What would YOU do?

[SuzieVN]

I'll speak 'hypothetically'. A speech therapist leaves the bathroom, as you are heading in. Then she goes straight into the dining room, sits down at a table, opens a woman's milk carton, then begins to spoon feed her her breakfast. When you enter the bathroom, you notice that the sink is bone dry. Also, she did not used the hand sanitizer easily located on the wall next to the table.

Realizing, that if you say anything to her, you'll have an instant and forever enemy. At the same time,...

What WOULD you do?

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Assume that she just went in to check her hair.

Remember that if we were all in deathly danger if we came in contact with someone who did not sanitize hands after using the bathroom we'd have all died out as a species eons ago.

And maybe say something to get everyone who enters the dining room to use the alcogel at the door.

[marydc]

Assume that she just went in to check her hair.

I agree. sometimes I enter the bathroom just for the mirror. Hope no one would assume the worst of me!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

If individuals can function independently in the bathroom, what they do in there is not my business.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Sometimes I go into the bathroom because it is the ONLY place I can get away from hearing my name called a dozen times!

I wouldn't worry about it. Bringing it up will likely be very awkward. The speech therapist will find herself on the defense, trying to explain to you that she was checking her hair, wiping the mascara that ran under her eyes, or making sure she didn't have a "bat in the cave". If that's the case, you will feel silly having brought it up.

[CodeteamB]

Avoid sharing her popcorn.

[CodeteamB]

Duplicate post, sorry kids.

[SuzieVN]

Oh, she used the toilet, I won't give you the details of how I know that. But she is a she. Anyway- I was just thinking of some of the grossest things I've experienced in LTC. This pales in comparison to the guy with the trach, that used the phone at the nursing desk. I watched him trying to cover his trach to talk, he coughed, and secretions dripped onto the mouthpiece on the handset. Since, I've never again picked up a phone without using a tissue or paper towel, and preferably wet wipes to wash it down. And I never put it against my face. I'll never forget that.

[Picklefreak]

Maybe she is just an incredibly fastidious person, and after washing her hands, she used paper towels to thoroughly dry the sink. Or she keeps a small bottle of hand sanitizer in her pocket and used it just before you saw her.

[loriangel14, RN]

Unless you want to alienate and offend I would keep my mouth shut.