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It irks me SO bad when people bring infants and toddlers to the hospital as visitors and then allow those children to wallow on the floor and dig around in the trash baskets and get on the bed and play with the IV pumps....
Unfortunately, as we all know, there a severe shortage of nurses and nurse techs.
We are not babysitters. We do not have the time to tell you 10x's in an hour period that your children should not be crawling on the floor of a hospital--it is THE dirtiest part of a hospital. Nurses throw away pens and tape and papers that fall on the floor---why do you want your child crawling on these floors?
I completely understand that Grandma or Grandpa or Mom or Dad wants to see the kids while they're in the hospital. I understand that you think your 2 year old child will have fond memories of seeing GrandDad in the ICU with a feeding tube in his stomach and 14 IV sites in his arm.....
But think of what you are exposing your child to:
MRSA VRE Clostridium Difficile Flu Pneumonia Staph Aureus
and those are just the most common ones that we have.
Please--leave your child at home. Get a babysitter. DO NOT expose your child to the myriad of infectious diseases and viruses that are prevalent in a hospital setting.
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Last week we had a patient who had TB. The family members (all 15 of them) would ignore the 4 signs posted on the door that said to go to the nurse's station before entering room, to wear contact protection, to wear a mask, and to wear gloves. They would go in to this room without wearing a TB-proof mask. They took their infant and toddler-age children into this room without wearing masks.
I educated them. My co-workers educated them. The assistant manager educated them. The nursing supervisor educated them. We educated them on the high risk of contracting TB from this patient. We educated them that a TB infection in a child could be fatal. We educated them on the fact that they weren't just putting themselves at risk, but all of the other patients, their family members and all staff at the hospital. They were at risk of passing TB on to everyone they came in contact with on a daily basis--co-workers, other family members, people at the bank and grocery store.
We told them that children were not allowed in teh rooms because the masks don't fit infants or toddlers. We told them that they had to keep the masks on when they were in the room.
We gave them brochures and hand-outs and printed information regarding TB.
They refused. They would wear the masks outside but take them off when they were in the room.
They continued to bring children in the room, allowed the children to sit on the bed with the patient, to be kissed by the patient (TB is transmitted in mucosa--spit, snot, sneezes).
We had to bar the family from the hospital. They were not allowed to visit at all. Ever.
We had to notify the health department.
Every member of this family---adults, toddlers, and infants, will now be under department of health surveillance for TB, and will have to take TB prophylaxis. They will have to go to the health department, or have a health department worker come to their house to actually visualize them taking the medication as prescribed.
And they will have to do this for 6 months to a year.
They will have to get TB testing done on a regular basis with follow-up chest x-rays.
All because they refused to follow simple directions: wear a mask, no kids.
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Please. Think ahead before taking any young child, or anyone with a compromised immune system, into a hospital setting. When you are at a hospital, even if you have a fully-functioning immune system, use the hand sanitizers that are located throughout the hospital.
Wash your hands before entering and before leaving the room. If you cannot find a sink, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Pay attention to the signs on the door. If the sign says you have to wear a yellow gown, please do. We are not offering bad fashion advice. Rather, we are protecting you, other patients, hospital workers, and the population in general from infectious disease and viruses.
If the sign says wear a mask, wear a mask. If you cannot find one that fits, let a health care worker know. We probably have one that will fit. If your head is abnormally large or small, and we do not have a properly fitting mask, chances are you will not be able to visit your friend or loved one. We are not trying to be cruel, or heartless, we are trying to prevent the spread of infectious disease to you, your loved ones, health care workers, and the population in general.
If you have children, please do not bring them to the hospital. If you must, please do not allow them to lay in beds or crawl on the floor. Please do not expect the nurses, nurse's aides, janitors, or other workers to babysit your children. Do not allow your children to play with the equipment. Do not allow them to eat or drink food or drinks that are on the patient's tray. Do not allow them to dig through the garbage cans.
If you do bring your child to the hospital, please change their clothes when you get home. Wash their hands. Clean their shoes.
If you have a cough or a cold, please wear a mask. A simple cold to you may be a fatal infection to someone who is immuno-compromised. Cover your cough and sneeze. Use hand sanitizer after a cough or sneeze. Wash your hands thoroughly.
---- Simple steps can prevent prolonged hospitalizations for your loved ones and other patients.
Simple steps can prevent contracting infectious diseases or viruses by you or your loved ones.
Simple steps is all we ask. Please.
Love, heddi
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