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.

Specializes in Geriatric/Hospice.

Our CNAs have been reporting a mouse in our facility for months now but no one else ever saw it so no one believed them (these two specifically complain a lot and aren't known to be the most honest about their complaints and some of their stories were pretty unbelievable). Well then one night I was standing in the hall talking to my CNAs and on the corner of my eye I saw something move. I look down and there was a little grey mouse sitting there staring up at me. After a brief moment of staring eachother down it scurried off into a resident's bedroom never to be seen again. ._. I was mortified. Not because I saw a mouse (I think they're adorable little pests) but because it was IN A RESIDENT'S ROOM!!! Still haven't seen the pest guys and it's been weeks!

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

I wonder if pest companies hide their truck and uniform while coming into hospitals. Doesn't seem like it'd be good publicity.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
OMG at the bugs in the trach. That is one of the most horrific things I've ever heard. I thought the maggoty head wound we had was bad.
I have been a nurse too long.

Years ago....while working with a new nurse in ICU we had a burn patient with severs inhalation burns. One day the new nurse came out of the room and said a fly was in the patients mouth and she couldn't get it and it ran to the back of the patients throat. I told her we would call the MD and let him know and fill out an occurrence report.

I was praying that the fly flew away. Well he didn't. Three days later this new nurse was caring for the patient who was scheduled for a trache the next day...we couldn't wean her lungs were so bad...when I heard the new nurse scream and come running out of the room...:eek: I rushed over to her to keep her from announcing loudly what she found. She had a habit of being very honest. Bless her heart...but not always tactful. She was a good nurse though.

We went into the room and found maggots coming out of her ETT tube and mouth. We called the MD and he said cancel the trache "she's going to get better now". "No big deal" he said "they will eat the dead tissue, die, and be absorbed as protein" he said "this is the best thing that could have happened" he said....REALLY????? :nailbiting:

Well.....The next day her gasses were dramatically improved....she was finally oxygenating! The maggots ate the dead burned tissue and debrieded her lungs...she survived and went home.

I'm not sure the MD ever told the family. :saint:

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Specializes in Emergency.
I have been a nurse too long. Years ago....while working with a new nurse in ICU we had a burn patient with severs inhalation burns. One day the new nurse came out of the room and said a fly was in the patients mouth and she couldn't get it and it ran to the back of the patients throat. I told her we would call the MD and let him know and fill out an occurrence report. I ws praying that they fly flew away. Well he didn't. Three days later this new nurse was caring for the patient who was scheduled for a trache the next day...we couldn't wean her lungs were so bad...when I heard the new nurse scream and come running out of the room...:eek: I rushed over to her to keep her from announcing loudly what she found. She had a habit of being very honest. Bless her heart...but not always tactful. She was a good nurse though. We went into the room and found maggots coming out of her ETT tube and mouth. We called the MD and he said cancel the trache "she's going to get better now". "No big deal" he said "they will eat the dead tissue die, and be absorbed as protein" he said "this is the best thing that could have happened" he said....REALLY????? :nailbiting: Well.....The next day her gasses were dramatically improved....she was finally oxygenating! The maggots ate the dead burned tissue and debrieded her lungs...she survived and went home. I'm not sure the MD ever told the family. :saint:[/quote']

Omg.

Sputum and suctioning is my thing (you know, the one thing I just can't handle and will avoid at all costs). This story is going to give me nightmares.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I have been a nurse too long.

Years ago....while working with a new nurse in ICU we had a burn patient with severs inhalation burns. One day the new nurse came out of the room and said a fly was in the patients mouth and she couldn't get it and it ran to the back of the patients throat. I told her we would call the MD and let him know and fill out an occurrence report.

I ws praying that they fly flew away. Well he didn't. Three days later this new nurse was caring for the patient who was scheduled for a trache the next day...we couldn't wean her lungs were so bad...when I heard the new nurse scream and come running out of the room...:eek: I rushed over to her to keep her from announcing loudly what she found. She had a habit of being very honest. Bless her heart...but not always tactful. She was a good nurse though.

We went into the room and found maggots coming out of her ETT tube and mouth. We called the MD and he said cancel the trache "she's going to get better now". "No big deal" he said "they will eat the dead tissue, die, and be absorbed as protein" he said "this is the best thing that could have happened" he said....REALLY????? :nailbiting:

Well.....The next day her gasses were dramatically improved....she was finally oxygenating! The maggots ate the dead burned tissue and debrieded her lungs...she survived and went home.

I'm not sure the MD ever told the family. :saint:

Esme, you need to write a book!

We have recently had a run on BEDBUGS!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Esme, you need to write a book!

We have recently had a run on BEDBUGS!

LOL I should!
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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Omg.

Sputum and suctioning is my thing (you know, the one thing I just can't handle and will avoid at all costs). This story is going to give me nightmares.

:shy:....Sorry....((HUGS)) LOL
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Specializes in MDS/ UR.
I have been a nurse too long.

Years ago....while working with a new nurse in ICU we had a burn patient with severs inhalation burns. One day the new nurse came out of the room and said a fly was in the patients mouth and she couldn't get it and it ran to the back of the patients throat. I told her we would call the MD and let him know and fill out an occurrence report.

I was praying that the fly flew away. Well he didn't. Three days later this new nurse was caring for the patient who was scheduled for a trache the next day...we couldn't wean her lungs were so bad...when I heard the new nurse scream and come running out of the room...:eek: I rushed over to her to keep her from announcing loudly what she found. She had a habit of being very honest. Bless her heart...but not always tactful. She was a good nurse though.

We went into the room and found maggots coming out of her ETT tube and mouth. We called the MD and he said cancel the trache "she's going to get better now". "No big deal" he said "they will eat the dead tissue, die, and be absorbed as protein" he said "this is the best thing that could have happened" he said....REALLY????? :nailbiting:

Well.....The next day her gasses were dramatically improved....she was finally oxygenating! The maggots ate the dead burned tissue and debrieded her lungs...she survived and went home.

I'm not sure the MD ever told the family. :saint:

You win the internet for this week. o0

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Specializes in retired LTC.
I wonder if pest companies hide their truck and uniform while coming into hospitals. Doesn't seem like it'd be good publicity.
Nah - they park the truck in the back by the rear entrance, like where the funeral homes are supposed to park.
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Our hospital is very clean. I have literally only seen one fly in the unit in 2.5 years. However we had a patient who was getting leech therapy, and one of them escaped. It was found by following the bloody trail down the hallway. I can't imagine what any visitors thought if they had encountered that leech before we found it-- probably wondering what kind of hospital we were running and what was going on in the rooms next to theirs!

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Oh, and we have bedbug dogs. Almost forgot about them because I work night shift and never see them. Whenever we get a patient with bedbugs, after they leave the room is cleaned with a special protocol. To make sure it's clean they bring in a dog that sniffs bedbugs and will signal if it detects them in the room. Then the room is cleaned again and again until the dog is happy that the room is clean.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
Oh and we have bedbug dogs. Almost forgot about them because I work night shift and never see them. Whenever we get a patient with bedbugs, after they leave the room is cleaned with a special protocol. To make sure it's clean they bring in a dog that sniffs bedbugs and will signal if it detects them in the room. Then the room is cleaned again and again until the dog is happy that the room is clean.[/quote']

Now that is bizarre!

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