Mice on unit

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

Anyone else have mice on your unit? What was done?

This past weekend, 2 mice were spotted at work again. One wriggling, its worm-like tail protruding, into the heating vent in the break room. This is not a new thing for the break room. After all, we had to replace our fridge due to a dead rat in the coils. But another was spotted in a patient care area, in the area where the most immunocompromised patients stay. It ran across the hallway. Were a family member to see that, can you imagine our customer satisfaction scores? Maybe they'd shut the unit down for a real poisoning. The Orkin man was paged by maintenance, but never responded. Bleh.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

No, but we get bats! Eek!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

we were run over by ants once. OUr infection control nurse made sure the pest control people showed up and did their job. We had to block some rooms for a few days but it finally resolved.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I was once walking down a MedSurg hallway at 2 AM & a raccoon dropped out of the ceiling right in front of me. Don't know which of us was more frightened. Luckily, it scurried away into a supply closet (where the maintenance guys trapped it) rather than a patient room. But - no, no mice or rats.... thank heavens

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

​Had a bird flying around in the ED; he got in when the ambulance doors opened.

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

Well, goodness! Right now I'm in a country where I would EXPECT mice, yet haven't seen one yet. You're in a country where I would not expect them to be, and there they are! I think if I encountered one, I would squeal like a girl, and that would be quite disturbing for those hearing the squeal.....:sarcastic:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

This made me smile....many years ago we had a mice infestation. The was construction in the field next to the hospital and they got ran out of their homes.

One night we had a patient on bedrest with one leg straight (post fem pop...in those days they were not allowed to bend their leg for 72 hours). We could not keep this guy in bed. He kept talking about his friend in bed with him. We finally called the MD to get Haldol and went in to restrain him and sedate him...when we flipped the covers back..... a mouse ran off the bed and across the top of my shoes and ran into the bathroom...:eek:..where he stopped looking freaked out in the floor, whiskers twitching. It took every ounce of my self control....and the other nurse squeezing my and saying DON"T SCREAM!

Come morning our manager called the exterminators. However.... The invasion continued....we saw them darting literally everywhere. :nailbiting:

We had an old time LPN from Kentucky. Unbeknownst to us....She took it upon herself one night to set traps (completely against health code by the way) with peanut butter. About 3 hours into the night shift, about 2 AM we heard...SNAP! SNAP SNAP SNAP! SNAP!

We all went running looking for the source when we heard the LPN in full southern drawl....."I've got myself some meeces!" We fell over laughing.:roflmao:

Come morning She had a running total.....Louise 6 Exterminator 0.

Indignant she collected her mice and greeted the Nurse manager with a bag full of mice and demanded to the manager get her money back for she was clearly being ripped off. She said...."Them mice aren't stupid...they aren't going to go in those fancy "safe traps" to get stuck and starve to death or have to be bopped on the head to die...now you got get your money back and I'll get rid of these critters myself and it won't cost you a dime".

I had NEVER seen our manager ruffled. NEVER a hair out of place with sparking white sensible shoes and perfectly starched nurses cap. She let out a scream that could wake the dead and with her cap askew and coffee now all over her uniform she said.:eek: "Why Thank you Louise....but I am not sure administration would wish us to proceed with this plan but I will tell them they need a different exterminator" I was ON THE FLOOR.

As she silenced our hilarity with that withering look and once again disapproved that I had already removed my cap..:mad:...she asked us " Ladies....did you know about this?" The LPN said proudly "NOPE, it was all my idea!"

She composed herself left someone in charge and went home to change her clothes...her parting words. "I KNOW that the night shifts recent catch will be properly disposed of when I return".

The exterminator never did catch any mice at least not on our floor. But Louise did....she was just more discrete about her mice catching prowess.

Most of the nurses from that night have passed on....I was the new bee. I am grateful for everything they gave me.:inlove:

I haven't thought about that in years.....Thank you for that memory.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

Well, this is turning into an awesome thread:) thanks for sharing your stories! Oh the raccoon dropping out of the sky, Oy!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
​Had a bird flying around in the ED; he got in when the ambulance doors opened.

We had a skunk! THAT was a nightmare!

We cornered it in the bathroom and called the police. They weren't happy but they woke up animal control to get it out of the ED. That place stunk for WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!

I was once ion the trauma room with a trauma and I felt something brushing up against my legs. It was the most beautiful grey cat I have ever seen. We never found the owner but we did find it a good home. It just waltzed right in behind the ambulance.

I find they wander in more in the cold months.

A place I worked at in a rural area was known for their rare breed of cows getting out

250px-Cow_on_Pupers.jpg

I am a farm girl so they never bothered me....I worked nights and had the farmers number and we would call him to come and get them.

One morning I was leaving and one had cornered the CEO at his car. He was screaming like a little girl saying it was attacking him. That poor old cow was just looking at him like "WHAT is YOUR PROBLEM!". That CEO was such an arrogant donkey. I let him suffer...just a little. :x3:

Once I gained composure....I went over and smacked the cow on it's behind and told it "SHOO!" I told the CEO he was safe now...with his dignity in shreds he went inside. He never could look me in the eye again. I'm sure he thought I told everyone.

I never did....until I left that is.....:saint:

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No mice, but every few years our breakroom is taken over by fruit flies.

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We had a deer break through a ground floor window in a section of the hospital that isn't used. When it was discovered, he'd been running all over the place trying to get back OUT. We also had a couple cockroaches show up in a room once. When one was seen crawling on a bedside table, the exterminator the hospital contracted was sent back in. He was ticked beyond belief. He said he was in trouble for not doing his job and he didn't really think there was a problem. Guess we should've saved him the evidence.

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Do big cockroaches count?

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