Yeah, those of you who are saying buck up are out of line. I don’t know what Australia’s rules are for healthcare but I really really doubt a hospital is ok with kids in rooms with patients who are having procedures done. The issue is not that we are squeamish, it’s that, just as you wouldn’t give a presentation to the board of trustees in your pajamas, you don’t bring your kid to watch you draw blood.
Kid needs to be out in the waiting area with some colouring books where the receptionists can keep an eye on her.
There have been childcare emergencies in the Doctor’s offices whre I work.
They have been resolved thusly:
- kid in waiting room doing homework
- kid behind reception desk with a colouring book
- kid playing with dolls in consulting room with Mum (a Dr) doing paperwork- no patients in room
- kid sent across the road to the hairdresser for a haircut
- parent not coming to work in order to look after kid
Yes, it is inappropriate for child to be in room while blood is being taken.
The alternative, if the reception staff were not willing to keep an eye on the child, and assuming that the mother asked, might have been no blood draws that day.
Which might have been worse.
Sometimes, unfortunately, working the front desk in a Dr’s office means babysitting duty- either for staff members or patients (because sometimes people turn up with their kids for consultations where having a toddler in the room is simply not appropriate).
Complain, and ask for an explanation of why, exactly, no other staff member was able to supervise the child for a few minutes in a non clinical area.
I felt bad bringing my own kid in a pram when I needed a blood test done - I’d rather someone else’s kid (the person who I really want to be paying attention to one thing only) not to be there. I don’t think it’s appropriate to bring a kid into a workplace in general, particularly when it’s customer-facing (exceptions etc for kids of a certain age, sole trader etc.)
Yeah, I understand that there are times when taking your kid into your workplace is totally unavoidable. And I’m fine with that, provided that provisions are made for making the kid as unobtrusive as possible. Shit…I was a sole-parent of four kids working various jobs and I KNOW that getting child-care (particularly at short notice) is a righteous bastard etc etc.
But there are times and places when it’s just not OK. And having a kid watch me whilst I’m leaking blood into a vial is one of those times and places.