Surveillance cameras in pedi patient's home?

Specialties Private Duty

Published

I have been working this case for my 8 year-old private care patient for a few years. Her other two nurses have been there longer than me. We are considered family by her parents and they are very demanding about her care for understandable reasons. Today we were informed that they were getting a new security system installed and they decided to put video cameras in her bedroom and living/nurses area. They can watch us at any time they choose remotely. I have nothing to hide but the idea is bothering me quite a bit and I'm not real sure why. The other nurse is bothered as well. Any opinions?

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

Lots of those cameras have audio. Your workplace will do nothing if you call them. However, you would look suspicious calling your work about it.

Some cameras are so good that they can tell you the temp in the room and the parents can talk to you through the camera.

If I can find the camera online, I find out what the camera can and can't do. Shouldn't have to do that. But if the family doesn't trust me, I don't trust them.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
Lots of those cameras have audio. Your workplace will do nothing if you call them. However, you would look suspicious calling your work about it.

Some cameras are so good that they can tell you the temp in the room and the parents can talk to you through the camera.

If I can find the camera online, I find out what the camera can and can't do. Shouldn't have to do that. But if the family doesn't trust me, I don't trust them.

I found out it definitely has audio. In addition, they mentioned their system (the primary one, not the new white one) has FIVE cameras, not two- and they're replacing it for an eight camera system. I can't reconcile how that could possibly be necessary, given the size of their house and the fact that the patient only lives in two rooms.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

i've only worked in one home with cameras and man was i glad they had them

the patient would suddenly start screaming bloody murder and even though

this was well known and documented, when you're alone with a pt. behind closed doors

you want a camera or a witness when this happens

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Specializes in NICU.
I don't work private duty but in my pcicu we have 24/7 cameras above every patient bed. They are used so codes and other serious safety events can go back and be reviewed and see if procedures (like rapid ecmo deploying) need adjusting. At first people were freaked out and upset by it, now we don't even realize it's there. Initially nurses were very afraid though of doctors using the cameras to "point fingers" at something the nurse did wrong. This hasn't been an issue of yet that I know of

Is this something parents have access to as well as staff?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I orientated at a house that had a camera where the patient was. I found it weird, that was a first for me & I've been doing PDN for 3 years (as long as I've been a nurse). I guess I understand, but it's still weird. Yes there are cameras in hospitals & such but they are not in the patient's room. So it's just weird.

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I worked a case where there was a camera in the room - on the dresser aimed at the bed (patient was total care, bed bound kid) - I didn't know about it until the previous nurse one night during report told me. Even though I feel I am a great nurse and don't take short cuts, do my job etc it still made me uncomfortable. After it was pointed out to me I would casually stack diapers or misc things in front of it as if I was cleaning up the area, stocking etc to block the view.

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We are professionals with licenses. Nanny cams make me nervous though I haven't come across them I'm sure you wouldn't have access to the tapes to defend yourself.

good point. I too am used to cameras in hallways and nurses station, but never in a patients room.

if something bad happens to the kid, i imagine those tapes will be scrutinized for any errors made, nomatter how minor.

shady advice, but i would try to position myself between the patient and the camera when providing care.

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Just because you don't see a camera doesn't mean there isn't one.

I'm not sure why a nurse would purposely block a camera. What do you have to hide? At the very least it makes you look like you have something to hide.

There is a video monitor in my patient's home, but I always assume I am being watched even if that monitor is not trained on me. Who knows whether there are hidden monitors?

I can't say I blame any parent or family member for having monitors. I absolutely would do the same thing if it were my child. I have seen and heard too many horror stories about the bad things people do when they think no one is looking.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
Just because you don't see a camera doesn't mean there isn't one.

I'm not sure why a nurse would purposely block a camera. What do you have to hide? At the very least it makes you look like you have something to hide.

There is a video monitor in my patient's home, but I always assume I am being watched even if that monitor is not trained on me. Who knows whether there are hidden monitors?

I can't say I blame any parent or family member for having monitors. I absolutely would do the same thing if it were my child. I have seen and heard too many horror stories about the bad things people do when they think no one is looking.

I don't think its about hiding something. Its the creepy feeling of being watched. I have nothing to hide. But cameras make me uncomfortable, even in public places like a store or on the highway.

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I understand. It did take some getting used to for me.

I think a camera or monitor can serve as much for our protection as it does the patient's. If there is ever a question regarding care I have given, it is right there for the viewing.

These days I think it's safe to just asssume there is a monitor or camera and act accordingly.

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Some of my patients have those baby monitor cameras. If Mom is watching, she has seen me doing the wedgy dance a few times.

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Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.

I know this is an old post but I had to weigh in on this. I am not only a mom but I had a child that had PDN for 14 years. I started with one camera with infrared with a monitor in my bedroom so I could observe if my child was having a siezure at night so i wouldnt have to run in for every little sound in the middle of the night. This after a 50 minute seizure stopped by 3 doses of meds resulting in aspiration and a very long hospitalization. The next camera was installed when I found out that narcotic medication had been stolen and the police told me that we could only press charges with actual hard evidence, and we didnt know who took it. I have to say that we also at the time had one or two nurses that would go into my childs room and pretend to read a book or such and with the camera I could see their novel or phone inside the book! and since they would close the door to his room, I would go in with laundry or something like this to let them know I knew what was going on. If my child was sleeping, I could have care less, by my child would be crying while they were there reading a book or playing on their phone! really, if that is what you want to do then I will sign you out and go home! My nurses knew there were cameras after the seizures started and I never used them for anything other than my sons safety.

anangelsmommy

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