When and where do home health nurses go to a restroom?

KateRN1 · May 2, 2011

Rarely do I use a patient's bathroom. More often, clean gas stations, Walgreens, Starbucks, fast food places, etc. As you learn your route, you learn the best potties. :)

annaedRN, RN · May 2, 2011

If it is a clean home in a patient that I've known for a bit, then sometimes I ask to use their bathroom. But, yep, like Kate said - convenience stores, fast food places. Also using hospitals or labs where I drop off stuff. Sometimes I am near my house, my mom's house, my church or the office. Always seems to work out ok though!

RN1263 · May 3, 2011

I don't want to go in places such as Starbuck in uniform to borrow a bathroom.

You'll get over that if you have to go bad enough....LOL

caliotter3 · May 3, 2011

You'll get over that if you have to go bad enough....LOL

I do extended care and use my patient's home. Can not hold anything for more than eight hours any longer due to an uncooperative body, luckily, the potties and pottie rooms are clean enough for me. I have also scoped out most of the open to the public potties at establishments all along my various routes due to my uncooperative body. You learn to do this when it becomes necessary. There is also a little porta potty thingie that I bought at an auto parts store one time, but never got to use. It is for emergency use in the car. Sort of a version of a male urinal that can be used by men or women. Looked like a good thing to have on hand. Haven't looked for them since I saw that one years ago.

tewdles, RN · May 3, 2011

My understanding is that if you are providing episodic rather than shift nursing to patients in their homes you should NOT use the patient bathroom. Most home care and hospice nurses discover the clean and safe bathrooms in businesses along their travel routes and use those.

I believe that any surveyor for an accrediting agency or the state would "frown" upon a nurse/MSW/PT or other discipline using the private bathroom facilities in their patient homes.

GoECU · May 4, 2011

I usually stop by the office, my home, or at a fast food place. I won't say that I never would, but I would have to be about to bust! :barf02:

KateRN1 · May 4, 2011

Once you see some of the homes, Starbucks starts to look incredibly inviting. ;-)

RN1263 · May 4, 2011

Once you see some of the homes, Starbucks starts to look incredibly inviting. ;-)

LOL....absolutely!!!! I don't mind going anywhere in my scrubs anymore! I figure if someone has a problem with it, then it's their problem......cuz I have to pee! ....hahaha

kat7464 · May 6, 2011

I had to break my rule of never using a patient's bathroom when I was changing a PICC dsg and WOOSH...Aunt Flo came into town! Talk about embarassing. Thankfully, the pt was very nice and his bathroom clean. :lol2: Also a good thing we home nurses take extra supplies, like more sterile gloves in this case.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · May 6, 2011

I am thinking to apply for a home health company as an RN. But I am just wondering when and where do home health nurses go to restroom? I tend to go to restrooms a lot but I don't want to go in places such as Starbuck in uniform to borrow a bathroom. Do you use bathrooms at patients' home?

Don't wear scrubs, lol.

When I was a patrol officer I'd routinely go in places to whiz. Business owners liked it though because it increased our presence.

cathrn64 · May 7, 2011

I used to have a problem with "going" at a pt's home. I have been in home care for 20yrs. I no longer have a problem with occasionally using a pt's bathroom, as long as the pt's home seems clean. (Sometimes, you will be surprised, you will find a clean home with a very dirty bathroom!) In general I know where all of the bathrooms are on my route and try to use them instead