Bringing kids to work?

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Specializes in LTC/SNF.

I work NOCs at an LTC and it is fairly common for several of my coworkers to bring their kids to work with them, all night. It seems very unprofessional to me. While they are preoccupied with taking care of their kids for half the night, I am picking up their slack. Maybe I am overreacting, but I am tired of little boys running up and down the halls and the one year old baby screaming at the top of his lungs, waking up all of my residents. This is work people, not playgroup for your kids! :no:

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

occasionally, or in an emergency, i see, otherwise an unfortunate distraction

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Administration allows this?!?!?!?!?

Patient privacy, infection control, safety issues????

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Specializes in LTC/SNF.

Sallyrnrt I would be understanding if it were truly an emergency, but this is a nightly occurrence. There are open positions on day shift if nighttime childcare is a chronic problem.

amoLucia my thoughts exactly, not to mention liability, and they are getting paid to take care of our residents, not their kids.

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This would not be allowed where I work. Occasionally people bring their kids to meetings but never to scheduled shifts.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

i am a DON, i would "tollerate" on the once in a blue moon, maybe once every two years, emergency..and only if i was ask ahead of time..... but not definitely not on a regular basis

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

NO WAY????? Is admin aware???? That is bizzare!

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This is a liability issue for the facility, not to mention the employees are getting paid to take care of residents, ot their own children. Does your facility management know of this? Even if yes, I bet the corporate offices would not tolerate this.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Are these co-worker's nurses or cna's? Not that it really matters but I've worked with nurses who seemed to believe that certain rules did not apply to them and this is one of those rules. It should apply to ALL staff. Years ago we even had policy regarding child care handoffs because they were so disruptive. Today we have some new admin and the ADON's dtr is on staff along with many of her BFF's and several of them are popping out babies,it's not unusual to see the ADON walking around at shift change with a baby on her hip,or a half a dozen staff members in her office at shift change (instead of going to their units) They are hanging out and looking at the babies.I'm SO over it. Same thing happened with a few dogs belonging to admin and supervisors.The dogs were peeing and crapping and yapping all over the offices until ADMIN(the BIG dog) stepped in. I have a dog but she is in no way appropriate to go to work with me.I wouldn't dare.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I am appalled that anyone would allow children to be on a nursing unit no matter their age...especially infants.

We do not allow it. It's that simple. In the 25+ years I've been in the business, on ONE occasion did we allow kids to stay over. It was a snow emergency and we were extremely short staffed. I had staff tell me they would come in or stay if their kids were allowed. We had an activities person looking after them in one of the day rooms. There were NO infants however.

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Before I started at my current job, I would have agreed that staff having their children stay overnight with them in a nursing home is unthinkable. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that this would be allowed.

But one of the CNAs I used to work with on 11-7 shift would bring her two kids (aged six and eight-ish) in for the entire shift every now and then. She said she didn't have anyone to watch them those nights. It amazed me that management looked the other way. They stayed awake all night watching TV and coloring in the dinning room. They were generally well behaved. I got used to it eventually, but it always seemed iffy.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I guess once in a while, blue moon, emergency pinch, it could be OK, provided admin approved in advanced. But do not bring in a sick child.

What I particularly dislike is those 'bring-your-child-to-work days'. Really not the place, again for pt privacy, infection control & safety reasons. Not to mention the babysitting issue.

What this topic points out to me is, the inequitableness (inequity?) of the availability of childcare options for 3-11 & 11-7 employees. Like only dayshift employees deserve childcare as a bene. (sarcastic)

Off my soapbox now!

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