legal ramifications?

[nursecheryler]

scenario: patient in a room in a hospital 2 days with a bedside commode with someone else's urine in it. asked several times for it to be removed instead was just moved around the room "out of the way" and come back in a minute...2 days later the patient put the urine filled bedside commode out in the hallway, where it was still sitting when the patient was discharged. nurse thought the tech did it the tech thought the nurse did it...no one took ownership...

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

*puke*

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I am sorry but why didn't someone just empty the darn commode and then put it in the soiled utility room to be cleaned. There was no reason that the pt had to be so irritated that they put it in the hallway themselves. Good grief.

[hp79]

Silly question, but in this "scenario," is it possible that the OP is the patient?

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

If I was the patient I would have accidently tipped it over in the hallway.

[tewdles, RN]

I would have contacted the department supervisor when the thing was not cleaned and removed within the hour.

If that did not work I would have dumped it on the floor and called to speak with the CNO.

I am NOT NICE when I or my family is in the hospital...I am cordial, pleasant, quiet...unless you are NOT doing your job.

I certainly hope that the OP is not an employee of that department, because then the OP is just as guilty of poor work habits as the rest of them. How shameful that this would happen on a NURSING UNIT...this is a direct representation of NURSES...shameful.

[sMoLsNurse]

Any staff walking buy could just easily empty that thing and get rid of it. I don't understand people sometimes.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I don't know which is more disgusting, that the commode sat for 2 days without being cleaned, or that staff went out of their way not to take care of it.

If it had been me as a patient, I would have written a letter to the CEO of the hospital.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I don't know which is more disgusting, that the commode sat for 2 days without being cleaned, or that staff went out of their way to take care of it.

If it had been me as a patient, I would have written a letter to the CEO of the hospital.

I think it was closer to 4 days. If I was that patient, I'd be tempted to roll it into the nearest break/lunch room. Ugh.

[beckyboo1, BSN, RN]

Silly question, but in this "scenario," is it possible that the OP is the patient?

or just another trying to stir ppl up, since the OP has never commented again?

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

If I find that a pt has used the BSC and the aide is not aware, I empty it, clean it and chart it. No biggie. How something sat for that long is ridiculous. we never have them in the hall, so that would be a huge red flag to me.

Not sure if there would be legal ramifications (?)

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

scenario: patient in a room in a hospital 2 days with a bedside commode with someone else's urine in it. asked several times for it to be removed instead was just moved around the room "out of the way" and come back in a minute...2 days later the patient put the urine filled bedside commode out in the hallway, where it was still sitting when the patient was discharged. nurse thought the tech did it the tech thought the nurse did it...no one took ownership...

Is this a scenario for school? What semester are you?

While a dirty commode is gross....there are no legal ramifications.... the staff is lazy and need to be reprimanded/fired..........unless someone was not competent/oriented/alert or a toddler who couldn't know better and drank/ate/played in the urine then MAYBE it could be argued that patient was placed in some sort of "peril"

However as per the Terms of Service....if this is not a school assignment.......members cannot ask/offer legal/medical advice.

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Personally, If I even went into the room with a dirty commode...... I would have moved it out of my room immediately into the hallway and my call bell would NOT have stopped until someone did their job!

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I would have moved it out of my room immediately into the hallway and my call bell would NOT have stopped until....

I work ortho, they usually are either bedrest first day or stand and pivot to BSC (hence the need for the BSC). can't see them moving it LOL. usually PT helps them to BSC the first time so I hope they would dump or notify.