Do you buy medical equipment for home use?

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Just curious, do any of you nurses buy special medical equipment (ie patient monitors, iv pumps etc) for use at home and use it on yourself/family members?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Monitors and pumps? Uh, no. Have you any idea what they cost? Also, any family member who needs that type of stuff NEEDS TO BE IN A HOSPITAL.

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Um yeah of course they should be in the hospital but aren't these machines fascinating? I would personally buy one of those patient monitors and use it as some over the top BP machine.

You could get a complete set (with leads, probes and mounting bracket) for cheaper than the latest iPhone on ebay. Just saying.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I have all kinds of medical equipment at home- bipap machine, O2 concentrator, insulin pump, glucometer, nebulizers, continuous glucose monitor, tens unit. Of course- this is all stuff prescribed for me and paid for by my insurance and not because it's so fascinating or I want to start a mini hospital for my family members.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Why on earth would you want to buy an IV pump for HOME USE?

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Dear OP, did you ever see how much this "fascinating" stuff costs? Plus, it needs to be maintained and calibrated periodically, otherwise you cannot trust the numbers.

I have a whole lot of such crap (nebulizer, tent, pulse ox, spirometer, etc), portable "quick lyte" machine and mandatory "anaphylaxis set" but that's not because I find it fascinating. It is there so I can live my life and do my job instead of sitting in hospital forever like so many of my patients do. The whole stuff is prescribed and was paid by insurance.

Only one thing I ever bought on my own was size 6 ETT after EMT team did't have one and I got size 7 instead with following problems.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
Why on earth would you want to buy an IV pump for HOME USE?

One lady I know took quite a few of old IV pumps when our local ER switched to another brand. I do not know how she managed to do that by being in QA, but she grows tropical plants for hobby and uses the pumps for, basically, watering them in very controlled fashion. Her greenhouse looks quite funny!

What I would ever dream of stealing that way from a hospital is a blanket warmer, or, better, thermal chamber from lab. It would make ideal thing for some of my culinary adventures.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I have a BP monitor and an 02 saturation monitor, and I got an LED vein finder for Christmas.

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Why on earth would you want to buy an IV pump for HOME USE?

He has insomnia and wants a propofol drip,lol.

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Why on earth would you want to buy an IV pump for HOME USE?

Hanging a banana bag after a wild night out.

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

My patient bought an IV pole off ebay for home use. Another patient sold his hoyer lift when he bought a new one. People will buy things when insurance won't pay.

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When I was in the Army, I once told my husband I wanted to buy a rifle I saw in a store so I could practice my marksmanship. I think at that time, the weapons available to the public were modified so that one could not put them on "auto" fire. The conversation did not go far. I have worked with home health clients who have bought DME out of their own pocket for their bedroom setup. It makes sense to make things easier in the long run.

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