Who cleans the poo?

[leilo0]

Providing hygiene care when a patient soil themselves is a given but what happens when poo appears in public areas or shared spaces?

The other day, I had a patient lose control over their bowels warning, graphic description* This patient stood up and proceeded to leave formed stools on the floor leading to the bathroom and painted all over the toilet bowl. I was told by the cleaners that there shouldn't be any visible poo before they can come in to surface clean the area. As per their union policy, they are not to be exposed to bodily fluids, etc.

So, my buddy nurse and I gowned up, double gloved and rid the area of feces using towels because as usual, all the CNA's are on break and there's only one running around for 65 acutely ill patients.

The cleaners finally came with mops and appropriate cleaning equipment to finish off while we had to get over the nooks and crannies using our feet and pick up stool while keeping an ear out for our patients who might be crashing and I wonder if this is something I can bring up to union to influence policy change. It took nearly 45 minutes to clean the place without the right equipment but should we be given mops and take on a cleaner's task when we have our own nursing responsibilities to take care off? It just didn't seem like an appropriate use of nursing time and I also would like to know if this is standard policy elsewhere?

[Dikibo, BSN, RN]

I had a similar experience, mine was watery. Despite diapers for this adult. It was out of control. We 'd donn and off each time patient opens bowel.

[englishgarden]

I was always trained to clean up the bulk of things and then call housekeeping. It was never perfect when the arrived, it's a dirty job for everyone!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Believe it or not, your facility has a written policy on poo removal. Every facility I have worked in had the same one. All visible poo must be picked up, then housekeeping will sanitize the poo area.

Poo happens.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

When you're doing their job, who is doing yours? Kinda makes me glad I'm not in a union. What's in it for the nurse?

[amoLucia]

Old post here - don't know how I found it. But laughed (sadly) thru much of it. Didn't quite see this variation posted, but one facility's laundry dept would NOT handle any turds wrapped up & tossed into the laundry. Nor could the linens be grossly soiled - like staff had to first hand rinse linens, incl PERSONAL PT ITEMS. And we weren't supp to bag & send home soiled items (families didn't like receiving poopy belongings).

Nsg staff had to stop & go to the laundry, and then sort out offending items.

One place, we actually started throwing away TERRIBLE soiled items. Nothing could ever thoroughly clean the stains, and pts & families would be grossed out by residual left-over stained pieces. Those raggy wash clothes (and towels) NEVER looked clean or smelled clean. Yet we were supp to use them for all personal care.

As a new nurse in 1975, I joked that I wanted to come back as  a housekeeper for ABC Hosp where I worked. Guess not much has changed.

[Lfleming]

Honest too god! I have never been so frustrated. We as nurses in a level one trauma center are so overworked, understaffed and underpaid. But still expected to perform duties that fall under other services. I’m busy cleaning up the psychiatric patient that pooped the bed. Housekeeping comes in and says we don’t clean poop up you have to do it. But I’m busy with my other 8 patients. And I’m cleaning up the one with poop. No we don’t clean up poop. So the understaffed, overworked, nurse cleans up the *** first 

[Lfleming]

psu_213 said:

I have never worked anywhere that housekeep could not clean up fecal matter, but, then again, I have never worked in a facility where housekeeping was unionized. However, I would probably clean up the large areas of formed stool...there is no reason for it to sit around for housekeeping.

Plus, based on what PPE you were required to don to clean this , it sounds like more than what housekeeping can manage.

Unbelievable. I work in a level one trauma hospital. We are understaffed, underpaid and overworked. We can be cleaning up a patient who has pooped himself. Page housekeepers to clean the room and they won't touch it. There is a medium size poop on the bed so the nurses have to clean it to first. Even though, housekeeping has the supplies to clean stool. This is so wrong in so many ways. Team work!

I guess it has to do with Unions. But why is everything an RN's job

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

we have to clean the fecal material up ("we" meaning nursing and aides) and then housekeeping comes to sanitize. Same for any other body fluids: blood, urine, emesis, etc. 

[AnneW]

In my experience, housekeeping does not clean this, nurses do. Housekeepers are not on call for bio hazardous waste. This type of cleaning does require a 2 step process. The initial clean, the nurse or CNA wiping it up and then the housekeeping coming in after to disinfect. It's always been a nurses job to clean waste. This prevents viruses and bacteria from forming and spreading. It's extremely unsanitary to leave it for someone else. In my opinion if the nurse is too lazy to clean, find another job.