Pediatric safety

[pedrn01782]

I work on the peds floor for several years. We also take adults as well however there seems to be no screening of adults placed on our unit. We have lloked up pt histories before they get to to floor and if we know they have used street drugs in the past or have been on the psych floor for overdose etc we must still take them. They say that we cant refuse a patient if the drug use or whatever is not their admitting diagnosis. (there are still adult beds available,they give us these to keep our census up in the summer.) We say that we have a duty to provide a safe environment and that the parents would not approve of these patients on our floor with their children and that this should be their concern, looking at this through the eyes of the parents. Does anyone have to deal with this problem and what type of solutions do you have. What are the screening tools used on your floors and does anyone know what state of joint commission states about this. I dont even believe admitting looks to see if any of them are registered sex offenders and we try to each time and were able to keep these from the floor. It is just frustrating to know that they dont care what is mixed with the kids just as long as they dont refuse the adults rights. What about the kids rights.