How clean is your

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PENS


I know this is the 3rd of 4th "How clean is your" thread, but this is my little OCD issue.

Currently, we are still doing paper reports. Hopefully, by the end of the month, we'll be allowed to actually use our computers. Hopefully.

On all of our PCR's we have to get a HIPPA signature/Authorization to bill insurance signature crap. No matter how many times we transport, (daily weekly monthly, doesn't matter.

I used to carry around a cheap little pen for people and put it back in my chest pocket. I've been known to in a hurry throw gloves, money, or even my cell phone in one of those pockets and just makes me..yeah

I used to buy cheap cheap cheap pens and just let the patient keep it or toss it afterwards. But I'm not made of $

Now I'm in the habit of wiping my pens down multiple times, or use the hand sanitizer stuff on it, but with it being alcohol, it eats away at the rubber I believe. Plus, it still doesn't feel "clean".

I don't like it being in my pocket rubbing against my uniform. I know it makes me sound seriously OCD, but I'm not. I will be the first to admit, I don't wear gloves all the time.

There is an area for patient unable to sign or permission to us to sign. I use that a lot for some patients. Including the ones with blood or other items covering there hands. No problems so far. Just don't want billing to think I always forget.


Now with these computers, we have to get the patient signature on the computer screen, AND whoever the nurse is when we turn care over signature. Well just add one more icky sicky germy person touching it.

I know EMS is not clean, but I just like to have my stuff semi clean :)

So what do you do?
 
I steal the pens of neat freaks, lick them and put them back.
 
I keep a plastic baggie in my work bag with my "work pens" in it. At the end of the shift I take all my pens out and stick them in the bag. That way I'm not bringing them into my house or car and using them.

As for the computer....ick. I'm a firm believer that anything the patient has touched shouldn't be in the cab of the ambulance, and you can't really do that with the computers where I work. I've considered using the paper forms instead of the computer all the time to avoid having the computer touched by the patient, but I know that my supervisor and the billing dept would kill me.

I try and wipe the computer off, but I never really feel like it's clean with all the nooks and crannies on it, even with the keyboard cover.


lol Bossy, that is one way to test out your immune system.
 
half of your patients won't be able to sign your computer. They will have troble gripping the pen or make an illegible signature. Just wait until you say ""ma'am, you can't drag you hand/pinky onthe screen, I only the pen.". You can always have the tablet signed by a capped pen or the opposite end of the pen. I don't remember the last time a nurse actually used the stylus.
 
There is an area for patient unable to sign or permission to us to sign. I use that a lot for some patients. Including the ones with blood or other items covering there hands. No problems so far. Just don't want billing to think I always forget.
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I'm pretty sure the unable to sign is for people who really can't sign due to paralysis, AMS, weakness, etc... not because you think they might be icky.
 
What I find terribly ironic is the same people who obsess over icky pens...a "patient touched it, therefore it is bad" mentality, is that these same people have no issue touching money, doorknobs, public pens in the bank, hands on counters, glass, etc, etc. You name it, everywhere is icky and has been touched by tons of people whom you never even got to assess their ickyness.

Money is one of the most handled and dirty objects but you will bare hand it all day long and not give it a second thought. After paying for your food at a fast food chain, do you go wash before eating or do you sit down and chow away? Remember you also opened that door, rested on the counter and maybe touched a dozen other items that have been touched by all kinds of icky people.

For some reason, as soon as a person becomes a "patient" we deem them icky. I admit, I was once guilty of this mentality. If a stranger in line asked me to borrow a pen, or on the airplane filling out customs forms (this occurs a lot for me), I have no issue handing it right over. But as soon as I am at their bedside in a medical capacity, now I evaluate their ick factor and fret over all the cooties.

Funny stuff right there...
 
What I find terribly ironic is the same people who obsess over icky pens...a "patient touched it, therefore it is bad" mentality, is that these same people have no issue touching money, doorknobs, public pens in the bank, hands on counters, glass, etc, etc.
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Or the same people who admit they touch patients with out gloves?
 
I wear gloves for every patient but I could care less about the patient touching stuff. Nothing wipes can't fix. On Saturday we were about to lift a patient from stretcher to dialysis chair. The lady had a jacket on and no contact precautions. There was a guy on the scale post treatment that stated gushing blood from his access site. I walked over and put pressure on the site unil a nurse could come over. You never know what the hell is going to happen. Unrelated, but we were waiting to pick up the patient he had dropped off that morning the same nurse came out to get us because a different guy went into cardiac arrest. I swear I have a black cloud over me sometimes.
 
I have my pen. And then I have a Pt's signature pen, which I clean off with a disinfecting wipe.

Sometimes I ask the RN for her/his pen, and then let the Pt use it, then hand it back to them. LOL
 
Hockey9019 said:
...we have to get a HIPPA...
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Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be an arse, it's a small pet-peeve of mine (and I'm sure a few others would agree). Carry on!
 
mikie said:
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be an arse, it's a small pet-peeve of mine (and I'm sure a few others would agree). Carry on!
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Thanks ;)


Its a common mistake of mine I know I know
 
Nah, I could care less what happens to my pen. It is a tool, like anyother tool is can be cleaned. If I don't want a Pt touching my pen, I just ask for a nurses pen and them give it back.
 
I have my pens, no one touches them but me. Sorry.

I have my patients use their fingers to sign our electronic forms. Or, if necessary, someones else's pen, and tell them to hold it like a paint brush. That tends to eliminate a portion of the 'finger dragged across the screen" effect. I swear the computers are worse than the ones at the supermarket.
 
akflightmedic said:
For some reason, as soon as a person becomes a "patient" we deem them icky. I admit, I was once guilty of this mentality. If a stranger in line asked me to borrow a pen, or on the airplane filling out customs forms (this occurs a lot for me), I have no issue handing it right over. But as soon as I am at their bedside in a medical capacity, now I evaluate their ick factor and fret over all the cooties.

Funny stuff right there...
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This, this, a million times THIS. As well as the people who wear the same set of gloves all the way through a transport. Listen, if you're going to wear gloves, wearing the same set of gloves as you do your paperwork in the back, pull out the gurney, etc makes it just like you're not wearing gloves anyways.


Now for patient's I've never transported before, I always wear gloves. Once I've had a chance to evaluate the true icky factor (signs of infection, bodily fluids, etc), then I take a reasonable person stance on gloves. I ask myself, "If this was any other situation and the patient offered me a hand shake, would I shake his hand?"
 
Two points for the zombie game.
 
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