Nurses aren't maids!

[AnaCatRN]

I'm sorry. I really, really need to vent. I work for a pediatric private duty nursing agency, and I'm an RN. This is what I wish I could say to my new patient's mom: Why the heck would you ask your child's new night nurse to do her laundry?! When the hell did they put laundry questions on the NCLEX? Oh, yeah, they DIDN'T because NURSES AREN'T MAIDS! I'm not your kid's nanny, I'm a healthcare PROFESSIONAL - just like a physician. You wouldn't ask your pediatrician to do your kid's laundry, so you better not ask the nurse to do it, either! It's not 1950, anymore, Sparky!

Of course, I didn't say that. To be nice, I folded the kid's clothes tonight, but then I sent off an email to the clinical director at the agency complaining profusely about this insulting request. I mean, seriously! Where do people get the brass testicles to ask a nurse to do a maid's job?

Why do people automatically assume when they get private duty nursing covered by the state or their insurance that whoever is paying for it also thinks it's cool to provide you with housekeeping services? Isn't that insurance fraud? THe state doesn't want to pay for someone to do your kid's laundry. You can't ask me to do that! Not only is it DEGRADING to ask a healthcare professional to do laundry, it must be abuse of services. I hope to God above that no one at my agency told this woman that nurses do chores, because I will go all the way to the top of national corporate management if someone did. This better be an unfortunate misunderstanding on my patient's mom's part as to what nurses do and DO NOT do.

Has anyone else had to deal with this? I had one other patient's mom ask me if that was something we do, and she totally apologized for asking when I politely told her no. This new patient's mom guided me to the laundry room to make sure I understood how the machines work because she is assuming it's totally in my job description to do laundry. She didn't even ask, she just started out with "when you do her laundry..." Excuse me?! I clean the kid and his or her medical equipment. Nothing else! I'm not a home health aide (whose job it would possibly be). It's just not *my* job to do household chores!

OK, vent over. I feel a little better. Thanks for letting me vent.

[nursel56]

Where does Medicaid state that laundry is a nurse job,even if its the pts laundry?

I would love to see it.

I would like to see it, too. I wasn't aware such a regulation existed.

[SDALPN]

I'm on my phone and the page I pulled up is in pdf format. I can't post it from my phone (if I can, I don't know how). I won't be home this week to use my laptop to share it. But I'm sure someone else can post it. Or ask the agency you work for and they can show you. But we are responsible for all care that the patient needs. Its a task that CNAs would typically do in the home, but since we don't have a CNA with us, its our job to do it if asked by the family. But doing family laundry has nothing to do with the care of the pt. Just as cleaning the patients room is necessary, but its not our responsibility to clean the rest of the home except for any mess the patient makes.

Also, just plain old common sense would say that if a patient has a massive BM and soils their clothes, that you would clean it. Otherwise it would sit there making everything stink and then you would be leaving that work for the parent when they get home. If I had nursing in my home and walked in from work to see a pile of clothes soiled with BM just sitting there, I'd let the nurse go.

[KATRN78]

My agency in NJ which is a national agency says no, it is not billable to do laundry. If the parents are not providing clean laundry for the child, it is considered neglect.

[SDALPN]

Maybe each state is different or can change the rule. I'm with a national agency as well. But each agency I've been with here has been the same on the rule.

[Teacup Pom]

I love you ventmommy!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I've always done my patient's laundry at night on home care cases. Why? To be helpful to my families, to relieve even a tiny bit of the crushing burden that comes with having a ventilator dependent child, and to give me something to do at night and break up the monotony of night shift, and because it needs to be done.

No, I'm not a maid. And yes, I am an RN with a master's and board certified in critical care and peds.

I consider nothing that my patient needs 'beneath' me. When I became a nurse, I understood that it's not all about me- it's about them.

And besides, it's not like they are asking me to beat the clothes with a rock down by the river, it is loading a washer, moving the clothes to the dryer. A maximum of ten minutes actual work per load. I don't think it should be that big a deal.

[systoly]

just to throw something out there

situation:

doing pt.'s laundry is not on the 485

helpful nurse does pt.'s laundry

washer breaks down

family wants agency to replace washer

too far fetched?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

just to throw something out there

situation:

doing pt.'s laundry is not on the 485

helpful nurse does pt.'s laundry

washer breaks down

family wants agency to replace washer

too far fetched?

Not really....it has happened & the agency was none too thrilled as it was a $1000 front loading washer that was relatively new!!!!!

Fortunately my cases are limited to put dirty clothing/bedding in laundry basket or laundry room. Perhaps soak stains or apply stain remover as needed. I have one case where nurses have been specifically asked to NOT fold or put away laundry as one over zealous colleague decided to rearrange/reorganize the child's dresser and mom could not find anything when trying to get client ready for school in AM. Parents were NOT amused. (Apparently nurse was bored. Moms answer was "bring a book" leave my home alone. ).

I did wipe down my clients wheel chair yesterday at parents request while the client was playing next to me. I was shocked at the amount of crumbs and junk stuck in a chair of a kiddo that eats next to nothing by mouth!!! This I put in the same category as wiping down a nebulizer or feeding pump, cleaning out syringes or suction, cleaning a MDI spacer etc.

[smartnurse1982]

I really dont understand it. I dont have time to clean Bm stains on pads either.

Most of the parents do the other kids laundry,but wont do the sick childs laundry.

one home im in,the mom folds the normal16 yr olds clothes and irons them,but cant fold the sick 9yr old clothes?

[SinikRN101]

Thank you to the OP for posting this and getting completely flamed and standing your ground. I know I'm not alone, but I usually can not come up with the right words and certainly not as articulate as you have posted. Currently, I have the learned the hard lesson (among others) that if you give a mouse a cookie.... which is why (for the time being) going above and beyond is not in my current or future plans.

[PerfectlyPlump, ADN, RN]

To me, the cleaning and laundry are necessary on the whole, but I, as the nurse, only do them when I have time. When I am at a home for the first time, there is a lot to observe about the patient, and a lot to learn about his history and current challenges. I consider washing equipment and taking out the day's trash to be non-optional.

So, I do clean, on a limited basis, when all the more important work, interaction with the patient, teaching, and all documentation, is done!

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

To me, the cleaning and laundry are necessary on the whole, but I, as the nurse, only do them when I have time. When I am at a home for the first time, there is a lot to observe about the patient, and a lot to learn about his history and current challenges. I consider washing equipment and taking out the day's trash to be non-optional.

So, I do clean, on a limited basis, when all the more important work, interaction with the patient, teaching, and all documentation, is done!

This. x2