nnurse32

Is there a morale issue?

Thank you all for your insightful input. I appreciate all of you. I felt strong about my stance and wanted to make sure I wasn't out of line. It wouldn't be my case, just to cover for their regular nurse when she wanted time off. She has no problem with the no shoes policy in the house, that's her decision.:yelclap:

Thank you. That has been my experience. No breaks, can't get PTO that's on the books, drunks in the house, parents not coming home for hours after the shift ends, and now the no shoes..... I have had plantar fasciitis before in both feet, not wearing good support while carrying a 55 lb child puts me at risk too.

They only want slippers or bare feet. I was assigned there once, I was not warned of the no shoe policy. I don't want to buy new shoes for a case I'm not permanently assigned. I've been there once in 6 months. It's just to cover for their regular nurse.

I really don't know the rationale behind no shoes policy. The family is from an Arabic country and hold strong to their customs, which is ok, I have no problem with that. But not being allowed to wear shoes especially on slippery wet surfaces while carrying their child is just plain dangerous. These companies are all about keeping the families happy at all costs. They found another nurse to do it. I wonder how OSHA would take the religion over safety policy? I declined the case.

I work in home health care. My agency has been sending nurses to a home for private duty of a pediatric patient who is trashed, non responsive, spastic, and suffers seizures. The patient must be carried everywhere and weighs between 55 and 60 lbs. For religious reasons the family is adamant about no shoes in the house. The floors are tile, the bathroom is tile with no anti slip surfaces and the floors are very slippery. The company, along with OSHA, has very precise guidelines about proper footwear. My stance to the company was I would be happy to go to the client's home and take care of the child if I can wear my nursing shoes. Carrying the child without proper supportive and anti slip footwear is not only painful but a great risk to the patient and myself. I quoted the employee handbook and OSHA. They insisted that no shoes is fine and that religion overrides OSHA Safety Guidelines. However, if I slip and fall while carrying the child or injury myself, I will be personally responsible for not wearing proper footwear. The company will just quote their regulations about proper footwear and deny responsibility, workman's comp would deny responsibility, and lawyers would have a field day. The company is very good about quoting employee handbook regulations in memos followed by "failure to comply will result in the necessary disciplinary action up to and including termination". My stance has put me in a negative light with my supervisors. I insist patient/nurse safety and OSHA Safety Guidelines come first and foremost. Any input?