Can I carry my own pulse ox?

littleneoRN · Jul 4, 2011

What can't you believe? This policy has been in place in every hospital I have worked in over the past 15 years. Every item of electrical equipment brought into a hospital needs to be inspected for electrical safety, current leakage testing etc by the BME dept, regardless of whether it's an electric razor or an artificial heart.

If you reread what you quoted from my post, I think I make it fairly clear what I'm having a hard time believing this...and how my experience apparently differs from yours. It just doesn't seem practical given the prevalence of electronic personal devices these days.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2011

I worked with a RN who brought nearly everything with her (barr a dynamap!) She was extremely efficient and organised.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Jul 4, 2011

My experience has mirrored ghillberts. I have never worked in any institution that permitted patients to bring in their own equipment, of any kind. Liability, etc. If they needed something, they asked for it. If we had it we provided it (hairdryers, electric razors, etc). If we didn't, they did without. All the better to get them out the door that much sooner anyway!

What in gods name would an acute inpatient need with a curling iron? ROFLOL @ the mere idea of that one.

littleneoRN · Jul 4, 2011

We have high risk moms on bedrest for weeks/months. They tend to feel better if they can take care of themselves like they would at home. And in a pediatric facility we have parents who room in with their kids who use many of those things. I guess I will consider us lucky to have a very family centere policy on this. We have dads who sit at the bedside of their sleeping babies and work remotely on their laptops. I'd hate to tell them that laptop wasn't allowed in. But I'm dealing with a whole different crowd here....long term stays, patients who come with parents, and every attempt to encourage their presence and involvement.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Jul 4, 2011

Ah. Well, if the facility doesn't forbid it, I certainly don't care.

My only experience was in high acuity critical care. If they were lucky, they were breathing independently and not pooping on themselves. They were not curling their hair nor checking facebook status. Their family may have been, but not in the room. Visits = 10 minutes at a time, 3X a day. I couldn't have worked in an environment where I would have had to put up with much more than that, lol. god love ya.

littleneoRN · Jul 4, 2011

Anyway, this has sort of hijacked the thread...feel free to carry on with the original question. :)

littleneoRN · Jul 4, 2011

Our unit is actual quite high acuity too (despite the fact that some people don't think we do anything except rock babies). Most parents are pretty good about staying out of the way as needed. They have a fold down couch and can be there pretty much any time....we ask them to leave for x-rays and sterile procedures. Codes...it depends on the situation. We have been known to bring a parent to the head of the bed to hold a hand, talk to the kid, pray, whatever, if space and logistics allow. Space can get tight with 2 or 3 vents, a big IV tree, nitric, a cooling blanket, etc... An ECMO pump pretty much maxes us out for space. But visiting for parents is unrestricted 24/7. Having only worked in peds, it's hard for me to imagine not involving family in everything all the time. Sometimes certain family members can get frustrating, but I don't think I could ever work in a unit with such strict visiting guidelines. Even for adults.

allnurses Guide · Jul 10, 2011

Maybe I was not clear. Patients weren't restricted from bringing electrical items in, but they had to be checked out and tagged by BME before they could be used on the hospital power supply.