jmRNip

Infection control nurse here to weigh in. First, you don't necessarily need to close units with an outbreak. There are other interventions that can be instituted prior to doing that. You do not know what is going on behind the scenes and with administration, so please don't be so quick to judge. Second, and I say this to all of the nurses that complain about families lacking in PPE use - YOU are responsible for their education and compliance. Your facility probably has one infection preventionist for every 100-150 beds. You have no idea what their responsibilities entail and I can assure you they are overloaded. You are on the unit with your patients. If you find families non compliant, please educate them so they are compliant. I'm certain that if you need assistance from your ICP/IP, they will be happy to help. They cannot be everywhere at once. I find this daily on my rounds. It is the responsibility of every caregiver on the unit to enforce proper use of PPE. OP, if you have specific questions, feel free to PM me.