What is your policy on.....

[Pfiesty]

What is your policy on staff sitting on resident's beds? Balancing infection control issues and resident dignity can be difficult. When you are speaking with a resident, and don't want to look down on them and no chair is available, does your facility allow, by policy, sitting on the resident's bed? Thank you everyone! Please include your personal beleifs as well as facility policies.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Infection control shouldn't be an issue. If your clothes are clean enough to work in, they should be clean enough to sit on the edge of a resident's bed. I don't have a problem with it if you are having a discussion and want to be eye to eye. I always ask the resident if it's okay before I sit.

I do have a problem with some of the staff who come in and sit cross legged on the bed chatting to kill time or to sneak a peek at the TV but that's a whole separate issue.

[debRN0417]

As long as the resident doesn't mind. It's their bed. Alot of times when I have interviewed residents and there is no chair in the room, they offer me a place on their bed. Hey, I've even had some gentlemen offer me a place in the bed with them! hehe....

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

My clothes are clean enough to sit on their bed....I'm not always sure their bed is clean enough for my clothes. It's not what you can see that worries me, it's the Cdiff that I can't see & may not have been diagnosed yet. Ick!

[achot chavi]

I will be the opposing voice and say that IMHO it is not professional practice. Beside the obvious infection control issues (which I take seriously), it is an invasion of the patients 'space' even if they don't want to admit it. Every person is entitled to this space. If the room lacks chairs, bring one with you or improvise, but it is bad practice for a professional to sit on the patients bed. Some cultures frown on this and the patient might be shy or feel beholden to the staff to open their mouths. It also sends a nonprofessional message or offend other patients, families etc. In addition, if the side rail is supposed to be up then sitting can cause the patient to roll off the bed.

I respect the previous posts and understand them but have concluded otherwise.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Do you all have an actual written policy on this? I've never seen one.

If it is a cultural thing, then that is different. Ask first, be respectfull.

[Pfiesty]

Thank you everyone. I appreciate all your comments. I know my clothes are clean when I enter work, but after? I can almost feel the MRSA, C-diff, pseudamonas, etc. How often do I see residents with their hands near their mouths and noses, then they sit on their beds using their hands to lower themselves or push off. Whatever pathogens are on their hands and bottocks end up on the bedspread. Then we are also taught to hold used linens away from our uniforms as we transport it to the soiled linen hamper so not to contaminate our clothes.

So unless pathogens are instructed to NOT contaminate IF THE CONTACT(sitting on the bed) was done to facilitate communication and dignity, then we get contaminated. Then we bring those pathogens to the beds of the next resident we visit.

So, do your facilities have policies for either practice? Just curious!

Thank you again everyone.