skyblue

I am an RN working in an acute-care psychiatric hospital. We just started implementing safety searches Q shift which includes lifting the bed, searching through the patients' belongings, lifting the lid of water tank in the washroom, and checking garbage bins for contrabands. Aside from these, nurses are expected to ask the patients to empty their pockets after utilizing their offward privilege and show us whatever they are bringing in. Visitors are also required to show us whatever they are bringing in. While we are aware about the importance of ensuring safety in a psych unit, the nurses are frustrated as we do not have enough time to do all these searches and at the same time assessing, and attending to the needs of the patients. Because of these q shift safety checks, patients are complaining about not having enough privacy as well as nurses not available to attend to their needs as much as they want to. We do close obs. with our acute patients as well as environmental checks Q hr., thorough body and belongings search for contrabands during admission. Lighters and cigarettes are kept in each patient's cubby hole and used razors are returned and disposed by nurses. Our nurse manager assured us that we are not forensic, but that we need to do this for our own safety in our practice and that should there be an inquest, there is a proof that we did our safety search q shift - we ticked off and signed our initials. My point is there has to be a balance in ensuring the safety of our patients and at the same time giving them the privacy that they need . Does anyone have any suggestions about safety searches?

I am an RN working in an acute-care psychiatric hospital. We just started implementing safety searches Q shift which includes lifting the bed, searching through the patients' belongings, lifting the lid of water tank in the washroom, and checking garbage bins for contrabands. Aside from these, nurses are expected to ask the patients to empty their pockets after utilizing their offward privilege and show us whatever they are bringing in. Visitors are also required to show us whatever they are bringing in. While we are aware about the importance of ensuring safety in a psych, unit., the nurses are frustrated as we do not have enough time to do all these searches and at the same time assessing, and attending to the needs of the patients. Because of these q shift safety checks, patients are complaining about not having enough privacy as well as nurses not available to attend to their needs as much as they want to. We do close obs. with our acute patients as well as environmental checks Q hr., thorough body and belongings search for contrabands during admission. Lighters and cigarettes are kept in each patient's cubby hole and used razors are returned and disposed by nurses. Our nurse manager assured us that we are not forensic, but that we need to do this for our own safety in our practice and that should there be an inquest, there is a proof that we did our safety search q shift - we ticked off and signed our initials. My point is there has to be a balance in ensuring the safety of our patients and at the same time giving them the privacy that they need . Does anyone have any suggestions about safety searches?

I have a co-worker who got denied for visascreen because she did not do clinical in maternity and pediatric. She graduated in Nursing Diploma from Humber College in Toronto.

I have a co-worker who got denied for visascreen because she did not do clinical in maternity and pediatric. She graduated in Nursing Diploma from Humber College in Toronto.

I also didn't have peds and obstetrics during my clinical rotation, but I took theory on these. I was told by the nursing department of the college where I took Nursing that not having peds and obstetrics would not pose any problem and that CFNS will only restrict me to work in peds and obstetrics as a result, but I will still be able to get a Visascreen. Any comment on this?