Nurse bringing child to work

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What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are discussing the challenges of balancing childcare with nursing schedules, including the lack of daytime positions, difficulty finding reliable childcare providers, and the potential safety risks of bringing children to work. Some members express understanding for the situation while others emphasize the importance of finding alternative childcare solutions. There is also mention of the potential benefits of employers offering on-site daycare to support healthcare workers with children.

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 Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.
7 hours ago, brownbook said:

When exactly did this ' helping profession, mostly female dominated get so freaking mean? I went back to school when my son was 10 months old. I went to college during week and thank the gods now and then - my ( now husband's schedule was able to accomadate that). Those of ypu who have friends/ family nearby should count your lucky stars. Many of us aren't lucky. A couple years back in my area, there was CNA whose kid died because shee had to work - no child care option kid died in car. What do you wanna have- mild inc ok science or un warrsreanted deaths

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Specializes in ED.

I am compassionate towards my coworkers. That being said...the child should not be at work. If something happens like a fire, she is going to be going to her child instead of her patients who need her. Infectious disease? I remember when one of the floors was infected with norovirus it was disgusting. Would have been easily picked up and traveled about by a child. Then think about a violent patient finding them. Not all of our patients are without criminal records. We care for more sexual offenders than we realize. Just not a safe place at all for a child.

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Specializes in Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.

Imagine a world where round the clock employer provided childcare was provided.

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Specializes in Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.

Am cranky currently. What's your idea of compassion?. We all have Bill's to pay and groceries to provide. It it really too much to ask for a job that has 24/7 needs to provide something as basic as childcare?? In a female dominated profession?

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Specializes in ED.
3 minutes ago, MSO4foru said:

Am cranky currently. What's your idea of compassion?. We all have Bill's to pay and groceries to provide. It it really too much to ask for a job that has 24/7 needs to provide something as basic as childcare?? In a female dominated profession?

My idea of compassion is when my husband's hip was surgically glued back together, leaving me to beg for friends to babysit my four children. They all came through and I was able to get my shifts done. I would do the same for a coworker...away from work. That...is...compassion.

I also LOVE the idea of 24/7 daycare at healthcare facilities. It would create a much better working environment when you don't have to worry about where your child will be, less call outs.

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Specializes in Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.

Feel ya sister. My Kid is now 17. He's never ridden a school bus or spent a night away from a parent til he was in middle school. I was hard.

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12 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

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

I’m a new nurse and most of the inpatient positions have mandatory nights and that isn’t an option for a lot of women raising children alone. All of the nurses I work with on days, outside of a residency, work only days and are not forced to cover nights. It’s the newbies that are forced to work nights if they want to get into the hospital.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Seems like a no win situation for all. As others said there should be some childcare available. Can't leave them home alone, can't call in or be fired eventually. Not everyone has family or friends available. Tough situation.

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Specializes in Community health.
6 hours ago, MSO4foru said:

Feel ya sister. My Kid is now 17. He's never ridden a school bus or spent a night away from a parent til he was in middle school. I was hard.

“Never rode a school bus” is a weird flex, but okay...

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Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, Queen Tiye said:

I’m a new nurse and most of the inpatient positions have mandatory nights and that isn’t an option for a lot of women raising children alone. All of the nurses I work with on days, outside of a residency, work only days and are not forced to cover nights. It’s the newbies that are forced to work nights if they want to get into the hospital.

I get it, I was new with kids once, with no family near (500 miles away to nearest) and an ex that did nothing to help. But I also knew that the nurses who worked days had worked to get there and I didn't expect them to give up a shift that they worked for, sometimes for years, for me. When I was in school, they had told us to not expect a day shift position, and if we got one to consider ourself blessed. That's what I meant by knowing that you may have to cover (work) nights. Usually an experienced nurse that's on nights wants to be there for whatever reason.

That's also what I mean when posters come on here asking advice if they should go to nursing school, when they already have a M-F 8-5 job, no weekends, holidays, or evenings/nights. Healthcare doesn't work that way...it would be great if people were only sick, requiring care, during those hours...

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Specializes in School Nursing.
15 hours ago, brownbook said:

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.

It was a med surg unit in a hospital and it wasn't the nurses telling the bedtime stories, it was the patients. We didn't do it on a routine basis, it was only in emergencies when child care fell through. It was kind of a don't ask, don't tell situation. We crossed each situation as it happened and luckily we had no problems.

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Specializes in ER.

I don't think parents bring their kids to a hospital for fun. Stuff happens. Let it go. I would not want to bring my kid to work but if I had no other choice...I would.

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