Mice on unit

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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.

Do big cockroaches count?

Yeah I've encountered these. Yikes.

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Unfortunately there are guidelines in hospitals for exterminating mice. You can't use anything really "good". In our state we have to use tunnel type traps that can be carried away.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Do big cockroaches count?

You made me think about a time when a PIA resident had one swimming in his morning OJ. :eek:

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Specializes in Adult M/S.

I've worked in facilities where there was a fly invasion, also one where a Pt brought in equipment from home and when the night nurse went to use is hundreds of roaches spilled out. Also, came in for a shift and there was a note on the door to the nutrition room with a sign saying "The ants are back! Please clean up your spills".

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"Don't diss da' Mouse!"

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Last time someone complained of mice on the unit, the doctor ordered them haldol IM.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I've seen the mice in the ICU . . . found one under the bed after a code. The residents had thrown in a central line, which had become disconnected at some point during the code. In the puddle of blood and IV fluid under the bed we found a mouse, lying on its back with its front paws curled up -- electrocuted. Seems that 360 joules is too much for a mouse!

At another hospital, I witnessed a bat flying up and down the hall, looking for a way out. There was a plus-sized female security guard chasing the bat up and down the hall, squirting a CO2 fire extinguisher at it. As he got hit with more and more blasts of CO2, the bat got lighter and whiter, and started flying lower and lower . . . the object was to freeze him so Security could catch him.

When I was at a famous northeast hospital years ago, there were cockroaches. Big cockroaches, little cockroaches -- lots of cockroaches. We never put a sandwich down for fear the cockroaches would carry it away! We moved out of the building, but I swear the cockroaches came with us!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Last time someone complained of mice on the unit, the doctor ordered them haldol IM.

IF you read my story....the last time I got Haldol ordered for someone who was complaining about little friends he had a mouse in bed with him.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Once worked for a place with a really old, early 20th century unit. On occasions, we would have bats. We had a BATSTICK, like a yardstick with some sticky stuff on the end. We were supposed to run after the bat and whack at it.

Oh yeah ... like me who couldn't hit a basketball with the wide shovel end of a snow shovel. Oh yeah ... like I'm going to run after a moving target with a 2 inch wide stick.

NOT!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We have some whopper roaches! Could lasso those suckers! I swear they thrive on the stuff they try to kill them with! Too bad our bats won't eat them lol We throw a sheet over the bats and out them in a patient belonging bag, then some brave soul takes it out to the courtyard and let it go lol

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

I worked a nursing home in Sun City West back in the early 1990's on the night shift. Had to call the Sheriff for the cows meandering down the county road.

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I'm petrified of mice. A nursing home I once worked at was infested them. They would be in patients rooms, the kitchen, and I even saw one running down the wall in the dinning room. I have always been able to keep my composure at work, but I was scared to death. Patients would ask for milk at 11pm, and I'd be so nervous about going into the kitchen. The facility never got rid of them, that I know on. Since then I've never seen them again at any other facility.

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