Delivering lab specimens...what do you think?

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I work in an LTC 30 miles from my home. The town where the LTC is located is very small and they don't have a hospital, doctor's office, or medical lab...the closest is in the town I live in. People who live in my town and work at the LTC are expected to deliver labs to the hospital and to pikc up equipment from the hospital when needed. So far, I have refused to do it. We are not on the clock once we leave the building, so any deliveries / pick ups are on our own time. I am not big on the idea of having potentially infectious fluids in my car...what if I got in a wreck and the fluids were spilled...what if something just leaked...what if something happened and I didn't make it right to the hospital to drop things off? Also...there are many times when there is a 15-20 minute wait to get things dropped off to the right person and get paperwork done.

I probably wouldn't object if we were allowed to stay on the clock while delivering labs, but I don't think we should have to do it for free. Also, I live on the opposite side of town from the hospital, so it is inconvenient to drive clear into town to take things to the hospital.

It is usually not an issue during the week because there is plenty of staff who can either leave to take things or who live here and don't have a problem with being a delivery person.

Are there regulations about transporting labs? What about the labor laws regarding working off the clock?

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In this area anything done for the facility that involves driving to another location is on the clock.

Hi Mac!

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In this area anything done for the facility that involves driving to another location is on the clock.

Hi Taz!!!

That's pretty much what I thought...their logic is that I am going anyway and it would just be nice of me to drop things off. I just don't want to do it...once my shift is over, it is over...I don't like the idea of having to do "one more thing" that I am not being compensated for.

:beercuphe

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I think you are right to refuse, especially because of the liability involved.

If you were to get into an accident on the way to the hospital with lab specimens or medical equipment in your car, your auto-insurance carrier might refuse to pay your claim. They might consider it to be a "business use" of your car, something you are probably not insured for.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Tele/Step-down.

REFUSE! REFUSE!

I had a friend doing a "errand" for her work. Well the parking lot was full so she decided to pass it and stop at the gas station and get a coke (to waste time till the parking lot cleared out). Anyways, after getting back on the road she was hit at a stop light and injured. Guess what? No worker's Comp, No nothing! (other person had no insurance). So now her insurance is paying for everything. Plus she had to miss work without pay. She was on the clock but because she passed the parking lot and turned around they won't cover it. (Coke or no coke) didn't matter. So don't do it.

Tell them you have to go to Wal-Mart after work. Heck that takes anyone at least 2 hours! LOL

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Specializes in Photolab technician.

You are absolutely right to refuse it. I know it's an EXTREMELY unlikely scenario, but just think if you were transporting HIV-infected blood and you were involved in a rollover and the vile or what not burst and mixed with your blood. I always pick the most unlikely and ridiculous scenario to justify things, and this sure sounds like a good one.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I would refuse too big time! My time your dime as they say, as well as their need to pay for gas, and perhaps some of my insurance...and nope, no infectious things in my car (except me and my kids! LOL!).

Now I worked in an LTC, and most people went to a hospital that was rather nearby, that hospital had a lab pick up van.

But...some went with another company and hospital that is over 45 miles away! Since the pt is private pay...they would be responsible for their own labs by getting an appt., planning for labs/equipment deliveries in advance (to quell any issues before they were a acute issue!) and if worse comes to worse...family or a rep for the pt (Like a POMA) had to deliver/retrive. It was not up to the staff at the facility to do this!

We also had some issues about last minute MD appointments too. They wanted all the nurses to be licensed in the company vans to take people to the MD in these last minute cases. I declined...because either that darn van was in the shop (it was alway in the shop), or it was out doing something else and they demanded we use our own cars! NO WAY!

I told my supervisors the truth...I hate driving, I only do it if I have to...only locally, and frankly I would charge a service fee close to what a code one ambulance would...so why not use them or a taxi, or our ambulance companies comfort cars...which offer big time senior discounts! They never asked me again! LOL! And infact I was quite helpful on getting services through our ambulance companies senior program for discounted travel! That was helpful big time!

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

You may want to check and see if this is something that OSHA regulations address. I think I remember a few years back hearing this. I believe you are supposed to have special transport containers and so forth.

Besides, no, you should not have to do this on your own time.

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I work at a psyc center for vets and it's well out of the way. The facility has a CNA that they call on to come in (punch in), take the facility car, and not only drop off specimens but she also comes in to bring the guys to doctor appts. and such... I had an incident where I was asked to bring a resident to an emergency dental appt. Everything went fine but then he started drooling and wiping the blood from his mouth (from the extraction) and got blood all over the passenger seat (my leather seats!!!), and on the door and on the dashboard!!!!! And the car was fairly new!!! I went back to the facility and said..."NEVER AGAIN!!!" I wouldn't do it either...that is... unless it was specified in with your job description that you may have signed.... How they get you sometimes is by stating in your signed job description... "and any other tasks needed to perform your duties" and sometimes written in different ways to say, Whatever we need you to do....DO IT!!!!! Good Luck.

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Don't most places hire someone to do all that? It shouldn't be your responsibility- especially off the clock.

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Specializes in orthopaedics.

wow sounds like they need to create a specific postion with designated or on call status to pic up specimens. who would want to do that. that is just gross factor for me. you have your family and grocieries and whatever in the car who wants someones fecal sample next to the milk lunch meat you picked up at the store. ugh!!(yes i understand the sample is in a isolated container, but still yuck!!!)

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I'm becoming more and more amazed at the things they try to get us to do!! No I wouldn't do it either, especially on my own dime!:uhoh21:

The corporation that manages our LTCF is SO tight - we're continuously short of supplies, short staffed, etc. After all - THEY need to show a good profit! They don't even furnish pens! So why should I do that on my own time so that they can realize even more profit?

Some of the aids are furnishing their OWN peri-wash!!:madface:

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