:confused:I work in a large OR. The regular environmental services for the rest of the hospital is not responsible for the maintenance and stocking, etc, of the OR, lounge, locker rooms, etc... the ORA's are responsible for these areas... anyway, these ORAs routinely put handwritten "signs" up around the ladies, mens rooms, locker rooms, to the effect of" if you sprinkle while you PEE, please be considerate and wipe it up. think of the people that clean this room" or- "your mother doesnt work here, clean up after yourselves" they have even as gone as far as pinning someones scrubs to a bulletin board, when they have accidentally left them on the floor, instead of putting them in the hamper...( our scrubs have our names in them) and " if you want maid service, please leave twenty bucks, if not then pick up after yourself" and on and on with such nonsense....this is my question....
isnt this completely unprofessional, and wrong? should anybody be able to put up a sign, asking that their JOB be made easier by OTHERS ? These signs make me soooo mad when I see them..... especially when I have no toilet paper in my bathroom stall for the eighth time that week, and /or have wet hands and no paper towels in sight....
Isnt this a management call... should people be putting their own signs up like this? or am I over reacting?
poet: i dont really know how people act in their own homes. and I really dont care. I just dont think it is appropriate to be reading signs about other peoples toilet habits at my workplace.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I'll give you that the signs are unprofessional, but if management isn't going to deal with the issue, who is? It almost sounds like you expect these poor folks to clean up no matter how bad it is, and that no one else is responsible for their own messes. I sincerely hope that I'm misreading that, but the line I quoted in my last post leads to that idea. It sounds like they have too much to do as it is, and people making these messes put them over the edge. Put yourself in their shoes- how would you react?
If the squaters don't want to sit where my butt cheeks have been, what makes them think I want to sit in thier pee??? That is nasty and I would talk to management about it. People NEED to have at least a little responsibilty for themselves.
If your ORA's are that busy and they can't get everything done, how about advocating for them to get more help?
LOL. A sign is much more appropriate than leaving you pee all over the place. I would never ask my Anesthesia techs, oras or attendants to clean a bathroom Or the lounge. In fact I have a weekly RN assignment to clean out the fridge. I lead by example and clean up after myself in the lounge, the restroom and locker room and others also clean up behind themselves. I do like how you use my name in all capital letters though. I might change it.......
Well, Argo, thats really considerate of you to not "ask" that "your" anesthesia techs, ora's, etc clean the bathroom or lounge, but, at my workplace, it actually IS their job...and I have never thrown my scrubs on the floor or left pee on the seat ever in my life. but I still think it is innapropriate to leave these signs. I also dont think I or any other employee should have to fill the toilet paper and paper towel dispensers. How many jobs do i have to do?
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
How many jobs do i have to do?
When you became a nurse they never told you that you would also have to be sooo many other things like.......
-Housekeeper: must be able to pick up after any and all messes
-Bodybuilder: must be able to pick up 400 lbs of dead weight all by yourself
-Counselor: must be able to handle the stickiest of situations between patients, families and coworkers and any combination thereof
-Plumber: must be able to handle the most intricate of plumbing issues on a moment's notice
-Electrician: must be able to manage any and all wires, cords, and any combination of medical and computer equipment
-Hazmat disposal specialist: must be able to properly dispose any and all of the facility's most interesting and odorous waste
-Computer engineer: must be able to handle any computer issue know to man, including: ERROR 323: SYSTEM FAILURE
-Security: must be able to handle 325lbs of cocaine crazed psycho coming after you with a knife on top of screaming crowds.
-Contortionist: must be able to bend and flex in the most awkward of ways to get to the most important sterile gloves in the back of the supply closet
(feel free to add on....)
Sorry, just couldn't resist. And if you feel you are above refilling paper towels or toilet paper to help out what sounds like a seriously overworked person, then I wonder just how willing you are to help out other people in the OR itself.
