To tell or not to tell!

[XNavyCorpsman]

I am orientating on an intermediate care unit and can't believe what I am seeing. I have seen blood transfusions started without gloves, meds being pulled and set on top of the cart and left unattended, computer screen left on with patient data clearly visible and left unattended, no gowns being used in patients rooms that are on contact precautions. I can go on and on. I am a strong patient advocate and feel the need to tell someone so that these things do NOT continue. What do I do?

[SmilingBluEyes]

It's not coming up in my online dictionary. NO WHERE I have worked used "orientate" for teaching new people. It's was ORIENT.

Blue! go read the mispronunciation thread! that is a word.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

It's not coming up in my online dictionary. NO WHERE I have worked used "orientate" for teaching new people. It's was ORIENT.

Hijack warning!!

Cast the net a little farther and remember that we host an international crowd here:

orientate - definition of orientate in English from the Oxford dictionary

Additionally, and take this from a certified word & grammar nit-picker:

Anne Curzan: What makes a word "real"? | Talk Video | TED.com

[morte, LPN, LVN]

yes, more common on the "other" side of the pond. and still grates on my nerves. the first person I ever heard say it was not a Brit, and i don't think she learned it in school either....

Hijack warning!!

Cast the net a little farther and remember that we host an international crowd here:

orientate - definition of orientate in English from the Oxford dictionary

Additionally, and take this from a certified word & grammar nit-picker:

Anne Curzan: What makes a word "real"? | Talk Video | TED.com

[pathlesstrvld]

You are right to be questioning the legalities, safety, and processes that this facility is practicing. As a health care worker you are suppose to be a patient advocate and on the behalf of the patients safety and all those that can be effected from transferring organisms from one patient to another, visitors, other workers and staff members, you should report it. Most organizations have a QM department or a confidential line that you can report such instances without being identified if you are not wanting to risk being exposed for doing you job. I always think of this, would I want someone I care about to be in contact with the person who is not using PPE? I always put myself or someone I care about it a situation I don't feel is right or safe and it makes it worth it! That patient is someone's mother, father, sister, brother...and you are their family away from family with the medical edge to keep them safe in their temporary environment.

Hope you can find a way to handle the issues at hand : )

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

You are right to be questioning the legalities, safety, and processes that this facility is practicing. As a health care worker you are suppose to be a patient advocate and on the behalf of the patients safety and all those that can be effected from transferring organisms from one patient to another, visitors, other workers and staff members, you should report it. Most organizations have a QM department or a confidential line that you can report such instances without being identified if you are not wanting to risk being exposed for doing you job. I always think of this, would I want someone I care about to be in contact with the person who is not using PPE? I always put myself or someone I care about it a situation I don't feel is right or safe and it makes it worth it! That patient is someone's mother, father, sister, brother...and you are their family away from family with the medical edge to keep them safe in their temporary environment.

Hope you can find a way to handle the issues at hand : )

He can question the nurse without ruining his reputation on the floor. A simple question like, "Shouldn't we be wearing PPE now?"

Going to the NM with all his concerns while on orientation would burn bridges. They would look at him as nark & all trust would be lost.

[ToyaB]

And not wearing a gown? The nurses are putting themselves at risk---the patient is already down with whatever has them on precautions in the first place!

I agree the OP has to choose her battles, but the reason you wear that gown in a precautions patient's room is not just to protect yourself, but to protect every other patient that you come into contact with. And we can all argue that those yellow gowns are useless, but you do what you can with what you have.

We need to change that mentality that if it can only hurt me then its my risk to take because you may be missing the bigger picture.