Where do the damn pillows go?

12 Seriously. I don't know. I just know they are worth their weight in gold in hospitals.

Two nights ago, central supply brought up a huge bag of them. I saw it with my own eyes, and I lit up like a Christmas tree. WE HAVE PILLOWS!

Tonight, a patient asked me for a pillow. I very confidently said, "I'll get you one. Give me a minute."

Off to the stock room I go. No pillow in sight. I asked one of the CNAs. She would certainly know where the pillows are, right. Turns out that when they came up two nights ago, she grabbed them and hid them in the closet of one of the rooms. She told me where they were because we get along like that.

Again, I feel on top of the world. I KNOW WHERE THE SECRET PILLOW STASH IS!!!

I put my hand in the closet, and all I came out with was an empty bag. The one that held all those wonderful pillows two nights ago. *****!

Why do pillows leave and never come back? I seriously don't understand the life cycle of the almighty hospital pillow.

Enlighten me. Please.
They go the same place that the blood pressure cuffs go.

Quote from onacleardayThey go the same place that the blood pressure cuffs go.

They go to the 50 million family members that camp out in the rooms at our hospital. When you figure this out, please let us know where all the socks from our dryers go!

The idea of stealing a hospital pillow skeeves me to no end. Why would anyone want one? But yeah, I think they wind up with family members or the bed sore risks who need padding and support all over. I had one patient with seven pillows - all completely necessary.

What a wonderful memory you have elicited.I worked out patient surgery. If it slowed down in the afternoon a CNA and I would sneak like thieves in the night through out the hospital and find, steal, re-take, pillows. Our department would order and label our own, which of course soon disappeared. We didn't take them all. If they were labeled for our unit we would take them. If they weren't labeled and we were really short we would bring our own marker and put our dept's. label on them.Sorry, we never found your lost socks.

When this happens on our unit, I usually find one or two patients with about ten pillows apiece in the room. You know- two for the head, one for the feet, two for behind the back, one for each arm and a couple for every family member who is visiting.

Quote from not.done.yetThe idea of stealing a hospital pillow skeeves me to no end. Why would anyone want one?

They end up under every body part of an ICU patient. Seriously. i was never pillow happy. But a few nurses used to feel the need to put 6 pillows ATLEAST under her patient. One for the head, one for each extremity, 2 for the back, 2 under the feet..... good lord.

They are with all those socks lost in the wash!!!!!I actually have an answer. EMS. When a patient gets transferred out to another facility, hospital , or test....... they take pillows. Everytime they bring a patient to the ED.....they take pillows. If they bring 2 they take at least 3 to replace. But missing and lacking pillows are a National Crisis..

Quote from Esme12They are with all those socks lost in the wash!!!!!I actually have an answer. EMS.

I use 2 pillows under my legs when I am in my recliner! Some hospitals have gone to disposable pillows - - "Take them with you, we are going to throw them away".But some people take them anyway, even the not-so-disposable ones.Ask housekeeping what happens to the pillows!And yes, some patients need 6-8 pillows for propping. I know that I will!!!

The hospital I worked at had disposable pillows -- and we pretty much always had enough. Now wheelchairs, on the other hand, were a different story...