Key lanyards around neck

kool-aide, RN · Dec 13, 2014

Only time that could be bad is if you're working in psych, I'd imagine.

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · Dec 13, 2014

I work at a nursing home with an administrator that is certifiable. One of the nurses locked keys in the med room and the administrator had to come in at 0200 to get the master key. As a result, she now requires all nurses to wear the keys along with a pulse ox around our neck. Several nurses have said that this is against safety guidelines. But no one will confront her. Is this a safety issue?? If so she may be getting a visit.

I know something similar happened at one our local NH - I think it was the C/S keys - the admin made the charge wear the keys on a lanyard and one of the residents grabbed it and ended up pulling the nurse down into his bed - big stink - resident ended up injured - the keys ended up getting locked in a med cart after that.

Anne, RNC

dream'n, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2014

I think it's a safety issue unless the nurse has a break-away lanyard. Combative, agitated, or demented patients can injure the nurse or themselves by pulling on a lanyard if it isn't break-away.

Nibbles1 · Dec 13, 2014

Just wait until you are helping a resident with toileting and those keys swing into the commode water. I NEVER wore a key lanyard ever again.

loriangel14, RN · Dec 13, 2014

As a new grad I wore mine.Until the day it swund forwards into some runny poop. Now we have ones that clip on with a retractable cord.Much safer.

amoLucia · Dec 13, 2014

Just wait until the pulse ox gets dropped after being pulled off (or just slipping off somewhere).

Bezoars · Dec 13, 2014

I'm in a hospital, but we aren't allowed to wear the lanyards. They say it's an infection risk with it being able to dangle and get in patient's "stuff".

Altra, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2014

Put the lanyard in your pocket. Make transfer of it a "checklist" item at shift change. Poo or no poo ... there is no reason to have items dangling in front of patients every time you lean across a bed, or even lean toward someone seated. A safety risk, infection risk, and just an unnecessary intrusion into personal space.

unicoRNurse · Dec 13, 2014

So this person is willing to sacrifice patients' and staff members' health and safety to ensure she isn't awoken again at night. Nice. I wouldn't wear it on my neck. I would do lanyard in pocket, as suggested by a previous poster, or put the keys on one of those plastic coil key chains and wear it high on my arm, above the elbow, on the outside of my sleeve. Or maybe even clip them to my pants with a mini carabeener. There are plenty of ways to attach (yet another) item to one's person without making it a dangerous, swinging mass of bacteria.

Bezoars · Dec 13, 2014

For that matter, I've seen doctors who round in the hospital moving back to bow ties for the same reason. Bacteria laden ties.... ewww.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 13, 2014

Wearing a lanyard around one's neck can be a big safety hazard, especially if a patient--and it DOESN'T have to be just psych patients--decides to grab hold of it and pull.

On the other hand, breakaway lanyards may break away at the wrong moment (i.e., get caught on something), so there's an increased risk of losing the keys/pulse ox, having then taken by a patient, or the pulse ox getting damaged in a fall.

If I want to keep my keys attached to me, I use a carabiner (sp) latch to attach it to my clothing, and make sure the keys are kept in the pocket and not dangling freely.