Is theft a problem in your hospital?

[Altra]

I was just perusing the PDA thread, and again, the issue of theft arose. I've read this before, in threads on stethoscopes and elsewhere.

This floors me, because I have not encountered this at all, in over a year & a half of clinicals, in 4 different hospitals and too many other provider's offices and community agencies to count. Most of the nurses stations I've encountered seem to have a designated doorknob or other spot where everyone parks their steths.

I do keep my PDA on me, but that's primarily because my hubby bought me this cool hard case with a belt clippy thing on it, not because I have any significant fear about it walking away.

Is this a problem where you are? Who takes the stuff?

[z's playa]

I don't get it. You hang your personal belongings in patient rooms??

:chuckle

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i don't get it. you hang your personal belongings in patient rooms??

yup. in that icu, there were no lockers. we used to leave our purses in the break room, but they disappeared at an alarming rate. then a file cabinet -- but the theives got wise to that. so we kept them with us in our patient's room. management had installed hooks years ago to hang enormous clipboards with the icu flowsheets on -- then we went computerized. several nurses still were robbed by patients' families, so if you had two patients, you had to choose carefully which room to leave your purse in, because it would be unsupervised if you were in your other patient's room.

ruby

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It's not a big problem here, but if someone leaves valuables or moeny out in the open, but away from traffic, it's probably going to get stolen. Our breakroom and lockers are in an isolated area and people have on occasion have gotten things stolen.

[NO1_2NV]

Yep, for us too. We have been told not to bring anything of value or to leave it in the car locked up. Steth's are all monogrammed or engraved with our names. We have been told never to wear rings because the minute you remove your ring to wash your hands it is gone. There are no longer BP cuffs at bedside because the facility can not keep them long enough to get a reading on the patient. We have to bring everything, Steth, BP cuff, thermometer, etc. oh, and we can not wear lab coats so everything must fit in your pocket. I am seriously thinking about getting a kangaroo pouch!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Yep, for us too. We have been told not to bring anything of value or to leave it in the car locked up. Steth's are all monogrammed or engraved with our names. We have been told never to wear rings because the minute you remove your ring to wash your hands it is gone. There are no longer BP cuffs at bedside because the facility can not keep them long enough to get a reading on the patient. We have to bring everything, Steth, BP cuff, thermometer, etc.

How very, very sad! :stone How can you have rapport and trust among coworkers in this kind of atmosphere?!

[jolie chatte]

I was just perusing the PDA thread, and again, the issue of theft arose. I've read this before, in threads on stethoscopes and elsewhere...

Is this a problem where you are? Who takes the stuff?

Yes!!!!!!! theft is a HUGE problem in our hospital and at the clinical sites ive attended. i make sure i grab a locker to use every place i work and keep everything youre using on you at all times. you just have to these days.

[Chad_KY_SRNA]

This winter one of our CNA's had been shopping before work it was the week of Christmas and she had spent a big part of her paycheck on gifts. Went out the next morning, she had been cleaned out. Other than that we have had a few lunches stolen, thats about it.

[TinyNurse, RN]

nothing personally stolen............. but have been warned about cell phones, money coming up missing from our number coded breakroom.........

they actually had to install a video camera in the breakroom because of this................ wow