UK - Calgary move; Any advise on OR Nursing

Fiona59 · Feb 2, 2009

I know up in Edmonton, OR and floor nurses do it all. OR staff have been used as porters and they help clean up the rooms after a case. There is a cleaning team until around 2200 for the deep clean.

On the floors the cleaners leave at 1500 (well the "bed team" remains for discharges) but basically if you find it you clean it.

Btdthat08 · Feb 6, 2009

bumped

RGN1 · Feb 7, 2009

I know at Foothills OR porters take the pts to & from the OR, so maybe that's a better bet - our cleaners are around until later too :-) At least on the floor anyways!! Mind you I can't talk about the OR cleaning issue - I suspect it's a bit of both - like most hospitals around the world.

Another reason to abandoned your friends eh?? They may end up being jealous of you though!!

Fiona59 · Feb 7, 2009

In theory there are porters around. But, with staff shortages, and unfilled vacancies, we deal with what we have.

One problem we are having is with limited English skills for the porters, service and nursing aides. The blood bank is having issues with reading comprehension, so unit clerks and nurses often have to pick up blood on top of everything else.

I've seen the OR nurses come and pick up and if PACU is slammed, the ORT's have come across as well with the patients.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 7, 2009

My situation is a bit different because I work in an ICU, but we do all our own portering. The OR will send a porter to help move the equipment, but the nurse is still required to go. If there isn't a physician going along on the trip, then one of our transport nurses, or a code team nurse has to go. Our nursing attendants run specimens and pick up blood products, when we have on on shift. When we don't, the unit clerk does it, and if we don't have one of thsoe either (happens a lot on nights and weekends) then the resource nurse or charge nurse goes. As for housekeeping, the unit is swept and mopped once a day; there have been days when we've had no paper towels in the bathroom for the entire day... they have the key for the dispenser. Paper towels are a controlled item you see, they have to e locked up or somoene might take a roll of that horrible stuff home. If we have transfers or deaths after hours, the nursing attendant does everything but wash the floor in the room or bed space. See above for what happens when there is no nursing attendant.

Fiona59 · Feb 7, 2009

Hey, don't you get the thrill of going to the morgue down at the U? It's just what you need in the middle of the shift from hell, wait for a porter, escort porter with deceased, wait for security and sign over the body. Should take ten minutes? Nah, usually 25 because, security is all over the place, then you wind up moving the paperwork around the facility.

Would love to work in a place with enough staff...

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 8, 2009

Of course we get to go to the morgue. It's an expectation, especially with the infants.