What rights do I have in a hospital to stay with my toddler son?

[elleking]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
Recently my 16 month old son was in the ER (hospital) and an RN dropped (on the floor) part of the IV adapter and attached it to my son's IV catheter. I let the staff know that I was an RN and that they needed to follow sterile procedure. The next RN to try to get in his IV said I could not be in the room as I was the cause of his crying (apparently not the staff holding him down and sticking him with a needle) and that my son needed to connect with the staff as parental figures. I was not allowed to comfort him/assist him. What rights do I have to maintain my role with my 16 mo old son?

 

[cyjeff]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
Recently my 16 month old son was in the ER (hospital) and an RN dropped (on the floor) part of the IV adapter and attached it to my son's IV catheter. I let the staff know that I was an RN and that they needed to follow sterile procedure. The next RN to try to get in his IV said I could not be in the room as I was the cause of his crying (apparently not the staff holding him down and sticking him with a needle) and that my son needed to connect with the staff as parental figures. I was not allowed to comfort him/assist him. What rights do I have to maintain my role with my 16 mo old son?

That is kind of a strange question for an RN to ask.

You have the right to be in the room with your child unless the current situation requires an environment where your presence would be in direct conflict with the procedures currently in process.

For instance, no matter what you want, you would not be allowed in the operating room... but I have never heard of the doctrine of "replacement parent".

 

[lealea1005]

I also think it's a little strange than an RN wouldn't already know this answer.

You have the right to stay with your child unless your presence interferes with, or disrupts, your child's treatment.

 

[lya]

I don't like the terminology of parental figures but it certainly makes more sense than to say we have to establish a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship with a 16 month-old child. The toddler has to feel safe with the nurses and to "mind" the nurses; it is akin to a parental-child relationship.

As for an RN's not knowing the rules about parental roles with pediatric patients: not all RNs work with children or with patients of any age. When it's your kid, you're Mom or Dad, not RN X, Y, or Z.

As for dropping part of the IV adaptor: it is capped on both ends which prevents any sterile connection from being contaminated. I would not have used it, though, unless action to obtain another one could have lost the IV access already established. It would have to be a judgment call made at the time by the professional who has full knowledge of all of the circumstances.

 

[lealea1005]

As for an RN's not knowing the rules about parental roles with pediatric patients: not all RNs work with children or with patients of any age. When it's your kid, you're Mom or Dad, not RN X, Y, or Z..

Point taken. Then I'd like to amend my post as follows: When OP's presence interferes with or disrupts the treatment of ANY patient of ANY age. While it's true, not all RNs work in a clinical setting, their clinical training included interacting with parents/family of patients in the room while attending to the patient....or at least it did back in the olden days when I was trained...lol. I do understand the difficulty in remaining objective while your child or family member is being treated.

 

[cyjeff]

Point taken. Then I'd like to amend my post as follows: When OP's presence interferes with or disrupts the treatment of ANY patient of ANY age. While it's true, not all RNs work in a clinical setting, their clinical training included interacting with parents/family of patients in the room while attending to the patient....or at least it did back in the olden days when I was trained...lol. I do understand the difficulty in remaining objective while your child or family member is being treated.

I know nothing about being an RN, so this is a serious question.

Don't RN's have to go through a rotation as part of their training or is it a specific discipline type training?

 

[lealea1005]

I know nothing about being an RN, so this is a serious question.

Don't RN's have to go through a rotation as part of their training or is it a specific discipline type training?

Yep. As I said earlier, interacting with parents/family in the patient room is addressed as part of the clinical training for each rotation.

ETA: As I recall,we had frequent conflict resolution role play for interacting with both, the medical staff, as well as patients and their families. However, from personal experience I can tell you it's difficult to take that objective step back, when it's your child/family member being treated.

 

[lya]

Point taken. Then I'd like to amend my post as follows: When OP's presence interferes with or disrupts the treatment of ANY patient of ANY age. While it's true, not all RNs work in a clinical setting, their clinical training included interacting with parents/family of patients in the room while attending to the patient....or at least it did back in the olden days when I was trained...lol. I do understand the difficulty in remaining objective while your child or family member is being treated.

Before and now, I'm not arguing, just expanding!

And--I wasn't trained; I was educated. [At the University where I obtained my degree in Nursing, one of our Nursing Professors favorite lines was "you train monkeys; you educate nurses". My Nursing professors were a bunch of Margaret Houlihans; and, I still love them.]

 

[lealea1005]

Before and now, I'm not arguing, just expanding!

And--I wasn't trained; I was educated. [At the University where I obtained my degree in Nursing, one of our Nursing Professors favorite lines was "you train monkeys; you educate nurses". My Nursing professors were a bunch of Margaret Houlihans; and, I still love them.]

LOL Points well taken again!

 

[ecmst12]

Another point - children are like emotional sponges. If he sees you are upset, he will get upset too. So the nurse may have been right to think that you were making him cry....though probably not so tactful in what she said to you. But the primary objective is to care for the patient, not care for the family.

 

[elleking]

"That is kind of a strange question for an RN to ask.

You have the right to be in the room with your child unless the current situation requires an environment where your presence would be in direct conflict with the procedures currently in process."

Yes, as it seems a strange question for an RN to ask it is prompted by no discernible decision making process: I am looking for tangibles and upon accountability. Hospital staff cannot be the unquestionable authority. In Europe there is an organization called EACH (European Association for Children in Hospital) with specific Bill of Rights for minors. It is ambiguous for the judgment to be retained at the staff's discretion without some rights of the patient being maintained or of the parents especially if I was not interfering with care, etc.

 

[TheGeekess]

"That is kind of a strange question for an RN to ask.

You have the right to be in the room with your child unless the current situation requires an environment where your presence would be in direct conflict with the procedures currently in process."

Yes, as it seems a strange question for an RN to ask it is prompted by no discernible decision making process: I am looking for tangibles and upon accountability. Hospital staff cannot be the unquestionable authority. In Europe there is an organization called EACH (European Association for Children in Hospital) with specific Bill of Rights for minors. It is ambiguous for the judgment to be retained at the staff's discretion without some rights of the patient being maintained or of the parents especially if I was not interfering with care, etc.

The United States is not part of the European Union.

 

[cyjeff]

"That is kind of a strange question for an RN to ask.

You have the right to be in the room with your child unless the current situation requires an environment where your presence would be in direct conflict with the procedures currently in process."

Yes, as it seems a strange question for an RN to ask it is prompted by no discernible decision making process: I am looking for tangibles and upon accountability. Hospital staff cannot be the unquestionable authority. In Europe there is an organization called EACH (European Association for Children in Hospital) with specific Bill of Rights for minors. It is ambiguous for the judgment to be retained at the staff's discretion without some rights of the patient being maintained or of the parents especially if I was not interfering with care, etc.

To add to her Geekness, it looks like you have a task ahead of you because no such organization exists here.

Of course, part of the reason for that bill of rights (which isn't legally binding in any way, by the way) is because people were beginning to feel a little like sheep in a socialized medical system... Sure, it originated in 1888, but really didn't take off until the middle 1990's... what changed in the 1990's... hmmm....

Anyway, wishing you lived in Vienna won't make it so... and certainly doesn't mean that the medical staff you encountered has to live up to any non governmental authority you wish to throw at them.

Again, I wonder why an RN wouldn't know proper procedure in a hospital room.