Weird situation this week. We have a patient in with a seizures. She and her spouse insisted that her dog was a service dog and needed to stay with her. Apparently it barks when she is about to have a seizure.
She got a private room and her husband stays with her almost always. He does leave some to get food, I'm assuming to go home and take care of some things. Not sure if he works.
Well, when he leaves, he usually takes the dog with him..????? Now he does take the dog out to potty on occassion, but both days I had this patient, he left for several hours with dog. Plus, whenever I'm in the room, the dog is with husband, not with patient????
It has barked a few times, but when we go in there, it is at people who it didn't know...dietary, housekeeping, etc.
It's a small dog - chihuahua/dauchstand mix and very well behaved. I just think the family is getting away something here. I've been told it has all of its papers, etc.
I know that pet therapy is common and that they use service dogs for more than just blindness now, but has anyone heard of this?
This is a med surg/telemetry floor. The patient is on telemetry, so if she started to have a seizure, the monitors should alert us.
I had a patient once who had a daily visitor with a service dog. She was in a wheelchair and the dog would help pull the chair, open doors, etc. They treated this dog like a service dog...as in we shouldn't pet him when he's on duty etc. This couple from this week just doesn't behave like this.
The dog isn't really doing any harm and it is cute and well behaved, but something just seems....I don't know....fishy about this.
I have a horrendous fear of spiders, but I encounter them on a regular basis.
People who have real fears know they will not go their entire lives and not be confronted with them. No one is being forced into the same room as the dog.
Of course, life happens and it happens without guarantees, but no one is bringing the spiders in to your workplace to visit someone.....or to a health care setting in which you are a patient, or visiting a patient. All settings that you wouldn't expect to be confronted with a spider (more than anywhere else that is).
It's not like a group of veterinarians are saying they feel dogs visiting a vet clinic isn't appropriate.....this is a hospital we're talking about. Not a place where a person would normal expect a canine population.
If you worked at one of these hospitals that allowed dogs to visit you could be faced with a decision to go into the room with a dog or have to trade patients mid-shift (as it's a visitor there's no way to know that a dog would visit that day)
Personally, what I've learned from this discussion is that I have one more question to find out before accepting a job at a hospital. Dogs as visitors...who would have thought.... ridiculous. I could see at a longer term care setting, but in acute care? Really?
Well of course you'd love to have your pet with you. But that's a public place and it's not appropriate.
So far it hasn't been a problem, but what if someone has allergies....
I really dislike this new sense of entitlement pet owners seem to have lately, what's with the idea that everyone should have to put up with their little "gem." You love your pet....fantastic, putting it in a purse doesn't make it appropriate in public areas.
I feel very sorry for the animals that people carry around in their purses, ala Paris Hilton. I think using a live animal as a fashion statement is cruel.
When I had surgery last November, the hospital did state in its policy that pets could visit. I was very surprised about that. I was in a private room, so the issue of a roommate having allergies was not an issue but what about the nurses? My critters stayed home and cuddled up with me when I was recuperating.
I feel very sorry for the animals that people carry around in their purses, ala Paris Hilton. I think using a live animal as a fashion statement is cruel.
When I had surgery last November, the hospital did state in its policy that pets could visit. I was very surprised about that. I was in a private room, so the issue of a roommate having allergies was not an issue but what about the nurses? My critters stayed home and cuddled up with me when I was recuperating.
I don't think a life in a purse would be very enjoyable either. I'm really not a dog-hater--in fact I have nothing against the dogs at all. It's the owners who I have a problem with. Dogs are not people, they are dogs. So, if you're walking with them and they're not on a leash, the owner is risking that dog's life. No matter how well trained, a dog is a dog. They will react instinctively to stimuli, and that could bring them in the path of a vehicle, or some other tragedy.
Additionally, letting a dog wander the car while the care is in motion will ensure that the precious beloved dog is a projectile in the event of a traffic accident. That's why children need to be in car seats!
I just feel that if folks really loved their dogs "like children" they wouldn't put anthropromorphize them, they would let them be dogs and not put them in situations where they aren't prepared to be.