Poet- this not an over worked "person" we have 15, YES 15, OF THEM .....So, Yes, with all the other things that I have to do, like taking care of PATIENTS....I *dO* mind having to put toilet paper in the stalls. Not that I am above it, not at all, but its not the point at all. Completely irrelevent. Have all of the replies thus far think I am complaining of ONE PERSON who is responsible for this? There are 15 ora's!!! 15.....so, yeah, when it is in their job description, I do expect them to do it. Me, the other nurses, techs, do ENOUGH. We have to draw the line somewhere!!!!
and as far as the comment about how I am unlikely to help another nurseor co worker in the OR??? You have no idea what kind of nurse I am , and who I help at work.... When was the last time YOU replaced toilet paper at YOUR job? 9 times out of ten we have to wait 10 minutes for a stretcher for a patient ready to be transported to the pacu. its just a broken system where nobody is held accountable.
anyway, as usual, everybody went off on their own little tangents and completely missed the point.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Actually, I've never replaced toilet paper at my job- it's kept under lock and key that I don't have access to. However, when we've run out of paper towels I've gone and grabbed from elsewhere so that others weren't left needing.
It sounds like you have a major system breakdown. Have you gone to management, and if they haven't done anything to fix it, gone to the next level? Venting here may let off steam, but it's not going to fix the problem.
poet- this not an over worked "person" we have 15, yes 15, of them .....so, yes, with all the other things that i have to do, like taking care of patients....i *do* mind having to put toilet paper in the stalls. not that i am above it, not at all, but its not the point at all. completely irrelevent. have all of the replies thus far think i am complaining of one person who is responsible for this? there are 15 ora's!!! 15.....so, yeah, when it is in their job description, i do expect them to do it. me, the other nurses, techs, do enough. we have to draw the line somewhere!!!!
and as far as the comment about how i am unlikely to help another nurseor co worker in the or??? please. get off your pollyanna box, and shut up.you have no idea what kind of nurse i am , and who i help at work.... when was the last time you replaced toilet paper at your job? 9 times out of ten we have to wait 10 minutes for a stretcher for a patient ready to be transported to the pacu. its just a broken system where nobody is held accountable.
anyway, as usual, everybody went off on their own little tangents and completely missed the point.
your previous post "there are a couple issues. first, the ora's are required to do too much, and there arent enough of them. but i also dont think that they should be hanging signs up. period. especially about being someones "maid". they also complain about getting a stretcher for the patient, saying "well, we wouldnt want the nurses to lift a finger, now do we?"... "
so which is it? you posted the above in red first. are they too busy or not??
we keep our strechers in the hallway outside our room, there is no waiting for a stretcher they leave on the same one they come on unless they are getting a floor bed.
sounds like some issues going on.... i'm guessing ora's are like orderlies?? ours turn over the rooms, transport pts, run all sorts of errands. what does an ora do??
I agree with them. People should be wiping their pee off seats and putting their scrubs in the hamper themselves. If people are routinely doing these two things they are slobs and taking advantage. The sign might not be the most mature but perhaps they felt that was better than going to management about the issue. Sometimes people just need a little reminder.
If their job is replacing toilet paper, etc. they should do it. You admit they do a lot of work so perhaps like us as nurses they need to prioritize as well. TP might not be as high on the list and having to stop to clean up after some inconsiderate pig takes time away from other work.
Maybe a staff meeting to clear the air would help.
I just don't understand why they should be expected to be handmaidens for the nursing staff..it is not hard to pick your scrubs up off the floor and put them in a hamper, or to wipe up your own pee, or to throw your trash away after eating. Children are taught in kindergarten to put things away, clean up after themselves. I'm just shocked that there are people who think that others should have to clean up after a slob.
As far as OR stuff, yes that is their job..ie stretchers, cleaning rooms, stocking supplies. But, pee wiping is where I would draw the line too. In my hospital, the signs wouldn't be frowned upon..as a matter of fact, we have a couple that were put up by nurses fed up with piggy coworkers. Shame is often a very effective tool.
I'm also not someone who is afraid to get her hands dirty..I've mopped a floor, put instrument trays together, made up stretchers and beds and yes, replaced rolls of toilet paper.. I find when people work together as a team and aren't worring that something isn't in their job description, things work much more efficiently.
Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.
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RNOTODAY, BSN, RN
1,116 Posts
poet: i dont really know how people act in their own homes. and I really dont care. I just dont think it is appropriate to be reading signs about other peoples toilet habits at my workplace.