Taking Kids to the Job is it OK?

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i was wondering what people thought of staff who bring their kids to work with them. do you think this is ok? i have worked at quite a few places where workers have brought young kids to work. i kind of thought it was inappropriate because the workers in ltc complain constantly about having too much to do & i think that it takes away from their patients if they try to take care of their kids and the patients at the same time. i also think that it might be in violation of hipaa and exposes the kids and the patients to unnecessary germs. i also think if you allow one to do it you have to allow all. but i know that one of the biggest problems that nurses face is the availability of child care especially when we have to work before child care centers open until after they are closed as well as on weekends and hollidays. not to mention the expense. if an employer could only find a satisfactory way to deal with the situation. :o :uhoh3: :stone

Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

RNPATL, I would like more information on your child care program. This subject has been approached by the facility I work in and we are in the midst of a lot of changes so this could actually work for us right now.

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I've seen this happen in hospitals as well. The kids would sit in the lounge and color for instance. These are not babies or toddlers. I guess people had no choice.

Management probably told them to come in and bring the kids.

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if you offer child care they will come. :)

while i can appreciate the posts for and against bringing children to work in a ltc facility .... some years ago, when i was an administrator of a ltc, i licensed the actual facility as a child day care :chuckle . it was a tough call, but for those folks that work in ltc, the eden experience was the foundation behind licensing the facility as a child care facility also. the kids area was separate from the rest of the facility, but contained within the nursing home. we offered joint activity programs and, the residents and children all had lunch together in the main dining room. we offered many joint programs between the resident activity program and the kid's activity programs. our joint programs were probab ly the most popular. on weekends, the residents were actually bored. the dining experience was awesome, not only for the staff, but moreso for the residents and the kids. you should have seen their eyes light up when a 6 or 7 year old would come to their table, sit down and pull out their bagged lunch that mom sent from home.

i will never forget that experience! in fact, we had our annual state survery during one summer camp ...... i refused to change anything just because the "state" was there ... the children came up to the dining room at the same time they did every day, had their lunch, then went outside for play time .... the dietitian and the team leader of the survey team were in awe that we had accomplished such a thing and in fact, were quite complimentary. for our summer camps, staff children (up to 12 years old) were allowed to participate and children between 13-16 were allowed to be involved with the camp as cit's .... ltc is certainly not a 2nd class place ... and when we remember that ltc is not a sterile clinical environment, in fact it is a place where people live, our perspective about involving children might also change. :balloons:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC.

There is the odd time (maybe once or twice a year) when an emergency indeed arrives- the teen in your family is held up somewhere and can't be home to babysit the younger one, no outside help to call in, you've got to get to work. I have booked some "domestic emergency" days off for situations like this, but admittedly, have had to bring the child in with me on other odd occasions so that grandparents on the other side of town can fetch them from my workplace which is a halfway meeting point for them. Its usually only for an hour and the child knows to keep quiet and color or watch TV in the lounge till they arrive. I don't think it should be a common practice, definitely not professional and I never feel good about doing it, even for that hour, but what can you do?? :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Nursing Education.
actually pat, that's a wonderful idea. but it's not the same as bringing your child to work w/o any formal supervision.

your program was structured and licensed with proper staffing. that's a huge difference, yes? but again, elderly absolutely love integrating with children and pets.

Well, I agree, but at the same time, I have always involved children in my nursing home operations (when I was running a nursing home). Over the years, I have seen the place liven up as these young people enter the doors. Yes, I agree that there are children that fry your last nerve and these kids must toe the line and risk getting booted. The day care idea was the first time I had done that, but I have always had structured after school programs. For one reason, most all the residents loved to have the kids there .... second, it was a great help for those staff members that had children. And, for inquiring minds .... yes, the staff did have to pay for the service, just to off set the cost. One resident who was a former teacher comes to mind .... she loved coming into the activity room with the afterschoolers. Now this is a women who was highly educated and felt that the traditional nursing home activities were insulting to her intelligence. When we introduced the afterschool program, she jumped at the chance to roll around and help the kids with their homework and man she was great with those kids. In my opinion, that program added quality to this resident's life.

There should never be a time when children are brought to the nursing home unsupervised. I agree that there are times when child care falls through, but the child should be supervised while in the facility. If for no other reason than for their own safety.

My activities department loved having the kids there. If a staff member had a problem with child care .... they could bring their kid(s) in for a short while, so they could arrange babysitting. The kids would work in activities and help with crafts or feed the cats and dogs. Where there is a will there is a way, but let me tell you, I am not a supporter that the nursing home is a clinical environment, because is really is not. And, one last thing ... sick children were not a part of our program for obvious reasons.

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In health care, it seems like there is so much that they shouldn't see, hear, be explosed to --

When I worked LTC, sometimes a nurse would bring kids in to "visit" a special resident for a bit, but never for a full shift -- infact, usually on their day off...

Can't imagine it being OK in an acute care setting -- dangerous, distracting....

Wouldn't want to have my kids out on the floors -- and they are well behaved kids -- nevertheless they are kids and who knows what a kid'll do!

Mine have been at the office when I am -- on the days I am not in a clinical setting I have some office hours -- however, even that is a rare occurance!

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I would be okay with rare instances, but would be aggravated quickly if it became a regular occurrence. I as a student also get aggravated when other students bring kids to class. I understand that things happen that are unavoidable, and I honestly don't mind if the kid is sitting quietly coloring, etc., but it seems that the one that ends up coming to class is a HOLY terror, aggravating the dickens out of students, crying, yelling, running around, and generally running amok...My compassion and understanding only go so far, I'm afraid... :uhoh3:

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