I am deathly allergic to smoke, cats, and tons of scents. I really wouldn't be able to work in a room where a cat was present as I'd end up in bed with the patient. I prob should be put in a bubble. lol Thankfully most of the people I know aren't smokers. Friends and family know to go easy with the lotions and potions when I am around too. Our work policy is no perfume, cologne, etc. allowed. I would think with an upset stomach last thing a patient would want is to come into contact with tons of different scents so my allergies aside I think it's good policy.
Irradiated shoes? I'm not so sure that is a safe effective alternative......if there is concern supply shoe covers. There is more bacteria on the bottom of nurses shoes....just think of what we step in! I wouldn't want my dog licking her paws after being in a hospital.....I would clean them with baby wipes then let her go outside and into my car. I don't wear my shoes home or into my car...when I was an ED nurse...I stepped in some unspeakable puddles!
Much of the food we eat, especially at restaurants, is irradiated, with no measurable harm done. When I was a kid, there were real X-ray machines in the shoe departments of many department stores, that showed without a doubt, if the shoe fit. During one visit I probably X-rayed my feet a dozen times, by pushing a button at child height. Eventually the machines were ruled unacceptable and possibly dangerous, so they were removed. I haven't had any real foot problems other than the usual ones that come with aging.
Shoe covers don't really protect against microorganisms, because they can become wet due to body fluids lurking on the floor, and they travel faster when wet.......
I guess you've never looked at hair through a microscope, (was that left out of your prereqs?) and seen amassed microorganisms and even parasites on them. So wiping a hairy pet's paws with baby wipes isn't going to do much to decontaminate same. You might spray your car seats and floors with antieptic spray or treat those surfaces with an irradiation wand (they're available online), if you have taken your pet(s) into a hospital.....
YOUR DUTY SHOES SHOULD BE CLEANSED ON ALL SURFACES at least weekly (SOLES INCLUDED, DONE LAST) AND REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL, CHANGING THEM TO OTHER SHOES WHEN YOU LEAVE. You could place your duty shoes into an impervious plastic bag especially for that purpose only, as you enter your car, and close it securely, replacing them with other shoes that haven't been stored in that plastic bag......and then put your duty shoes in your car. I don't recommend using lockers for them, as others can gain access to them, like housekeepers doing a yearly cleaning....
The nosocomial infection rate is high enough now to justify those precaution! I didn't write that duty shoes can be changed at the door or on your unit, as recontamination would occur from contaminants on the ground before and at employee entrances, especially if they weren't completely dry.
If I ruled the world....... IC nurses can fantacize!
No, I'm not a compulsive cleaner. At my age and with my stomach lodged in my thoracic cavity, I'm barely able to clean half a room at a time without becoming markedly dyspneic..... despite being a fairly active person, taking one mile walks twice a day with my cocker spaniel. I don't cleanse his feet when we get home, as I'm too tired then, and shoes are worn on my floors, on which I don't eat or allow babies to crawl. I am rigid about the latter.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Wow this post has fired up alot of passion and conversaton which is always a good thing. First...Batman25, it was not my intention to yell ,so, I apologize. It was to emphatically inform/remind those who, throughout the post kept refering to "the papers" and registration that are required. Even though it was mentioned in early posts for the website by sharpiemom.....it appeared to go unnoticed. This is a subject very close to my heart as I am all too familiar with people who are skeptical about service animals. ,First They do not need to be golden retrievers. There are great danes that assist those with MS and parkinson's with ambulation and balance. There are those who use small monkey's for service animals and yet most monkeys are still refused admittance to most hotels, restraunts, and stores. There are those people who need service animals that are not in wheelchairs (another common myth), blind, or hearing impaired. I, in particular, have a weimaraner for my assist animal as I too have MS and (most of the time) I am not in a wheelchair and require a walker or cane. Personally i'd rather have my dog to help me balance ,and yes, the medical community has been particulary intolerant and cruel......so, after 31 years, I am not employed right now. I am in complete understanding of people's allergies and I try to be as sensitive as possible. There are times because I dread the stares, comments, and unsolicited comments.....I choose to not take her to certain places......especially if I am hospitalized, as a walker will suffice evne though my ego and pride take a severe beating. Just to keep the peace and .....i cannot afford a lawyer everytime someone is just not informed or unkind. I cannot direct the wind but i can adjust my sails!
