"Right to Sit"

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · May 18, 2011

I'm no fan of nurses' unions, but I can't imagine one worthy of the name allowing such a policy to be implemented without a massive protest. Good grief, are you working in a modern hospital in 21st century America, or a textile mill in the rural South of the 1970s?

Prolonged standing isn't good for anyone, let alone healthcare workers who are getting older and developing physical disabilities from 12-hour shifts spent lifting, pulling, pushing, walking, and so on. Does your boss not know that the 'average' nurse is over age 45? All I can say is, he or she is either an idiot, or the most inhuman person ever put in charge of hard-working nurses.

I wish you luck. You're going to need it.

nicurn001 · May 18, 2011

Do you get all the breaks that are required by law , if not get the union to inform management of their responsibilities in this regard , remember that they can't stop you taking potty breaks , basically what I am saying you need to get your union to organse as many disruptive ( as far as management is concerned activities as posible , so that this stupid idea is forgotten about , by more pressing matters ie. the finacial burden caused by the extra payments due to staff because of missed breaks etc..

jmqphd · May 18, 2011

That sounds utterly barbaric. I can do almost any physical requirement of being a nurse, lift, and push and bend and stoop and scrabble on the floor to untie a restraint, or wrestle with the confused patient... I am old and arthritic, and with enough NSAIDs I can do it all. But I canNOT stand in one place. I can be on my feet for 12 hours as long as I am moving. If I'm forced to stand, I'd have ankles the size of watermelons and 4+ pitting edema.

This reminds me of the "no-water-or-liquids-on-the-unit rules. (Yes, yes... I know about infection control, but screw top water bottles should be fine.) So... you only allow nurses to drink liquids at lunch and a couple of breaks over the course of 12 hours and see what the UTI rate goes up to.

If I were you, I'd make be sure that this institution's cruelty (and that's what it is) to nurses is made very, very public.

Any reason you can't name the the place on this forum?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · May 18, 2011

Even I as a Manager am not that mean.

I have the OPPOSITE problem: my staff sit ALL DAY at a computer since we're home care Central Intake --have to force em to get up and stretch.

Maybe I need to set my twin straight.

jmqphd · May 18, 2011

My daughter is a type 1 diabetic and an ER nurse. Their stupid no-food-no-fluids policies caused her to tank her blood sugar. She'd planned her break and had her food coming (another nurse was bringing carry-out to the team) when a big trauma came rolling in.

Had my daughter been able to have a thermos or some other sort of food handy it wouldn't have happened.

I have been told I can't put my scrub jacket on the back of a chair because "it doesn't look good". Really? So if I get warm I have to go to my locker room and hang up my jacket. If I get too cool... I have to go to the locker room and get it. Or I can just be uncomfortable off and on for 12 hours.

Why do we let administrations treat us this way?

Joey_Boy, LPN · May 18, 2011

My daughter is a type 1 diabetic and an ER nurse. Their stupid no-food-no-fluids policies caused her to tank her blood sugar. She'd planned her break and had her food coming (another nurse was bringing carry-out to the team) when a big trauma came rolling in.
Had my daughter been able to have a thermos or some other sort of food handy it wouldn't have happened.
I have been told I can't put my scrub jacket on the back of a chair because "it doesn't look good". Really? So if I get warm I have to go to my locker room and hang up my jacket. If I get too cool... I have to go to the locker room and get it. Or I can just be uncomfortable off and on for 12 hours.
Why do we let administrations treat us this way?

Did she ask if she could have some sweets on her and they said no? Sounds like grounds for a discrimination lawsuit. She wasn't reasonably accommodated under the ADA law. This is life or death stuff. She could end up making a med error when her sugar is low and kill someone.

jmqphd · May 19, 2011

I am not sure, but I can't imagine that they would search her pockets! (Though who knows now adays!) But I know she has lots of other things in her pocket when she's working. I know they were forced to treat HER when she became confused and she was FIGHTING them before they could get some glucose into her. (I'm just the mom, and kids don't tell you everything.) I don't know if they had to start an IV or if they got her to drink something.

Scary stuff.

RN1980 · May 20, 2011

sounds like the manager is a jackass. prolly trying to impress some administration type bean counter.

deezRN · Jul 12, 2011

Our boss is implementing a "no-sitting" policy, we are not allowed to sit at the nurses station to document - we are only allowed to stand at our computers out in the hallways. We are only allowed to sit during our breaks. Some union reps have posted a Mass "Right to Sit" law on our floors, but I can't find any information for myself. Has anyone else come across a similar situation? Was it resolved?

Having the same problem where I work. Searching here, there and everywhere for help. So far nothing has been done where I work, because people are just complaining about it behind the manager's back. The s&^% is about to hit the fan though, when I turn in a note from my doctor saying under the ADA I am to be allowed to sit for 10-15minutes/hr and as needed. Can't wait for the inevitable storm to follow. Very scared. :eek:

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Jul 13, 2011

The h*** with sitting, I'd walk, right out the door. Seriously, get a new job.

deezRN · Jul 13, 2011

sure wish I could....