So the tech states she cannot care for Mr. Smith in Rm 555 because Mr. Smith has MRSA in the nares.
The tech's doctor gave her strict orders to stay out of isolation rooms.
But....sad to say....this directive came without a work excuse.
The nurse who had the patient then told the Charge nurse, who basically said there was nothing that could be done about it, and so the nurse did all the patient care.
I told the nurse if she didn't write that tech up pronto, she was completely out of her mind.
This may be simply fear of the unknown. teach this tech/aid about the infection and how to protect him/herself and the problem might just go away. Why do we need to become defensive?
I look at it more as being on the offensive.
Looking out for the patient is good patient care. "the problem might go away" isn't good enough.
A write up denotes that the tech knows this is a serious problem and the education to back it up is essential.
This may be simply fear of the unknown. teach this tech/aid about the infection and how to protect him/herself and the problem might just go away. Why do we need to become defensive? I become interested and questioning with my patients, why not with co-workers?
The tech is an experienced tech and has definitely been taught this.
Specializes in ICU, oncology, home health, hospice.
oh, please! i work in a clinic (public health) and we have many patients who come in with mrsa. their charts are flagged so we know to take extra care to clean the exam room after they leave. they sit in the common waiting room with all the other non-mrsa patients. many of us carry mrsa and don't know it because, as stated previously, we aren't cultured. i think the tech just didn't want to have to do the isolation thing with the gowns and gloves because it is a pain. but that is no excuse-they need to be educated and written up!!
oh, please! i work in a clinic (public health) and we have many patients who come in with mrsa. their charts are flagged so we know to take extra care to clean the exam room after they leave. they sit in the common waiting room with all the other non-mrsa patients. many of us carry mrsa and don't know it because, as stated previously, we aren't cultured. i think the tech just didn't want to have to do the isolation thing with the gowns and gloves because it is a pain. but that is no excuse-they need to be educated and written up!!
How do you know the tech isn't pregnant? I know for pregnant nurses we are very careful not to assign them any contact isolation patients. It's not too difficult to find a few clean people for nurses though.
How do you know the tech isn't pregnant? I know for pregnant nurses we are very careful not to assign them any contact isolation patients. It's not too difficult to find a few clean people for nurses though.
Trust me, the tech could not possibly be pregnant.
How do you know the tech isn't pregnant? I know for pregnant nurses we are very careful not to assign them any contact isolation patients. It's not too difficult to find a few clean people for nurses though.
To my knowledge, pregnancy is not a contra-indication for taking a MRSA patient. If this tech had a legitimate medical excuse, she would have produced it. I would have instructed her to get on the phone to her physician and give him permission to verify her "medical excuse" to me. (No details that would vilate HIPAA, just "Yes, she has a medical excuse from caring for MRSA patients.") Short of that, I would have sent her home without pay.
Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
So the tech states she cannot care for Mr. Smith in Rm 555 because Mr. Smith has MRSA in the nares.
The tech's doctor gave her strict orders to stay out of isolation rooms.
But....sad to say....this directive came without a work excuse.
The nurse who had the patient then told the Charge nurse, who basically said there was nothing that could be done about it, and so the nurse did all the patient care.
I told the nurse if she didn't write that tech up pronto, she was completely out of her mind.
How would you have handled it?
Does this tech realize just how many people have MRSA in their nares? Including many medical personnel!
I would have let it go for that one time but not for another. Note required! And I would suggest this person find a non-patient related means of employment. This is ridiculous.
does this tech realize just how many people have mrsa in their nares? including many medical personnel!
i would have let it go for the one night but not for another. and i would suggest this person find a non-patient related means of employment. this is ridiculous.
do you think switching her room assignment with another tech might be another option? i had same thing happen to me also.
We have had one tech who had cancer and chemo going, and was immunocompromised. I don't think anyone ever asked for a note. We also had a nurse who claimed to be immunocompromised and would not set her foot in isolation room either. Her reasons were not known to me, she was also elderly and always tried to do as little as possible. We also had agency nurse who said she is pregnant and can't take isolation pts, also without any note. So it all depends how other staff members to react, is everybody just picks up the slack, or is it creating a problem in a unit.
Trust me, the tech could not possibly be pregnant.
Besides surely if a tech, nurse, doctor, resp tech, etc....were pregnant they'd surely have enough common sense to say that's why they didn't want to enter the room. Don't say they may be keeping the pregnancy a secret. I think that's stretching to excuse this person you don't even know.
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DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN
3,932 Posts
I look at it more as being on the offensive.
Looking out for the patient is good patient care. "the problem might go away" isn't good enough.
A write up denotes that the tech knows this is a serious problem and the education to back it up is essential.