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
:)
Don't service dogs have to have some kind of paperwork stating they are service dogs?
Curiousme.......First, the post started with mappers talking about a patient that stated they had seizure animal and questioned that the dog appeared to be a pet and felt that they were "getting away" with something, by calling their pet a service animal. The discussion that ensued was to help educate those who needed to know where their legal obligation lies. There are many misconceptions out there......from personal experience I assure you.The ADA has strict requirements and does not care about allergies or personal biases. Obviously laws needed to be enacted to protect those being treated differently because they are different. As I hope you are learning in school ( your public post stated your started in 2008) that your biases need to be set aside in the care of your patients. You cannot discriminate for any reason.......you may object to a particular practice or porcedure and opt out and switch assignments.....but your personal biases need to stay with you. NO one is accusing you of breaking the law but claiming that you were not aware of the laws will not excuse you when you break them.....all with the best of intentions to give you the tools to make good decisions and help everyone become educated in the rules and regs of service animals. This can almoat be used for continuing ed! thank you for your advise and your......albeit......sarcastic compliment, about my interest in this thread. It is a very personal one for me as I required a service animal for balance and retrieval because of MS, to be confronted with so much uninformed "advice" and opinions especially from the medical community.......I felt compelled to educate as many people as possible as to how to deal with service animals in and out of the hospital setting. I hope this helped many people to become more informed and tolerant.:)
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Much of the food we eat, especially at restaurants, is irradiated, with no measurable harm done. When I was a kid, there were real X-ray machines in the shoe departments of many department stores, that showed without a doubt, if the shoe fit. During one visit I probably X-rayed my feet a dozen times, by pushing a button at child height. Eventually the machines were ruled unacceptable and possibly dangerous, so they were removed. I haven't had any real foot problems other than the usual ones that come with aging.
Shoe covers don't really protect against microorganisms, because they can become wet due to body fluids lurking on the floor, and they travel faster when wet.......
I guess you've never looked at hair through a microscope, (was that left out of your prereqs?) and seen amassed microorganisms and even parasites on them. So wiping a hairy pet's paws with baby wipes isn't going to do much to decontaminate same. You might spray your car seats and floors with antieptic spray or treat those surfaces with an irradiation wand (they're available online), if you have taken your pet(s) into a hospital.....
YOUR DUTY SHOES SHOULD BE CLEANSED ON ALL SURFACES at least weekly (SOLES INCLUDED, DONE LAST) AND REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL, CHANGING THEM TO OTHER SHOES WHEN YOU LEAVE. You could place your duty shoes into an impervious plastic bag especially for that purpose only, as you enter your car, and close it securely, replacing them with other shoes that haven't been stored in that plastic bag......and then put your duty shoes in your car. I don't recommend using lockers for them, as others can gain access to them, like housekeepers doing a yearly cleaning....
The nosocomial infection rate is high enough now to justify those precaution! I didn't write that duty shoes can be changed at the door or on your unit, as recontamination would occur from contaminants on the ground before and at employee entrances, especially if they weren't completely dry.
If I ruled the world....... IC nurses can fantacize!
No, I'm not a compulsive cleaner. At my age and with my stomach lodged in my thoracic cavity, I'm barely able to clean half a room at a time without becoming markedly dyspneic..... despite being a fairly active person, taking one mile walks twice a day with my cocker spaniel. I don't cleanse his feet when we get home, as I'm too tired then, and shoes are worn on my floors, on which I don't eat or allow babies to crawl. I am rigid about the latter.
