Mrs. Doctor, I don't care what he does

[lpnflorida]

We have a very needy patient on our unit. They have been there for over a week. They also happen to be in isolation. The issue our staff has been having is. The daughter who refuses to wear any isolation gown, nor will make her school age children wear isolation gowns when visiting granny.

So my co-worker approaches me, and asks do you have any ideas on how we can get the family to comply? So we talk about it for awhile, meanwhile the patient's call light goes go. I follow with the patient's nurse to go help her, as it takes two people to turn her or assist her into the bathroom.

As we are in the patient's room with our gowns and gloves on. In walks the daughter and grand daughters. I look up and matter of factly say. You need to have gowns and gloves on . Daughter say, no I won't do it .Meanwhile her children are whining they also do not want to put gowns on either. To which I reply reminding them of hospital policy etc. Her reply " My husband is head of Trauma Services here and I don't have to"

cool, and god knows this impresses me to no end.

I look her dead in the eye and say. " I have one at home just like him and I do not get to break the rules either. "

So for one day she complied, now she is back to no gowns no gloves. A part of me wanted to call her husband requesting him to talk with his wife,as none of us has seen him on the unit to discuss this with him. Then I thought heck, not my battleground.

my vent is,, who in the heck does she think she is.... I have seen this attitude with some of the older wives, I had hoped younger wives had some self esteem beyond what their husband's did for a living.

And what's your story?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

this is one of those times, that i would use the dreaded "then you should know better"

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We don't make visitors wear isolation gowns in isolation rooms. The gowns and gloves are to product the other patients from getting whatever condition the patient has, be it MRSA or VRE or whatever. If they've been seeing this person outside the hospital, odds are they were more exposed to the condition there. The gowns prevent the staff that's going from room to room and having close contact with the patients from passing germs around. Since the family is only seeing one patient, they don't risk this. The family, having normal immune systems, isn't likely to have a problem anyways. For visitors, washing hands before and after leaving the room is sufficient.

Of course you need to follow your hospital's policy, but all things considered, I wouldn't make a huge deal out of this. Just document noncompliance on the family's part. It's not work your effort, as they're really not harming anyone, except in rare cases, potentially themselves.

[scribblerpnp]

I agree with blondie. Our hospital's policy is that only staff have to do it. You do need to follow YOUR hospital policy and convince them if you can, but if it is going to be a battle royale, chart the non-compliance of the family and leave it at that.

If they want to be stupid, at least they are just being stupid to themselves.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I would make sure I documented that I attempted to teach them about handwashing, etc.. If the kids get sick the parents might sue because "no one told me".

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

We don't make visitors wear isolation gowns in isolation rooms. The gowns and gloves are to product the other patients from getting whatever condition the patient has, be it MRSA or VRE or whatever. If they've been seeing this person outside the hospital, odds are they were more exposed to the condition there. The gowns prevent the staff that's going from room to room and having close contact with the patients from passing germs around. Since the family is only seeing one patient, they don't risk this. The family, having normal immune systems, isn't likely to have a problem anyways. For visitors, washing hands before and after leaving the room is sufficient.

Of course you need to follow your hospital's policy, but all things considered, I wouldn't make a huge deal out of this. Just document noncompliance on the family's part. It's not work your effort, as they're really not harming anyone, except in rare cases, potentially themselves.

Wow, that's really your policy?? I'm surprised, in this age of the drug-resistent germs, that any facility does this.

Our policy states that all visitors to any isolation room be gowned and gloved. And the rational is not just that THEY not become contaminated themselves, but so that they don't walk down the hall, lean on the nurse's station (depositing germs everywhere) then touch everything between the isolation room and the nurse's desk (depositing germs everywhere) and finally, going through the REST of the hospital touching surfaces with their hands and clothing (depositing germs everywhere)...see the theme?

It would be nice if they washed their hands before and after being in the room. BUT THEY DO NOT. I'd bet a fair pile of money that the OP's hoity-toity wifey and her whiny kids don't go near a soapsud as they enter the room, nor do they touch a water faucet when they leave (prior to leaving the room, and then not touching a single thing until they get outside).

Plus, whenever we have a family member or members who don't want to comply with the policy, we tell them that they WILL gown and glove or they will not be allowed into the room. Period. Seriously. And that we DO reserve the right to have infection control policies adhered to. They do not have the "right" to visit and risk spreading infectious material. We DO have the right to keep them out. You know what? They comply.

Nope, gowns and gloves protect the rest of the patients--and staff-- that these inconsiderate SOBs don't mind infecting.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I agree with blondie. Our hospital's policy is that only staff have to do it. You do need to follow YOUR hospital policy and convince them if you can, but if it is going to be a battle royale, chart the non-compliance of the family and leave it at that.

If they want to be stupid, at least they are just being stupid to themselves.

Not exactly, if their stupidity passes the med-resistent bacteria to surfaces where someone else picks them up, and THEY get sick. These germs can last weeks on surfaces.

I'm less concerned about what the stupid people do to themselves, more concerned about putting compromised people at risk.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We're a bone marrow transplant unit, and with the exception of VRE, have quite low rates of things that will get you put on precautions. We've had 3 cases of c. diff in the last 2 months, and one of those came from another hospital with it. We've had two cases of MRSA in the last 6 months.

We don't let people "lean" on the nurses station, they're not going to transmit anything just walking down the hall, and we disinfect surfaces like counters and the nurses' stations qshift.

Yes, that's really our policy.

[jmgrn65, RN]

We're a bone marrow transplant unit, and with the exception of VRE, have quite low rates of things that will get you put on precautions. We've had 3 cases of c. diff in the last 2 months, and one of those came from another hospital with it. We've had two cases of MRSA in the last 6 months.

We don't let people "lean" on the nurses station, they're not going to transmit anything just walking down the hall, and we disinfect surfaces like counters and the nurses' stations qshift.

Yes, that's really our policy.

Thats because it is getting spread outside of your facility, in the community.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Thats because it is getting spread outside of your facility, in the community.

There's all kinds of people in the community that have VRE or MRSA and have no idea. I probably have VRE and don't know it. Those people aren't gowning and gloving. Like I said, VRE is almost the only condition we ever have people on precautions for, and that's passed in the stool anyways.

[robred]

Incident report. Be sure to include names and quotes of what was said by the wife of "the head of Trauma Services."

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Incident report. Be sure to include names and quotes of what was said by the wife of "the head of Trauma Services."

I like it