Would you come in during an epidemic?

[Riseupandnurse]

Someone said something about coming in to the hospital during an epidemic, and I realized that I probably wouldn't. This shocked me, and made me realize that I seem to have lost my passion for the patient. I know why; it's been drowned out by my despair over customer service and my frustration over the endless "safety" protocols and regulations. How do you feel? Do you still feel that you are actually doing something valuable for patients when you go to work, enough so that you would take a risk like coming in during a serious epidemic? I don't mean just the flu, I mean something that would be life-threatening if you contracted it. For me, ten years ago the answer would have been a definite yes! of course! but not anymore.

[uscstu4lfe]

during our last staff meeting we were informed that as we are exiting a patient's room for the first time after your shift assessment, we are REQUIRED (not encouraged) to say "Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave? I have plenty of time." It's also a REQUIREMENT (again, not encouraged) that we say "would you like to brush your teeth before you go to bed tonight?" Our night supervisor actually goes around at night and asks the patients if they were offered oral care. Such crap!

i'm a new nurse, and so i'm always open to learning new things, but that's ridiculous.

the older nurses have told me how much more relaxed it was "back then" (when you could actual focus on care rather than doing paperwork and initialing things like crazy).

And so no, it's because all of that crap I would have to say SORRY, I'M NOT COMING IN - AND HAVE FUN BRUSHING TEETH.

[Riseupandnurse]

[I]during our last staff meeting we were informed that as we are exiting a patient's room for the first time after your shift assessment, we are REQUIRED (not encouraged) to say "Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave? I have plenty of time." It's also a REQUIREMENT (again, not encouraged) that we say "would you like to brush your teeth before you go to bed tonight?" Our night supervisor actually goes around at night and asks the patients if they were offered oral care. Such crap!

i'm a new nurse, and so i'm always open to learning new things, but that's ridiculous.

the older nurses have told me how much more relaxed it was "back then" (when you could actual focus on care rather than doing paperwork and initialing things like crazy).

And so no, it's because all of that crap I would have to say SORRY, I'M NOT COMING IN - AND HAVE FUN BRUSHING TEETH.

Yes, that's exactly it! I might be able to force myself in to care for patients in a situation where going in might cause me great harm, but I really don't want to risk life and limb to tell patients "I have lots of time" and fetch milk and cookies for visitors, be abused by both patients and visitors because of things that are out of my control and/or don't matter at all, etc. Not to mention the endless charting, forms, double-checking, counting Pxyises, etc. I question if any of that would be let go out of concern for the staffs' well-being, even in the case of an epidemic. It sure isn't just because we're sick ourselves, or drowning due to inadequate staffing, or the visitors are behaving like mad dogs. I just have got to the point where I can barely tolerate it even on a routine day. I wouldn't want to risk my life for this stuff, not for any amount of money.

[pielęgniarka, RN]

Ridiculous? I disagree. I don't want to deviate off the thread but I have to chime into this response. It should be automatic to brush your residents teeth (or set them up to do so) in the AM and PM! Why do people think this is an option? I see it skipped all the time. Your supervisor probably is seeing it skipped as well (maybe not by you personally) so she is simply following up to make sure it's done.

If you work in LTC, the state dept of health is really cracking down on things like oral care and shaving-- that it is being done.

It really boils down to an INTEGRITY issue and treating your residents with respect by asking if there's anything else you can do and making sure their daily hygiene practices are being done.

during our last staff meeting we were informed that as we are exiting a patient's room for the first time after your shift assessment, we are REQUIRED (not encouraged) to say "Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave? I have plenty of time." It's also a REQUIREMENT (again, not encouraged) that we say "would you like to brush your teeth before you go to bed tonight?" Our night supervisor actually goes around at night and asks the patients if they were offered oral care. Such crap!

i'm a new nurse, and so i'm always open to learning new things, but that's ridiculous.

the older nurses have told me how much more relaxed it was "back then" (when you could actual focus on care rather than doing paperwork and initialing things like crazy).

And so no, it's because all of that crap I would have to say SORRY, I'M NOT COMING IN - AND HAVE FUN BRUSHING TEETH.

And to answer the question-- no I wouldn't come in on my day off to help out during an epidemic. But I don't ever come in on my days off-- my sanity is only good for part time hours.