Use of nurse's office

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The main office in school decided without asking me that teachers can use my office to pump breast milk. I had a teacher walk in stating dhe needs 20 minutes uninterrupted. I asked her to please wait or find another office because I have a seperate treatment room where insulin diabetics test snd inject before lunch and it was anout that time. She went to principal and I received an email stating that she is to have use of the room and "if need be, I will have to assist students while she has use of the room" I guess in another part of my space. Refrigerated insulin and all kits are in that room. I have not even responded back to email yet I am so flabbergasted. Anyone else have staff thst feels nurses office is the only place to pump?

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
What the law says about breastfeeding and work

Space in the nurses office is NOT a private space as it is necessary to be accessed by students as same time employee ----- this is in violation of the law. Nurse/Employer can not select time for pumping--it's up to discresion of nursing mother: law requires employers to provide "reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express the milk"

"A place other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk" - U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, Section 7® of the Fair Labor Standards Act - Break Time for Nursing Mothers Provision

Additional consideration:

What should a lactation room include?

I love this so much. When I had four bays with curtains and an extra office, I had no problem making space. Right now I have an alcove and...elementary schoolers are yucky. There's no way to get this room clean enough.

When I was breastfeeding I hung a sheet over my cubicle "door." But that was in Washington state where we were very liberal about such things. You might need a conversation with your nurse-manager about this. They've foisted an untenable choice on you and that's not right.

Specializes in school nursing.

I pump in my med room during my lunch (door locks behind me and doesn't have a window). I take my lunch after all my diabetics have come through for the day. Still, I am often interrupted almost daily while in there. Not a great place to pump. I have an extra "isolation" room in my office that is mainly used as a closet for uniforms for students out of dress code/etc. It has a cot in there, I would choose to use that room for a teacher who requests to pump in my office. They would be much more comfortable. I wouldn't mind them storing their breastmilk in my fridge or cleaning their parts in my office.

Someone previously mentioned feeling embarrassed r/t pump sound - this applies to me. I would do everything to try to make that mom/teacher feel comfortable but try to find an alternative space that doesn't impact student care.

What about the need to access emergency meds stored in the med room?

I'm happy to support pumping mothers. I was once one myself, I get it. However, the needs of the student body should also be considered. Lunchtime is a high-traffic time in most health offices. Does the teacher have her own classroom that she could use? I'd be happy to share fridge space, but I would not be okay with having 20 minute chunks of time where I couldn't properly care for the students.

On the other hand, if the office is pretty much unusable for 20 min, maybe you could negotiate a lunch break in that time? ;)

I agree you can't reason with an admin that would do this and think it is ok. As a former breastfeeder/pumper I agree that the teacher needs a private space but that doesnt mean your office. Unfortunately its more a disrespect issue than anything. My approach would be to talk with the teacher and explain your diabetics schedule and that she will need to work her pumping around this. She will probably understand and if she doesn't then you will need to go over her and admins heads. I would address the issue of all the germs and creepy crawlies in the health office. I know my teachers and there is no way any of them would even agree to pumping in here. They tiptoe in my office now and ask if there has been a sick kid in here recently or is there lice on this recovery bench.

Is there not a conference room that is rarely used that they could let her use?

Crazy how times have changed in a decade when I pumped. I worked in a greasy car garage and even my office was oily and greasy. And No way was I pumping in a nasty mechanic bathroom. I didn't make a fuss about it though. I bought a car charging adapter for my pump and used my nursing cover and pumped away in my car. It was a lot more private than my office and cleaner. But breastfeeding support has come along way.

Bottom line teacher has the right to a private adequate space but the health office/your office is not it!

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
Soooo... why would anyone think it is a good idea to pump milk in a germ-filled health office? Would you want your pumping equipment exposed to that? Or the milk as the bottle is detached from the tubing and the lid put on? Gross.

Eh...breast milk (like urine) is only sterile on the inside. And I can clean a surface...it's just I don't know how well the surfaces are cleaned when I'm not here. Although we had Poopfest 2018 and the nice custodians cleaned well.

As a mother, I would not want to pump in an area where there are frequently sick people, germs, bodily fluids, etc. I am surprised she is even OK with pumping in your office. And as a nurse, I would not want to compromise patient privacy. There has to be some other place in your school. She absolutely is entitled to a private space where she can pump, uninterrupted. And your students are entitled to a space where they can see you, in private.

Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

I had a teacher request to use my room. I explained that while I try to clean after each student, my office is a pleather of germs and I would not recommend using it. She decided to use our counselors office. We now (due to state mandates) have a lactation room which is essentially a storage room with a desk and chair. We do not currently have any nursing Mom's.

Call parents of kids waiting outside your office and have them complain their child is missing instruction time waiting for meds and treatments. In my experience this is only recourse to get action.

Specializes in kids.

I pop them into my handicap access shower. There is a plug in there but no window...

What the law says about breastfeeding and work

Space in the nurses office is NOT a private space as it is necessary to be accessed by students as same time employee ----- this is in violation of the law. Nurse/Employer can not select time for pumping--it's up to discresion of nursing mother: law requires employers to provide "reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express the milk"

"A place other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk" - U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, Section 7® of the Fair Labor Standards Act - Break Time for Nursing Mothers Provision

Additional consideration:

What should a lactation room include?

Thanks for this info.

I have only had a few pumping teachers use my clinic and of those few only one was a real PITA about it. I do have a spare room with a cot that I do not use but for storage of extra clothing, stuff, my microwave and supplies so it was fine for her to use it. The problem was the door didn't lock and she had fit about it - I told her to print a sign and hang on the door, then she wanted a chair, a desk or a table so she could eat lunch, wanted to rearrange the room, etc etc etc - I told her she could do whatever she wanted that I didn't care but I was not the one to do it - she was a teacher here and an adult and could make arrangements herself/find the extra chair desk/table to use.

I agree with another poster - times have surely changed, 23 years ago I worked for an optometrist and either pumped in our closet where we would store our purses, jackets etc - barely 8x8 or I would pump in the staff bathroom - there was a tiny sitting area that had an old couch and table where everyone could see what I was doing when they walked in.

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Thirty yrs ago working per diem ICU, I pumped in the staff bathroom; Ice packs in insulated lunch pail cooled expressed milk.

I learned the new law regs while Home Health Central Intake Mgr and had several breastfeeding staff. My office was used as the private space.....until other departments had breastfeeding staff, " private office with locked door" -- Admin. converted our Medical Directors office to accommodate staff since doc was rarely in office.

Glad I could offer info... need to educate all Principals over issue: nursing office not appropriate due to germs, privacy, not relaxing area so taking longer for milk to flow therefore increased time away from students, etc.. :)

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