lamazeteacher.....God Bless IC nurses......I at my Grandma's house.actually remember the x-ray machines in shoe stores!...... It was in a small town in the middle of nowhere at my grandmas house......I hear you my friend.....I remember another time when the nuns ran the hospital and you could eat off the floor......of crisp white uniforms and my beautiful nurses cap.......My clothes do not even get in the house (thank god i have a garage).....and actually my micro prof wrote the book and had a pulitzer for his breeding of rare orchids. That is why I no longer bite my nails and my childre have never sat in a shoppping cart. I pushed my twins in front of me and pulled the shopping cart behind me after working 12 nights! When my kids were little I carried lysol and baby wipes to rewipe the table in restraunts....have you seen the rag they use? yuck.... my duty shoes stay at the hospital...i wear a pair home and leave them outside....anal? you bet. I try not to take my dog in a hospital there are sick people in there.....everytime I am hospitalized I pray that MRSA and VRE ect stay away! But the point was that dogs add germs......as having an assist animal who is also my beloved pet....well she is pretty clean compared to what I have seen end up on hospitals floors. Personally, I don't think children should visit in most cases and should for GOD's sake....KEEP THEM (the children) OFF THE FLOOR! But the reality is that they do visit and we as nurses need to empower ourselves to keep the enviorment as clean as possible through educating everyone simple handwashing. I am not working right now no one wants a nurse that needs a cane or walks like a duck......how many times has an assumption been made that a service animal is a pet and poeple are getting away with something........they need to be very careful when making thaat kind of assumption as it can get them into serious trouble is the message that i wanted to convey...
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
sharpeimom.........thank you..........this post is close to your heart as well......I can tell.....I too have an assist animal as I have MS........and she is not a golden retriever! Thank you for championing there right to have an assist animal and further understanding of people with movement limitations and other disabilities that benifit ahving a service animal!:redbeathe
The post you quoted was literally the first reply. That question was answered over 100 posts ago.
We then started to talk about dogs (as in pets) VISITING.
I appreciate your enthusiasm....but holy crow, enough is enough.
:)
Curiousme.......First, the post started with mappers talking about a patient that stated they had seizure animal and questioned that the dog appeared to be a pet and felt that they were "getting away" with something, by calling their pet a service animal. The discussion that ensued was to help educate those who needed to know where their legal obligation lies. There are many misconceptions out there......from personal experience I assure you.The ADA has strict requirements and does not care about allergies or personal biases. Obviously laws needed to be enacted to protect those being treated differently because they are different. As I hope you are learning in school ( your public post stated your started in 2008) that your biases need to be set aside in the care of your patients. You cannot discriminate for any reason.......you may object to a particular practice or porcedure and opt out and switch assignments.....but your personal biases need to stay with you. NO one is accusing you of breaking the law but claiming that you were not aware of the laws will not excuse you when you break them.....all with the best of intentions to give you the tools to make good decisions and help everyone become educated in the rules and regs of service animals. This can almoat be used for continuing ed! thank you for your advise and your......albeit......sarcastic compliment, about my interest in this thread. It is a very personal one for me as I required a service animal for balance and retrieval because of MS, to be confronted with so much uninformed "advice" and opinions especially from the medical community.......I felt compelled to educate as many people as possible as to how to deal with service animals in and out of the hospital setting. I hope this helped many people to become more informed and tolerant.:)
I saw a woman at the airport once, who was sobbing about her parrot (a very expensive one, it looked to me), being taken permanently away from her, or she could take another flight for $2,000 additional payment, with her pet.
That was no service animal, but to me it seemed that her mental health depended on being able to fly on her original ticket, with it.
She eventually phoned someone she said was a psychologist, who faxed a letter of necessity based on her dependence on the bird, to the airline! That arrived just as the passenger access door was closing; and she got on triumphantly, with her parrott. Everyone who saw that, including me, seemed to feel embarrassed for the roles and positions that had been enacted.
I felt exasperation due to the fact that other, more humanitarian measures weren't suggested. In this day of medical profiteering, it seems everyone else gives the almighty dollar priority over human decency, laws not withstanding.
CuriousMe
2,642 Posts
Of course, life happens and it happens without guarantees, but no one is bringing the spiders in to your workplace to visit someone.....or to a health care setting in which you are a patient, or visiting a patient. All settings that you wouldn't expect to be confronted with a spider (more than anywhere else that is).
It's not like a group of veterinarians are saying they feel dogs visiting a vet clinic isn't appropriate.....this is a hospital we're talking about. Not a place where a person would normal expect a canine population.
If you worked at one of these hospitals that allowed dogs to visit you could be faced with a decision to go into the room with a dog or have to trade patients mid-shift (as it's a visitor there's no way to know that a dog would visit that day)
Personally, what I've learned from this discussion is that I have one more question to find out before accepting a job at a hospital. Dogs as visitors...who would have thought.... ridiculous. I could see at a longer term care setting, but in acute care? Really?