olcroner

Thank you joleneliddell. That information is very helpful. I have been talking with several infection control nurses and they agree it is a problem to monitor ice machines and they also stated many hospitals are moving to the chemical packs. Thanks again.

OK. I appreciate everybody's input. I'm am still researching this but the silver lining is this student has seen the light. I corrected her, privately, about another incorrect statement she made and was adamantly arguing. She said she had incorrect information and she appreciate me correcting her. Her attitude has improved and she is approaching her learning with more of an open mind. This was my goal. Trust me, I was highly irritated with her attitude, but this is a new generation of students and they respond differently than you and I did when we were students.

I am not planning to present these post as EBP but I have gotten several new sources and ideas of approach.

Excellent. I definitely will check it out, Thank you.

Thank you for your input on the proper way of filling ice bags, I agree. That's fantastic EBP. Other than flogging this student, which has crossed my mind, but not viable solution, I am addressing her stubbornness with facts. She has some experience as a CNA and she has a BS, working on her BSN, and she has developed some opinions, and spouts her misinformation freely. I am attempting to reign her in without alienating her completely, thus, my introduction of this topic. I have corrected her, privately, on another topic as well. I'm hoping she gets the point. I plan to tell her she shouldn't let her experience get in the way of her education. I am fairly new at teaching and am working on my second master's in education, this time nursing education, but I am open to suggestions here. My first instinct is the flogging, but again, not a viable solution.

Sorry. Probably not a good idea to use sarcastic humor in text format, leaves too much for interpretation, didn't mean to seem snooty. I am checking the local hospital policy on this. I work at a Simulation Center where we teach basics of nursing. My rationale is I have witness the refilling of used ice bags directing from the ice machine. How do we stop this potentially nosocomial infection spreading practice. I say and teach don't fill any from the ice machine. My student disagrees. I'm looking for the EBP to start safe habits in my students.

At first I felt you thought I was wasting everyone's time, now, you seem to be arguing my point. But the student refuses to see it that way. It's the potential of cross contamination. I find if I present the students with policy or EBP then they tend to understand better. Thank you for your tolerance as I am new to the forum. I don't like waiting 900 seconds either.

I have looked. I am inquiring at the local hospital but it does seem to be spelled out word for word or step by step. I am continuing to look. That's why I introduced this topic. There's plenty on the upkeep and cleaning of ice machines but not proper use of ice machines. I would greatly appreciate any resources you know on the topic.

It's not the ice. The bag that has been used on a patient that touches the ice machine and now you're getting ice from there for your patient's water or ice chips. My evidence is watching staff refill bags from the ice machine. Is best policy that no ice bags or water pitchers be refilled directly from the ice machine? This is the battle I have chosen. If I start the students thinking early, will this develop better practices?

This is the type of discussion I was hoping to see. I understand it isn't going to be a written policy. I am looking for EBP. Many of the post agree it's a potential source of infection. I am trying to give my students something to think about early in their education and hopefully they develop safe habits. Thank you for your suggestions.

These were the points I made to the student and all the students listening. I appreciate you sharing your best practice. This is what I feel as well. Reading most of these post I find the same precautions taken too. I really doubt that there's a written policy about filling an ice bag but we need to consider all cross contaminations. I will relay the findings here to my students as well. Thank you.

Funny. Not very helpful, but funny.

Do you suggest flogging them into submission or trying to educated them to do the right thing?

I am the instructor. So it's just because I say so.

I don't agree. Soon patient's family members see you fill a new one and they filling used ones.

I'm looking for hospital policies about the use of ice machines. In particular, filling new or refilling ice bags used on patients. I told a student that ice bags should not be filled from the ice machines directly. New, and especially, used ice bags. She argue, adamantly, that new can be filled directly from the ice machine. I looking for something to say it's safer to fill them from a separate container.