"Wasteful Nurses"

[eeffoc_emmig]

Apparently, my new patient's mother thinks we're all "wasteful nurses". I already bring my own hand sanitizer and hand towels for my own use, now I have been informed that I must bring my own hand soap and toilet paper. She says we're all so wasteful and will no longer let us spend her hard earned money.

I'm starting to rethink staying on this case. I accepted the no TV/internet use rule and the bar stool to sit on in the kitchen alllll night long, but no there are more rules. I would never treat nurses like this if they were in my home caring for my child.

[matthewandrew, NP]

I would find another case, it's clear that the family does not appreciate or respect you as a professional.

Matthew, RN

[Elle23]

Ventmommy...why no hand sanitizer?

[Elle23]

Thanks for the explanations regarding the immunizations at home. I just know of my own case, who gets all of his routine immunizations at the office. It is interesting learning how other cases operate.

[ventmommy]

Hand sanitizer kills every living thing on your hands including good bacteria. Skin was meant to have bacteria on it. Killing everything on your skin leaves a greater opportunity for bad bacteria to find a place to land. Further, hand sanitizer does nothing to actually remove dirt. There is no scientific proof that triclosan is effective and the alcohol-based sanitizers have such a high percentage of alcohol that I wouldn't want a nurse (or my husband) to have still wet hands near my son's mouth, nose, or trach.

We did immunizations at home too. For some reason, only the RNs could give them. My husband or I would pick them up from the hospital pharmacy and the nurse would give them. In retrospect, I'm not sure why it was RN only or who made that rule (agency, doctor, insurance, etc.).

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Hand sanitizer kills every living thing on your hands including good bacteria. Skin was meant to have bacteria on it. Killing everything on your skin leaves a greater opportunity for bad bacteria to find a place to land. Further, hand sanitizer does nothing to actually remove dirt. There is no scientific proof that triclosan is effective and the alcohol-based sanitizers have such a high percentage of alcohol that I wouldn't want a nurse (or my husband) to have still wet hands near my son's mouth, nose, or trach.

We did immunizations at home too. For some reason, only the RNs could give them. My husband or I would pick them up from the hospital pharmacy and the nurse would give them. In retrospect, I'm not sure why it was RN only or who made that rule (agency, doctor, insurance, etc.).

I bet it was an agency rule LPNs are perfectly capable of giving IM injections. In my case, the LPN doesn't like to give shots, and so I do it.

[toomuchbaloney]

Hand sanitizer kills every living thing on your hands including good bacteria. Skin was meant to have bacteria on it. Killing everything on your skin leaves a greater opportunity for bad bacteria to find a place to land. Further, hand sanitizer does nothing to actually remove dirt. There is no scientific proof that triclosan is effective and the alcohol-based sanitizers have such a high percentage of alcohol that I wouldn't want a nurse (or my husband) to have still wet hands near my son's mouth, nose, or trach.

We did immunizations at home too. For some reason, only the RNs could give them. My husband or I would pick them up from the hospital pharmacy and the nurse would give them. In retrospect, I'm not sure why it was RN only or who made that rule (agency, doctor, insurance, etc.).

Bold and Italics mine.

That is not a true statement. For example, hand sanitizers do not kill cryptosporidium, norovirus, or clostridium difficile.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

We did a test in micro...where we touched our hands to nutrient agar then incubated the plates with non washed hands vs. hand sanitizer hands....the sanitized hands were dirtier than the not washed all morning hands....

[ventmommy]

Bold and Italics mine.

That is not a true statement. For example, hand sanitizers do not kill cryptosporidium, norovirus, or clostridium difficile.

Okay, I will admit that I was wrong (shhhh, don't tell my hubby!!!) and that it doesn't kill everything. It kills all the good bacteria and leaves all the space on your skin available for unkillable cryptosporidium, norovirus and c. diff to take hold.

[systoly]

no matter what hand sanitizer does or does not kill

i never can get over the feeling of just smearing stuff around (on my hands)

instead of getting rid of it even though i do use it on occasion when i don't

want to leave the pt. unattended even for a minute

[ceebeejay]

Washing with soap and water is the best method according to all research. Everything else peels the skin off of my hands, which opens my up to receiving and giving more germs.

[CloudySue]

I like to do both at the beginning of a shift, wash hands w s/w and then use hand sanitizer.

[TeacupPom]

I don't mind what my nurses do, just as long as they can hear me and are able to help me if I need it. I also believe that it's okay for there to be a comfy chair or whatnot to sit on. That's a pretty long time to be uncomfortable.