Flu Prevention in Hospitals

[prairiegirl]

Hi. I am a 2nd year BSN student. My grandfather was in the hospital over Christmas and he has been battling multiple myloma cancer for 3 years. He was very disoriented so they had to rule out a stoke or brain tumor first. They think it was just his pain medications doing it. Anyways......

When I went to visit him in the hospital, there was a sign on the hospital door that said "If you have sneezing, coughing, fever, vomiting, or other flu-like symptoms please do not come in." I was just wondering, do hospitals enforce this at all? I sure saw alot of kids and people coughing walking through the halls. I think it should be especially since people like my grandad are immune comprimised and could easily be extremely sick just from a cold. Do any hospitals enforce this?

Laura

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

Such notices cannot be enforced. They are posted in hopes that sane and responsible adults will recognize the risks for themselves and others.

[sharann, BSN, RN]

It's kind of hard to enforce this with visitors when hospitals have their nurses, doctors, aides,houskeeping etc, coming in sick due to staffing shortages....

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

We have these signs at all of the entrances to our hospital. Also, we are supposed to ask all patients if they want a flu shot, go over the criteria with them, if they agree have them sign a consent and they will receive the flu shot prior to dischanrge.

[nowplayingEDRN]

I think that those are pretty much a standard sign this time of year at any hospital......and my favorite is: If you have a rash and a fever, please do not enterthe ER . Send someone in to speak with a health professional...........Take pt into triage and say: What brings you in today? And the patient or the parent of the child says: Well, I have this blister like rash and a fever of 101.....

Hello! Can you say, exposed the entire ER population to a possible case of the cicken pox!!!!?? (Actually had this happen the other day) So, you can post all you want but it is almost impossible to enforce.

[RNKPCE]

We have signs at the nurses station that say "cover your cough" the sign is triangular shape and there are mask inside the sign that visitors can wear. I have seen one visitor so far wearing a mask.

[Rapheal]

I too find visitors blatantly ignoring our sings. And some patients are not ashamed to cough in your face. It is interesting too that the staff is not supposed to report to work if they exhibit s/s of the flu- but call off and it will be held against you. So - the flu spreads.