Nurse bringing child to work

Nurses General Nursing

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Currently working at a hospital that seems to run by some odd rules and one that I am having an issue with is that there is a nurse that is bringing her 11 year old son to work (6p-6a) and he is staying the whole shift. He is staying in a patient room but is in and out the whole night at the nurses station, break room, etc. and she is also back and forth from his room. Am I being too old school by having a problem with this? What happens when we have a code and he is wandering around? Just thought I would reach out and see if anyone has any thoughts on this. Thanks

Specializes in ED, psych.

“That’s one supportive work environment” is what I’d be thinking.

You don’t know the life circumstances, nor should you. Doesn’t sound like the kid is loud, obnoxious, clamoring for attention and destroying the floor. He’s being a kid ... who would probably prefer being a home.

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Specializes in kids.

BTDT

As a (very) young and inexperienced DNS in a ECF, I was newly widowed and living away from family. I felt I was the only one who couldn't say no to working overnite due to a callout. So on occasion, my child slept on a couch in the living room...oye...

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The poster claimed the child was wandering around the nurses station, into the break room, etc., and she, (the mother), is back and forth to his room. If the poster is not exaggerating that is inappropriate.

If this one nurse has a temporary difficult situation and administration is being compassionate that is fine. But if this is the mom's permanent solution to child care shouldn't all night shift workers having problems with child care be offered the same set up?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Worked with one nurse who brought her 8 y/o or so son in. She was a single mom and got stuck with NO backup on rare 11-7 occ. The kid sacked out on a couch in the unit's community lounge. Slept entire shift (except for the BR) on couch in a corner. Mom was able to keep an eye on him easily.

Did Admin know? Who knows. But the kid was not intrusive or misbehaving. And it didn't happen often.

What would be the alternative? Sometimes people just need to be a little accommodating and look the other way!

And mom was able to come to work which was def needed.

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Specializes in Ortho-vascular nurse.

I feel terrible for this mom, that being said I would never want my kid at my work. There are too many gross things there. I won't even hug or kiss when I get home before I have a thorough shower.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Wouldn't it be really special if all employers could establish some kind of child-care services, like day care, for the off shift employees? Not something elaborate, but just some kind of accommodations for the TRUE emergency type situations. And NOT something to be used freq, but only for the rare need.

Most definitely, the child would have to be well-behaved and the parent would have to be UNdisturbed (relatively speaking). And it could only be used for healthy kids - not sick ones.

Child care is something that impinges on work/career options. It is a consideration for all plans for employment. So sad that it almost always falls upon the mothers to make arrangements. Even sadder is when the unexpected occurs. I mean, we all have to deal with flat tires or a dead batteries, school weather closings, flooded basements, power outages, etc.

Sometimes there's just NO Plan Bs possible.

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On 9/24/2019 at 6:57 PM, hppygr8ful said:

I try not to judge people because as the saying goes do not judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. When I first went to work on a noc shift L&D unit one of our unit secretaries brought her son to work every night. Management was aware and he slept in a room that had been set up for the doctors but they never used. He ate a dinner provide by the hospital. Slept and had breakfast so he was ready to be taken to school by mom after report.

She was a single mom with no one to watch her child. She could not have afforded 12 hours of paid childcare three times a week and she did not qualify for aid.

It was a creative solution to the problem of her having to call off due to no childcare and none of us minded.

Hppy

This is why it’s unfair to push new nurses into night shift and have mandatory 12s — not a friendly policy to single mothers. A field of predominantly women run by men.

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14 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

This is why it’s unfair to push new nurses into night shift and have mandatory 12s — not a friendly policy to single mothers. A field of predominantly women run by men.

Same with the lack of maternity leave. Our hospital offers none just unpaid FMLA. And when you come back you get put on whatever unit they can’t staff. They claim it’s equal but it’s not.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

It troubles me to see that in a profession that is supposed to be caring and compassionate for others, we have no compassion for our colleagues. I was fortunate to have had a good support system of friends when my ex-husband went on Navy deployments when my daughter was little, and we had a network of emergency sitters that would back each other up. But what if I didn't have such support? I have seen mothers that havve had to bring their childrent to work with them and make do with what they could creatively come up with for them to have places to sleep and play quietly. I had no problem helping and supporting these single parents with what I could. I helped set up "tents" with blankets, shared meals, played games on my breaks to help with supervision. I would rather help these parents out, and work with a full shift, rather than them call in and work short. The patients on the unit were delighted to see the children and would help read bedtime stories. It was easier to develop a sense of lets help each other out rather than complain about is it fair, or does so and so know about it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

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18 minutes ago, beachynurse said:

It troubles me to see that in a profession that is supposed to be caring and compassionate for others, we have no compassion for our colleagues. I was fortunate to have had a good support system of friends when my ex-husband went on Navy deployments when my daughter was little, and we had a network of emergency sitters that would back each other up. But what if I didn't have such support? I have seen mothers that havve had to bring their childrent to work with them and make do with what they could creatively come up with for them to have places to sleep and play quietly. I had no problem helping and supporting these single parents with what I could. I helped set up "tents" with blankets, shared meals, played games on my breaks to help with supervision. I would rather help these parents out, and work with a full shift, rather than them call in and work short. The patients on the unit were delighted to see the children and would help read bedtime stories. It was easier to develop a sense of lets help each other out rather than complain about is it fair, or does so and so know about it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

It sounds ideal but was this in an acute care hospital, a busy med/surg unit?

I've never worked where there would be room for a child care area with tents and snacks. Much less time for busy nurses to read bedtime stories?

I hate the slippery slope argument but then do all staff; housekeeping, phlebotomy, radiology, etc. get to bring their children to work?

I think it's great if it's a rare occurrence when a nurse is in an emergency situation.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I think we've all been there & done that when it comes to emergencies. And I worked 11-7 so it was a WHOLE lot easier for a child to be brought in if nec.

My sympathies have always been with the parents who are faced with such child care difficulties. I undrstood their dilemma and the situation didn't bother me. I'm just saddened that so many years have passed and we're no better off in providing better options for child care issues. I'm sure other countries prob have better options than the US. And it esp sucks that health care prob ranks at the bottom to help out.

And just to address PP brownbook's concern, I have seen where other depts have also brought their kids to work. But they weren't 11-7 staff.

Kinda' like a 'don't ask, don't tell' situation.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
11 hours ago, Queen Tiye said:

This is why it’s unfair to push new nurses into night shift and have mandatory 12s — not a friendly policy to single mothers. A field of predominantly women run by men.

Some not so new nurses have child care issues, so it would be okay to make them deal with it? And nursing is usually 24/7, every nurse I've ever known has known that having to work nights is a possibility, especially new nurses. I didn't get a choice 20 years ago, and if I had brought my kiddos to work, would have been shown the door (know this because it happened at my first job). I just think it's great that some have the right attitude, to let it roll...but back to if the OPs child is causing a distraction, a manager needs to help address this with mom

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