Extra Person Wearing PPE

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Hi, everyone. I am eager to help mentor a passionate student about IV therapy. She works at my hospital as a student nurse. Is that wrong to let her shadow for the day to observe PICC line placement (obviously unpaid and on her own time)? What if one were to be a COVID+ room? Would that anger other nurses since there is a PPE shortage?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to help someone, however there are a few red flags in this scenario. First, this is something that will likely need to be cleared by both her manager and your manager - she can't (or shouldn't be able to) just come into the hospital on her day off to shadow you, and you can't (or shouldn't be able to) have someone shadowing you throughout the day without management approval.

Second, she shouldn't go into a COVID+ room at all. Not just because yes there is the ongoing effort to conserve PPE as much as possible, but also because there's no reason to increase her exposure unnecessarily.

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Just now, JadedCPN said:

There's nothing wrong with wanting to help someone, however there are a few red flags in this scenario. First, this is something that will likely need to be cleared by both her manager and your manager - she can't (or shouldn't be able to) just come into the hospital on her day off to shadow you, and you can't (or shouldn't be able to) have someone shadowing you throughout the day without management approval.

Second, she shouldn't go into a COVID+ room at all. Not just because yes there is the ongoing effort to conserve PPE as much as possible, but also because there's no reason to increase her exposure unnecessarily.

What if the manager does approve?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
10 minutes ago, Sophie Garcia said:

What if the manager does approve?

If it is all done in a professional way, not in a personal manner, and it is approved by your management and facility for her to shadow you once, then there shouldn't be an issue.

She still shouldn't go into a Covid+ room though, which should be able to be easily avoided unless you work on a covid unit.

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Specializes in Med surg/tele.

It may anger them it may not. It wouldn’t bother me, but my hospital is doing well for us as far as covid stuff goes. Not

perfect but better than many. Do you know Which patients are likely to need a PICC in advance? I know the IV team at my hospital usually have a really good idea a day or two before, just don’t know when orders will be placed or if it’s for sure or still deciding the need.

If you are worried about the frustration of other nurses and know what is anticipated, if there are mostly non covid that need a PICC I would say have her join you. If there’s one that is, would she have access to a computer? Maybe you could give her assignments related to IV therapy to do during that time? Something interesting to keep her occupied.

don’t you need a second set of hands placing the PICC though to pull off the turns are? Then I would say take her in (depending on your PPE policy).

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Duplicate threads merged.

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Specializes in PICU.

Since she is a student, her role is that of observing. She isn't there to help you out. Because of that, there is really no reason for her to go into a COVI + room.

Have her come with you for all of the other patients you will see, save the COVID + for your last part of the day and have her go home after you finished all of the others.

There is no educational or mentorship to be gained from having an observer unnecessarily go into a COVID + room

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