Should RNs do housekeeping job or is it our job?

[Lenap]

:angryfire Wanted to ask if anyone experienced similar situation and how the issue was handled. 1st of all let me mention that I work for a huge hospital that is considered to be one of the top hospitals in the nation, but it seems like there are some holes in the system that no one seem to notice. The issue I have is with the hospital's housekeeping. It appears to me that they make up their own policies. Last weekend I had a really sick patient who had vomited approximately 2.5-3 liters of green bile emesis all over floor and his bed. I had never seen anything like that! He was the 1st patient I saw coming on my shift. I Helped pt get washed and called housekeeping. Well when housekeeping came they refused to clean the room. Making it very clear that they don't clean up messes like that-it's nurses job to clean. What they can do is wipe the floor when it's clean, so it will be disinfected. I spend at least an hour on my knees and used up almost half of our supply of pink pads and towels to dry everything up. It was only after pt had 2 more of episodes of projectile vomiting each approximately 1-2 liters of emesis that the MD gave me an ok to put in NGT. My point is having 8 very sick patients that night and spending all shift cleaning up messes and with no help from anyone else, should it be our job to clean up? I am not talking a little mess here-that takes few seconds to clean up, but a time consuming accidents. I had a similar episode maybe a year ago, when a pt had diarrhea and missed the toilet. The diarrhea explosion was all over the floor and bathtub. I was 9 mo pregnant at that time and was told I have to clean it up myself. I brought that up with management last time and was told its not housekeeping job, but ours. Also we don't have any cleaning supply on the floor and must use pt's bed linen like pink pads and towels to clean up. Anyone had similar situations? I don't think it's fair that other pts have to miss out on hours of care and get their meds hours late because their nurse is cleaning someone's room. Any input is welcome! Thank you.:imbar

[MandyInMS]

We have no housekeeping after 7pm..so quess what? we're it..seems at every turn more is added to our list of 'you're stuck with it' duties...ex: the other day a memo was posted...ATTENTION: Please clean and return all equiptment to so and so dept....Attention...Attention WHO??? we always remove iv tubing..dirty canisters..empty potties..ect...but I'll be dayumed if I'm cleaning all the freakin equiptment...geeeeeeez.. ..I'm sorry you're having an MI Mrs.Jones but your nurse is busy cleaning potty chairs...grrrrrrrrr

[MandyInMS]

We have no housekeeping after 7pm..so quess what? we're it..seems at every turn more is added to our list of 'you're stuck with it' duties...ex: the other day a memo was posted...ATTENTION: Please clean and return all equiptment to so and so dept....Attention...Attention WHO??? we always remove iv tubing..dirty canisters..empty potties..ect...but I'll be dayumed if I'm cleaning all the freakin equiptment...geeeeeeez.. ..I'm sorry you're having an MI Mrs.Jones but your nurse is busy cleaning potty chairs...grrrrrrrrr

[SharonH, RN]

if your patients have a higher need then you are neglecting your job by neglecting them.

This is an excellent, excellent point. If nurses won't stick up for themselves, at least stick up for the patient and get together and refuse to do it. As I recall, housekeeping means cleaning up messes. That's what the job is about. And the reason they pull the bit about it not being their job is because we keep letting them. Take it to management!

[SharonH, RN]

if your patients have a higher need then you are neglecting your job by neglecting them.

This is an excellent, excellent point. If nurses won't stick up for themselves, at least stick up for the patient and get together and refuse to do it. As I recall, housekeeping means cleaning up messes. That's what the job is about. And the reason they pull the bit about it not being their job is because we keep letting them. Take it to management!

[Lenap]

Another thought: I guess the hospital would have to hire dozen more housekeepers for each shift if they were to clean up after pt's accidents. (our hospital apx 800 beds)! Cheaper to let nurses do a little extra work.

Ever wonder how good of a disinfecting job housekeepers do? I have seen 3 different patients develop MRSA in the same private room-just a coincidence? Some thought the room was cursed. I doubt that.:uhoh21:

[Lenap]

Another thought: I guess the hospital would have to hire dozen more housekeepers for each shift if they were to clean up after pt's accidents. (our hospital apx 800 beds)! Cheaper to let nurses do a little extra work.

Ever wonder how good of a disinfecting job housekeepers do? I have seen 3 different patients develop MRSA in the same private room-just a coincidence? Some thought the room was cursed. I doubt that.:uhoh21:

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My sister had a baby in a military hospital a long while back. She had to make her own bed, and go to a common cafeteria to eat, get her own food and bus her table. I think that's an excellent idea. Let the patients clean up their own poop if they have an accident.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My sister had a baby in a military hospital a long while back. She had to make her own bed, and go to a common cafeteria to eat, get her own food and bus her table. I think that's an excellent idea. Let the patients clean up their own poop if they have an accident.

[Jailhouse RN]

Tell housekeeping to get the lead out.

[Jailhouse RN]

Tell housekeeping to get the lead out.

[mattsmom81]

This is another example of the nursing dept picking up the slack for another dept...also note other threads here discussing nurses doing Rt and Lab duties. Too many facilities think nursing's job is to pinch hit for every other dept off hours. But...where is our share of their budget $$$ that's what I want to know.

I agree with the point of our prioritizing of duties...if we are so busy tasking with basic housekeeping duties and other depts work, what are we neglecting on the nursing front?? If we allow other entities to define our profession, they will (and they are)

[mattsmom81]

This is another example of the nursing dept picking up the slack for another dept...also note other threads here discussing nurses doing Rt and Lab duties. Too many facilities think nursing's job is to pinch hit for every other dept off hours. But...where is our share of their budget $$$ that's what I want to know.

I agree with the point of our prioritizing of duties...if we are so busy tasking with basic housekeeping duties and other depts work, what are we neglecting on the nursing front?? If we allow other entities to define our profession, they will (and they are)