Visitors and the FLU

My medical director wants me to buy an infrared thermometer and check the temp of EVERYONE who comes in the building. He wants us to refuse entrance to anyone who is febrile. Do any of you do this now? I'm not sure who exactly he thinks is going to do this....the receptionist? And I'm wondering what the AG would say if I refused to allow family members to visit. Although, I think I could say it was due to the president's emergency declarations.

If you do use one, what brand?

[Reigen]

Interesting concept, at work we do have the if you have these symptoms (fever, cough etc.), for the sake of the Residents and Staff, please do not enter-- signage on all the doors.

I would not want to be the one taking a temperature on every visitor that comes, from family to delievery persons. To me that would take me away from my primary duties to my assigned Residents.

I also think that would constitute a Nurse/Patient relationship that I would not wish to enter into, as I would have to give the please follow up with your primary care adavance health care practioner speech.

Hopefully if "they" are not feeling well, they will stay home and get well, and not share with the rest of the world.

[nyteshade, BSN]

We haven't gotten to that. However, we have a generic flu prep kit that includes an acute flu care plan, preprinted labels with Tamiflu orders to stick on MARS, a new policy/procedure sheet, infection control screening sheets for both res and staff, a telephone script for staff nurses to call family members with (in case we do have H1N1), and a couple of other things. If interested, I could email it. Wow, taking temps on everyone is just plain silly...

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Well, I figure I could find a sheriff's costume with a badge and a holster and aim the thermometer at everyone's head! You're right, it is silly but this is from the same group of docs who wanted to use corn starch on a stage two pressure ulcer.

[nyteshade, BSN]

Wow... corn starch???!!! This gets better and better. I gotta tell our wound care nurse to get on the ball!

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Sometimes I think I've been kidnapped by Sherman and Peabody and have been thrown in the WAY BACK machine....corn starch for stage 2's...and nurses who refuse to question ANY order given by an MD and giving the DNS (me) grief if I try to tell them that's part of their job!!

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

We are still planning to do trick or treat at the facility tomorrow night!

Crazy idea to take temps on everyone coming thru the door. Maybe the Doc would like to supply one of his office staff people to do this task?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

We're having kids parade through the building on Friday and I have to stand by the door with alcohol gel!

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

Well good luck CC Mermaid.

We have had a sign up for two weeks saying school age children shouldn't enter and anyone over the age of 18 shouldn't enter if they've had X type of symptoms.

But children do enter. And I just don't challenge it anymore since enforcing their rules before has got me the wrong side of "customer service"

Edited to add, I think we're having some sort of Halloween shindig that will be having children in it too.

The rules are just window dressing.

[tewdles, RN]

lol...alcohol gel to protect every one from the H1N1 virus.

Corn starch....whoa...what year is it?

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

We talked about trying to convince all the kids that came thru that they should dress up like a Dr...so we could get them all to wear a mask. LOL

[teeniebert, LPN]

We talked about trying to convince all the kids that came thru that they should dress up like a Dr...so we could get them all to wear a mask. LOL

Nice! We just had our annual 'Trick Or Treat Street' party last night. I wasn't working but I brought my nephews in. Instead of having the residents sit in the doorway of their rooms to pass out candy, all residents who wanted to participate came to the administrative/therapy hallway. No trick-or-treaters were allowed into the residential sections of the building. I think it worked quite well, and everyone I saw was having fun. And yes, there was someone at the door with hand sanitizer for everyone!