 lb. pt's alone or doing anything similar you're risking patient safety and your own. :)

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Specializes in OR, Surgical.

Yes, at times it will be your job to empty linen & garbage bags. If it needs to be changed, change it. If it looks too heavy for you to lift, follow safe lifting techniques & get some help.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
"Every nurse should do whatever is necessary in regards to pt safety, and that includes providing a clean environment. Period."

:up::up::up:

Well ...... umm

How about the other professional staff ? Do they have to get stuck in and clean too - or is it a given that nurses shouldn't expect enough assistance from housekeeping. After all they are nurses and wont mind doing the trash and cleaning. Other professionals can have all the housekeeping they need to allow them to focus on their primary roles and no-one will argue that. No-one is going to tell the PT or OT or doctor or SW that they are being too snooty because they don't want to do the work of housekeeping. The others are concerned with p't safety too.

Honestly sometimes wonder if we are still hampered with the gender thing in nursing - womens work and all that :mad:

Womens work is never done ....and that includes the work of others

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