kemmn

Hello everyone! I am a nursing student and have been a nursing assistant for the past 6 years (the last 2 working at a pediatric hospital). Though I love my job and I feel I've finally found my niche, there are many frustrations I encounter on a daily basis (as I'm sure you all know too well), but one that angers me the most are parents who NEGLECT their children! I work on a Oncology/Renal/GI unit and there have been MANY occassions where patients who have been on the unit for several months without leaving whose parents NEVER come to visit, yet, at discharge, they come in, pick them up and go home! How is this okay?? It is a rare occassion that the doctors will inforce a 72 hr hold, and even though social work is involved, they are actively addressing the problem. How is it okay to have a sick child, not have a job, be provided housing by the hospital nearby (mind you are rooms are state-of the art and have plenty of room/accomodations for parents) and never come visit your child or stay with your child until it is time for discharge? Can we assume they are going to be grade A parents when they take this poor child home? I think not. These are babies/kids that are going to have life-long medical needs and NEED good parents. As you can tell, this is a frustrating subject for me.... I don't know what to do. Should we (as staff) be filing reports directly to CPS? Is this gorunds for neglect? Granted, I love each and every one of these kids, we are not babysitters and as much as I'd like to spend every moment with them, that is not possible and most of all, they need their parents! Any advice/experiences you've had, please feel free to share! Thank you!