HELP NEEDED!! Do you reuse bedside supplies?

[nicurn2083]

In our unit, we have bedside carts with our frequently used supplies such as syringes, formula, suction tubing, etc.. We used to be able to wipe down items to be reused that had a hard outside with a sani-cloth. Now, we have to throw everything away that is left in the cart, anything that can not be sent home with the family is in the garbage. We can not even donate it because it "is not considered socially responsible" and any bacteria that may be on it, "they" may not have the capacity to treat it. This is frustrating many of us in the unit and I have been told that this came from JCHAO on our visit a few months ago. Does this happen at any of your facilities? It makes me sick that all these things have to be thrown out that could be easily wiped down are reused or donated! We have tried to work at not stocking as much as we used to, but some of our staff still are fully stocking because they feel they are a better nurse if they fill their carts at the end of their shift. In a world where we are trying to be more environmentally concious, this is a hard pill to swallow :angryfire Any advice or what you may do at your place? Thanks for any ideas you may have.

[litbitblack, ASN, RN]

Well the hospital is going to end up eating the cost then it will trickle down. No i understand it to be if you take it in the pts room it is then the pts. We didn't even use supply carts. Are the carts used specifically for those pts rooms or something like a computer on wheels that is taken from room to room? If its the case of the room to room then I can't see how they can say that. Now if you take a bunch of stuff in the room then it really has to say. We had an iv basket that had all our iv supplies in it that we would carry so we wouldn't have to go back and get more, is that kinda what your talking about

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

General rule of thumb: Once it goes in the patient's room it stays, that's why we limit the number of supplies we store in the rooms. I'm guessing NICU since you don't have private rooms for each patient you have that cart but still the general rule is once something is used for one person, it stays with that person. I'd think even more so for babies since they are always at risk for infection but I've never wored NICU so I'm not sure what ours does.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

define can b e cleaned

are the supplies once sterile/packaged and them opened?

i.e you mentioned syringes. then those are one use only.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Depends on the patient in my old ICU. If the patient had any bugs like VRE, MRSA, acinetobacter, we threw it all away. We have also moved to minimal stocks in patient rooms.

Actually, I think we donated the stuff to 3rd world countries.

[nicurn2083]

The items I am refering to wiping down are things that have never been opened and are still considered sterile in their package. I work in a NICU and we have pods so each bedside has a cart for supplies and other things. All the supplies that they could use at home, we send with them, but what would they do with 60cc syringes? Thanks for your replies so far and please keep them coming!!! You all are awesome!

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Yep... makes me sick too! Everyting that goes in the room gets tossed when the pt leaves! I really try not to bring more than I need in- makes me so mad when I see like 5 rolls of tape and 4 pink basins ect- and especially the water pitcher- NONE of out pts use a water pitcher anyway! The other day I had a pt MRSA and people were keeping a stockpile of her feeds in her cubbie in the room- well, we changed her feeds and ......... I had to THROW AWAY like 15 boxes of pediasure! That is just disgusting! I totally understand why we do not resuse things- I just think we can be better stewards!

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

You know why everything is thown away....LAWSUITS! Hospitals are so afraid of liability they treat everything as if it were infected with the plague!

What I find most amusing is that I use, reuse bp cuffs, pulse ox and leads, stretchers and chairs that have been on people that have body fluids everywhere. I try to clean in between patients with sterile wipes, but as soon as a patient is moved out, a new one is on the stretcher with just a new sheet thrown on. CAN YOU SAY GROSS? Yet, like the OP we practice this on the floors. You'd think if anyone was going to get a nasty bug it would be in the ER!

I guess the difference is that it will never be tracked back to ER, but if you are in a room for awhile there is a record.

[rngolfer53]

The items I am refering to wiping down are things that have never been opened and are still considered sterile in their package. I work in a NICU and we have pods so each bedside has a cart for supplies and other things. All the supplies that they could use at home, we send with them, but what would they do with 60cc syringes? Thanks for your replies so far and please keep them coming!!! You all are awesome!

(emphasis added)

They are great for squirting cats!!!!!

[rngolfer53]

Yep... makes me sick too! Everyting that goes in the room gets tossed when the pt leaves! I really try not to bring more than I need in- makes me so mad when I see like 5 rolls of tape and 4 pink basins ect- and especially the water pitcher- NONE of out pts use a water pitcher anyway! The other day I had a pt MRSA and people were keeping a stockpile of her feeds in her cubbie in the room- well, we changed her feeds and ......... I had to THROW AWAY like 15 boxes of pediasure! That is just disgusting! I totally understand why we do not resuse things- I just think we can be better stewards!

I'm a hospice nurse, and I do home time of death calls regularly. Besides unopened meds, families want to give back chucks, diapers, oral care kits, etc. Their harts are surely in the right place, and I hate to tell them none of it can be reused. But, it can't. The meds of course I dispose of right there. The other stuff I'll take out of the home, as it can be one more unpleasant reminder of their loss.

I do keep a package of the diapers in the car, and I will re-use them, only if there are none in the house, for a deceased Pt. I hate my Pts going out of the house unclothed that way, and funeral home folks like diapers/briefs on.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Sounds like maybe you could write up what we call here "a bright idea" to help save some money for the hospital. Is there any way the supplies can be stored more effieciently outside of the room, but with easy access? We don't keep anything in the room except for gloves and tele patches (however are Med-Surg so areas vary).

Tait