Where do the damn pillows go?

[dudette10]

Seriously. I don't know. I just know they are worth their weight in gold in hospitals.

Two nights ago, central supply brought up a huge bag of them. I saw it with my own eyes, and I lit up like a Christmas tree. WE HAVE PILLOWS!

Tonight, a patient asked me for a pillow. I very confidently said, "I'll get you one. Give me a minute."

Off to the stock room I go. No pillow in sight. I asked one of the CNAs. She would certainly know where the pillows are, right. Turns out that when they came up two nights ago, she grabbed them and hid them in the closet of one of the rooms. She told me where they were because we get along like that.

Again, I feel on top of the world. I KNOW WHERE THE SECRET PILLOW STASH IS!!!

I put my hand in the closet, and all I came out with was an empty bag. The one that held all those wonderful pillows two nights ago. *****!

Why do pillows leave and never come back? I seriously don't understand the life cycle of the almighty hospital pillow.

Enlighten me. Please.

[noahsmama]

The hospital I worked at had disposable pillows -- and we pretty much always had enough. Now wheelchairs, on the other hand, were a different story...

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

They're having a party with all the blankets.

I swear, if I ever work more than two shifts in a row with all the linens and pillows I need readily available, I'll become a devout Catholic...b/c it'd be a miracle straight from God.

I ticked off some higher ups a long time ago by asking how we're supposed to "reveal the healing presence of God" when I can't even manage to reveal the mundane presence of linens. (I work for a Catholic hospital, and that's part of our mission statement.) My manager was not impressed.

[Good Morning, Gil]

This is so true.

[eslvn]

Its amazing how things disappear, I worked in a SNF and when I started there we had an digital thermometer, well they kept disappearing, so they got little alarms on them and if they went out the building it would go off. Well, guess what it didnt work, so the facility refused to get another one and decided to buy those cheap $2 ones you get at the drug store that are not accurate and take forever! Well those went missing too!! BP cuffs, washcloths, anything you can think of, so annoying!

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

They might be hanging out with all of the IV poles.

As far as pillow use in LTC centers....where dothey go? Its not like we are a hospital with multiple floors and people coming an going. This is a mystery to me.

As fas as cutting down on the need/ use for postioning....we have started ordering different positioners that really work much better than pillows. Blue foam pieces that are sturdier for floating heals and wedges for side positioners. Instead of needing 2 or 3 pillows to elevate heels and one between the knees and 3 more behind the back..

[Poi Dog]

I was going to blame EMS but we rarely deal with them. Wait, I know what is going on, there are always 2 EMS personnel. While one is talking to the nurses, the other one is going around and STEALING the PILLOWS. Sneaky buggers. I am going to watch them like a hawk next time.

If anyone one ever solves the pillow mystery, I will be his/her friend for life.

[SleepynurseRN]

I don't know about you guys but we can never find all of the glucometers when it's time for controls check.

If families knew what we know about where hospital pillows are placed and the grossness that saturates those things families would NEVER ask for one of our pillows.

[NissaNurse]

I worked in LTC as a CNA an on night shift never could find any so I hid some in empty rooms in the closets and dressers but they would be gone in a few days. We also had trouble keeping the heel protectors they would just walk off:grn:

[CBsMommy]

This is something I've always wondered about. That and why the supplies in our stock rooms are put in the weirdest of places!

And why there aren't enough computers for everyone and why can't I find the machines I need when I need them? I swear my hospital could hire 10 more nurses if they would just get enough supplies so that I didn't have to spend 20 minutes tracking everything down. What a time and $$$ waster!!!

[LouisVRN, RN]

I agree I work ortho and most of our pts require some assistance with positioning and it is a nightmare. I was talking to a pacu nurse about this once when she replied that their department had tons of them literally bagfulls sitting in a corner that they never used. So apparently someone thinks pacu needs lots of pillows

[netglow, ASN, RN]

We have those awful wall things that never have an extension long enough to actually reach the patient. Doesn't matter anyway...the cuffs are missing in half the rooms. :cool:quote]

Yup and they got those extensions that are just large spring-shaped bungee cords! Let go of it when you are trying to get it to reach out to and around the arm of a patient - and it will rebound and hit the wall fast making you look like a total goofball.

[Aurora77]

They might be hanging out with all of the IV poles.

.

Yes! I had no idea IV poles and pillows were such a hot commodity. They are like gold on our floor. It seems, too, that we occasionally have more than we need, or (more often) have to go on the great pillow or IV pole hunt.