New Rule: No work bags allowed in ER

Specialties Emergency

Published

At work (busy ER) while moving a coworkers bag off the counter in the nursing station, a nurse was cut by a scalpel which was in the bag. Now, my first question was, "Why did she have a scalpel in her bag?" I then wondered, "Why did he have his hand in her bag if he was moving it?" Regardless... moot points to this discussion.

The knee-jerk reaction of our ER Nursing Director was to implement a new rule effective immediately - no nursing bags on the floor. At all. We cannot put them in drawers or in cabinets. They cannot be under desks or out of sight. They cannot be on the floor at all.

I am livid. I have a myriad of resources and tools which I don't need with every single patient but I do need to be able to put my hands on not to mention educational material I keep for cardiac drips, TPA, NIHSS, eye charts, etc. There's no way all of it would fit in my pockets.

Is anyone else facing something as utterly asinine as this at work? I literally don't have time for it.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We aren't allowed to have bags on any of our units. They can be in the breakroom or in our lockers, which are half a building away. We have all our needed resources available electronically And why would you have a scalpel??? Bet risk management loved that report!

Specializes in ER.

I am getting sick of governing bodies of all sorts making sweeping, no tolerance rules because one person screwed up. It's ridiculous. We put up with this in all facets of life, from kindergartners being expelled for taking a squirt gun to school, to nurses being treated like naughty children for one person's mistake.

The person with the scalpel in his/her bag should have some explaining to do, along with the one who was rummaging in the bag. No need to make a new rule for everyone to prevent such a weird occurrence.

Regarding bags at the nurses station, there should be a safe place to put food, purses, etc. If people are tripping over bags left all over the place, then that's a more widespread problem that should be addressed.

Specializes in Tele, CVSD, ED - TNCC.
I am getting sick of governing bodies of all sorts making sweeping, no tolerance rules because one person screwed up. It's ridiculous. We put up with this in all facets of life, from kindergartners being expelled for taking a squirt gun to school, to nurses being treated like naughty children for one person's mistake.

The person with the scalpel in his/her bag should have some explaining to do, along with the one who was rummaging in the bag. No need to make a new rule for everyone to prevent such a weird occurrence.

I totally agree, instead of dealing with the stupidity of those involved in the incident, all staff are penalized by some sweeping rule. I feel like administration are so heavy handed sometimes.

Safety issues raised are justified... why the hell is there a scalpel in a bag? That is the safety issue. That is what should be addressed.

In the ED I work in, there is a big deal made about cell phones and drinks. We aren't allowed either. I keep my cell phone in my pocket regardless, but I don't get it out in the nursing station. The drinks are an issue because our break room is miles away from the ED by the entrance to the ED. When running around on the critical side, its a stretch to be able to break away and have someone cover you to go get a drink of water. Luckily I work nights and so sometimes I get away with hiding a bottle of water in a draw.

The crazy things we deal with lol :sarcastic:

When I worked in a retail pharmacy, staff could only bring personal bags into the pharmacy if they were clear, to avoid theft. I agree that you should have access to all the policies and educational tools on your hospital's intranet, but I also agree that the total ban is absurd. I'm sure it was already against hospital policy to have an open blade in your personal items (open means it's not sealed and not sterile... wrong on so many levels...) sheesh... But maybe a clear bag policy would be better than being limited to the resources you can stuff in your pockets, and more likely to soothe nervous managers.

Regardless, you could send files of all your handouts to your work e-mail, and print them individually when needed.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Our facility is switching to these spiffy clear bags. Girls get clear handbags, guys get clear backpacks.

Why? No one knows.

I've personally come to believe that there's a small smoke-filled room where people sit around and make decisions that make no sense and then randomly implement them throughout the year. It's life. I've accepted it. Mostly.

It would make sense to the rest of humanity that the problem was a scalpel being in a bag, not the bag, but what do we know.

that's so sexist...why can't guys get the clear handbags too?

sidenote: I wear a fanny pack. it mostly houses pens...cause apparently I manage to lose at least 3 every shift. and post-its. I'm only slightly better than Dory at remembering something that happened 5 seconds ago.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
that's so sexist...why can't guys get the clear handbags too?

sidenote: I wear a fanny pack. it mostly houses pens...cause apparently I manage to lose at least 3 every shift. and post-its. I'm only slightly better than Dory at remembering something that happened 5 seconds ago.

Want a clear fanny pack?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
My everyday is full of ridiculousness.

It does boggle the mind why someone would have an exposed scalpel in their bag, or why anyone else should be reaching into it.

The exposed scalpel may have been in the bag because someone had been reaching into it before, and the owner wanted to put a stop to it.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I totally agree, instead of dealing with the stupidity of those involved in the incident, all staff are penalized by some sweeping rule. I feel like administration are so heavy handed sometimes.

Safety issues raised are justified... why the hell is there a scalpel in a bag? That is the safety issue. That is what should be addressed.

In the ED I work in, there is a big deal made about cell phones and drinks. We aren't allowed either. I keep my cell phone in my pocket regardless, but I don't get it out in the nursing station. The drinks are an issue because our break room is miles away from the ED by the entrance to the ED. When running around on the critical side, its a stretch to be able to break away and have someone cover you to go get a drink of water. Luckily I work nights and so sometimes I get away with hiding a bottle of water in a draw.

The crazy things we deal with lol :sarcastic:

The scalpel in the bag isn't a safety issue unless someone who isn't the owner of the bag is reaching into the bag.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
There's really no need for extraneous personal supplemental information, at least in my experience.

As long as you have the resources you describe, I agree! Though I do like to have my little hard copy resource as a backup, especially if there is downtime, books aren't where they should be, there is no nurse educator to create job aids, etc. I was the one making badge buddies at my last ER, and I also bought an IV drug book for the ER. Kinda sad that I was the one doing that. Anyway...

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
that's so sexist...why can't guys get the clear handbags too?

You can have my handbag, I want the backpack! Lol.

Clear bags? Just what I want, my coworkers seeing my tampons!

I would be lost without my bag at work. I carry so much in it!!

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