Ice machine use in hospitals

[olcroner]

I'm looking for hospital policies about the use of ice machines. In particular, filling new or refilling ice bags used on patients. I told a student that ice bags should not be filled from the ice machines directly. New, and especially, used ice bags. She argue, adamantly, that new can be filled directly from the ice machine. I looking for something to say it's safer to fill them from a separate container.

[rearviewmirror, BSN, RN]

what about rolling the stretcher to the ice machine and tell patient's to open his/her mouth? That's direct entry without cross contaminating!

[BSN16]

I don't think my hospital has a specific policy about filling ice bags...but yes, i just fill new ones directly from the ice machine. Nobody besides staff are allowed into our galley so family members of the patient would never know

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Do you suggest flogging them into submission or trying to educated them to do the right thing?

As you don't have the use of the quote feature down yet, I am assuming you are responding to my comment about student's arguing with you. We were not given the information that you were the instructor.

So , you are letting a STUDENT adamantly argue with you? Direct the student to find the hospital policy and share the information and rationale with the group.

Hope that helps "educated" them.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I am the instructor. So it's just because I say so.

Well I'm a nurse & I say no.

Does that make any sense to you?

Do you suggest flogging them into submission or trying to educated them to do the right thing?

Yeah sure! If you don't like your job, go for it!

[sevensonnets]

I like rearviewmirror's approach! Want some ice? Well, here you go, have some ice!!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Did you search ice machine guidelines health-care facilities? There are guidelines from CDC, various departments of health and hospitals, that recommend 'Use of machines that dispense ice directly into portable containers at the touch of a control or ‘Hands Free' to reduce potential for contamination'. I think setting a portable container under an ice dispenser allows better 'Hands Free' collection of ice than holding a bag under an ice dispenser.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

It goes in a bag and doesn't touch the patient. I'm not understanding your rationale. I fill them from the ice machine. The same ice chips I give my patients to suck on. You may be the instructor, but I'm thinking you are wrong here. It's ice, in a bag. Really. Pick your battles. Why would a family member care about where the ice, in a bag, came from?

What is your evidence-based rationale here?

[dec2007]

Do you suggest flogging them into submission or trying to educated them to do the right thing?

...or shock collars?

[morgieb]

Yaaaas Honey (two snaps in Z formation) lol!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Not sure I understand OP's rationale that adding another step/container into the process is better. How could that possibly be cleaner/better than direct entry into the ice bag?

Also, what difference does it make if the ice is "clean"? It's ice... in a bag.

[verene, MSN]

Not sure I understand OP's rationale that adding another step/container into the process is better. How could that possibly be cleaner/better than direct entry into the ice bag?

I don't think it's about the ice going into the bag but about using a non-contaminated container to keep the ice machine free of contamination. That way families don't see staff filling clean non-contaminated ice bags, and then decide that it's okay to fill all ice bags directly from the ice machine and contaminate the ice machine with patient room germs. Then have those germs spread to everyone who puts ice in their water.

It may not seem like a big deal but hospital families are under stress and can forget basic infection control issues, like not bringing potentially CDAD or MRSA containing items out of patient room. I'm sure if our facility had an accessible ice machine some families would have brought ice bags out of infection risk rooms to refill with out second thought.

In my facility this wasn't an issue. The ice machine was in an area accessible only to staff. We'd happily fill up containers of ice for patient or family use. I'm sure it generated a lot of waste because we'd run ice into disposable pitcher liners or other approved containers, but contaminated pitchers, personal cups, and dirty ice bags never made it anywhere near the machine.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Some families are concerned about quality of ice. After the big noise about public water supply contamination with lead and bacteria in Michigan, many families asked where we got ice from. Some even were asking it when ice was not intended for human consumption in the first place - apparrently, many people got some sort of raches or skin infections from contact with that contaminated water, and the families did not want to take any chances.

Re. infection issues, if the patient is in "contact isolation", the ice is brought in the room in large disposable styroform cups or other container. Even when hands-free machines are not accessible to public, CREs are too bad guys to be given even that one more chance. It is way easier to fill a disposable pitcher than to sterilize everything in kitchenette room.