Cockroaches are driving me out of the hospital!

[raynefall]

I have never in my life seen so many cockroaches in a place of business! I work in a huge and OLD hospital and I have seen cockroaches in the halls, locker room, stairwell, medication room and everywhere else. I have been in the middle of conversations with my patient and I've seen a roach climb up the wall! I remember waiting for an elevator for at least 10 minutes and when it finally came, I noticed a cockroach who looked like it was pumped with steroids scurry in front of me. Being fearful of the thing, I went ahead and gave him/her/it that elevator. They know I'm frighten of them so they harass me!

I've also seen rats the size of armadillos in the parking garage and down the street.

I have had enough! I am scared of roaches and I start crying every time I see one. They are nasty! It seems like in addition to having my stethoscope, scissor and pen, I should carry around a can of raid!

I can only imagine what the cafeteria is like. I do not want to bring any of that nasty funk into my house or my pets!!

I can't imagine running a place of business with these pests running rampant. It makes no sense to me why TPTB let this go this far.

It is getting to the point where I am considering moving on, I don't mind facing my fears, but this is one fear that I rather leave alone. I'm just waiting for that day when a flying cockroach comes flying at me, that'll be the day that I quit!

[anonymurse]

Call the health department.

Err...sounds like (1) they haven't been there like they're paid to, or (2) they've been there and haven't done anything they're paid to do.

However, every little local TV station has some guy who dreams of catching the attention of the staff at 20/20...

[EmmaG, RN]

I'm with you... I have a genuine phobia when it comes to bugs. I go into a near-panic attack.

You're far stronger than I am; I would have already quit.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Doesn't JCAHO have something to say about this?

As for what I say,

Ew ew ew.

[imenid37]

The Health Department came to visit us a few months ago. Our hospital is very clean. I have worked at several places and although our place is not totally perfect, it is very clean. Still DOH found a corner in a janotor closet w/ some mold and made us fix it and dust in a storeage room. I can't believe that a giant pest trap doesn't get dinged. I will say I once worked in the inner city and we did have trouble w/ pests although the hospital constantly cleaned and sprayed, etc. Trouble was, it was all around us in adjacent buildings. Trash in the alleys around the hospital attracted rats (which I saw around, but never in the hospital). I saw plenty of roaches, including one crawling on a marble statue in the very beautiful lobby. I think in that situation too, we often had patients bringing pests in from their homes or homeless living situations. It is one thing to see them once in awhile (YUK), but quite another to see large numbers routinely(no excuse). I am with those who say call the DOH and go work somewhere else. How awful.

[smk1, LPN]

I'm with you... I have a genuine phobia when it comes to bugs. I go into a near-panic attack.

You're far stronger than I am; I would have already quit.

I am panicking just reading this thread! I never even thought about bugs being in a supposedly sterile type environment like a hospital. I also just apparently am being naive thinking I would avoid dealing with that type of stuff by staying out of home and community health. GROSS! and the rats are dangerous!

[banditrn]

Nope, not if there are roaches in it. If I come across a picture of one online I start bawling. It is a true fear and I don't care to see them..... I get enough of them at work.

We get alot of homeless patients and I have no doubt they bring most of them in. I heard they're almost impossible to get rid of, I hope that isn't true. It seems like regular pest control won't even begin to touch the problem.

You poor thing!! Bugs don't bother me - but I respond like that to birds!! Pictures don't upset me - and I'm OK outside if they're around - just not too close - but let one get in my house, and I'm a screaming hysteric!!

One of my son's lives in the country on a small acreage and has chickens and geese. One time he bought this rotten turkey - supposedly to fatten for Thanksgiving - well, the damn thing got HUGE! I pulled up to visit one day, and it met me at the car - I wouldn't get out - had to honk the horn for someone to come out and chase it off.

He never did kill it - it got to be his 'buddy', and he couldn't bear to!