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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Nurses eating on shift...

575 replies

PatsyAndEddy · 12/07/2013 20:44

Just back from hospital visiting a friend who had her tonsils out today. She had to fast from 10 pm last night and didn't get taken for her op until 2pm, that's a long time without food for anyone!

She missed dinner on the ward but they got her a sandwich but she's really sore and hungry!

On the ward her bed is right next to the nurses station. She said they were sitting munching on a large bag of kettle chips in front of her between the three of them. She commented on how she thought that was a but mean, they snapped back saying 'well we have to eat' at which point my friend reminded them that's what they're breaks were for.

I don't think she's flavour of the month in the ward! She can be a bit of a grump at the best of times but starving, sore and groggy I think she reached her limit!

We're the nurses being unreasonable, eating on shift?

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2013 19:10

I've had patients leave without having their elective minor surgery as they couldn't possibly wait any longer and refuse to understand how could we possibly prioritise children or diabetics.

SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2013 19:12

I couldn't give a shiny shite OP. Did you miss that part?

Wishihadabs · 13/07/2013 19:12

And now I realy fancy some kettle chips (strong mental image) not at work today, may have to go and get some.......did she happen to mention if they were balsamic and sea salt mmmm

Original poster
PatsyAndEddy · 13/07/2013 19:14

You asked about the relevance or did I imagine that?

I'm not asking you to give a shit my dear. Perhaps you're in need of one though? There's certainly something stuck up your arse Grin

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 13/07/2013 19:14

I would love it if we could clock in and out, both at start/end of shift and for a break. At least then we could prove how much we'd worked.

We used to be able to put stuff down as overtime if we'd ended up staying late, not getting our 30 min break, etc but we're not allowed to now. Blanket ban on overtime.

SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2013 19:14

I fancy the Barbecue ones please, if you're going? Grin

Original poster
PatsyAndEddy · 13/07/2013 19:15

They were the light blue ones, not sure what flavour that is, I'm more of a sensations kind of girl!

OP posts:
Wishihadabs · 13/07/2013 19:15

That's terrible Savingon blanc but not terribly surprising. But it doesn't invalidate Pasty and Eddie's husband's shocking working conditions.

SauvignonBlanche · 13/07/2013 19:16

Better than having verbal diarrhoea surely? Grin

VivaLeBeaver · 13/07/2013 19:17

Oh and I have worked in a call centre as well and no we weren't allowed to eat at desk because the clients might hear us munching - fair enough, it sounds awful down the phone.

We did however get coffee breaks and a lunch break.

You could only go to the loo if there was a green flag Hmm and toilet breaks were timed.

Overall though conditions were much better in the call centre.

sagfold · 13/07/2013 19:19

Now we ate mixing food with bodily functions a clear infection control risk. Someone please risk assess this thread.

TeamSouthfields · 13/07/2013 19:22

Nurses have to eat !!!

ditavonteesed · 13/07/2013 19:28

do you not realise if nurses dont eat and drink they dont need toilet breaks, der. All I care about working conditions at the moment is the heat, seriously thought I was going to expire (in fact senior sister told me to go on a break as I looked a bit like I might as well) and it is only going to be hotter this week. And polyester trousers, why do we have to wear polyester trousers?

Original poster
PatsyAndEddy · 13/07/2013 19:29

What does der mean?

OP posts:
ditavonteesed · 13/07/2013 19:30

exactly what it says, der

Original poster
PatsyAndEddy · 13/07/2013 19:32

I don't get it, I assumed that it was a typo

OP posts:
littlemefi · 13/07/2013 19:37

Another nurse here who works 12 and a half hour shifts and frequently gets a first break about 7 hours in, if the unit is very busy and/ or short staffed.
Also if someone is nil by mouth, they may be surrounded by other patients in the bay who are NOT NBM, would you like them to forgo their meals in sympathy with your poor, deprived friend!?
YABU!!

Plus3 · 13/07/2013 19:48

Should also say, that I work 12.5 hour shifts. I get paid for 11.5 hours - which means I am entitled (get me!) to a 1hr break (spilt into 15mins breakfast, 30 mins lunch & 15 mins supper)

Recently we were told that we were now going to be paid for 12hours because it is acknowledged that we don't get our breaks. They won't pay us for the full 12.5 because we do actually sometimes make it to lunch (at 4.30) and it would be probably be illegal to admit that we don't have breaks

It was amazing how kind the management was viewed - not outrage that no breaks were being acknowledged, but just glad to be paid for work being done.

rockybalboa · 13/07/2013 19:50

Your friend is assuming that the nurses actually get to take their breaks?!? I've not read the entire thread but I'm betting there's a a lot of flaming going on from cross nurses. My sister is a nurse and would rip the head off anyone who begrudged the nurses wolfing down food at what is probably the only chance they get on a shift that lasts at least 12 hours plus the inevitable 'crisis meaning late clock off'. I'd duck and hide if I were you...

PictureMeInThese · 13/07/2013 19:51

I have just had a sickness hearing, my first ever in 13 years and this follows the implementation of 12.5 hour shifts.
I work on a birth centre where 5 labourers are looked after by 2 midwives. There are no windows in the rooms or our 'office' (which is really just a cupboard- our own helth and safety people condemmed it but we have nowhere else to work)
It is often 25-30 degrees in there.
Recently after 3 night shifts in a row with no break I had to have a week off with exhaustion.
Another mw had to go to A&E when she collapsed on a shift and 2 mw's have gone there with chest pains and abnormal ECG's. The sickness is horendous, adding extra pressure on other staff members.

Do you really want someone working in these conditions being responsible for you and your babys wellbeing or suturing you when they've not had a break for 10 hours?
Our management couldn't give 2 hoots. Who can we turn to? We are on our knees. How can we give our best if our very basic needs aren't met.
We can't complain as your labelled a trouble maker and if we complain to the press you are bringing the service into disrepute and they can sack you for gross misconduct. Its not a nice place to be.

VivaLeBeaver · 13/07/2013 20:02

And talking about working conditions one of my (more senior) colleagues was recently tasked with drawing up a heat wave plan.

She was copying stuff from the DoH and put about checking the ward temp each shift and filling out an incident form if temp above 26degrees.

I pointed out that we don't have a room thermometer and wasn't sure a patient thermometer was accurate for room temps, so this was taken out the plan. But thinking about it the temp is above 26degrees most of the year.....we used to have a thermometer which was always in the red section so it was removed as we kept pointing it out. Grin

Flossiechops · 13/07/2013 20:16

Completely unprofessional to be eating crisps in full view of relatives and staff. When I trained I got a roasting off a ward sister for eating a piece of toast by the desk and on reflection I agree with her. There are offices where you can grab a quick snack out of the view of the rest of the ward. Like wise if I see nurses chewing gum - it looks awful!

IfNotNowThenWhen · 13/07/2013 20:38

The point is not whether nurses should be eating in view of the patients. The fact that they do just illustrates that they don't get breaks, and they are human beings who need to eat!
I say this as someone whose dad died in hospital due to very disorganised and seemingly incompetent care. I brought food in every day, and sat with him, tried to be there when doctors did rounds, tried to keep him clean.
(And as a LP of a 3 year old this was not easy).
I still don't blame the nurses-I blame a system that prioritises targets and cost cutting, rather than, as most nurses would surely prefer, the patient.
Rather than moaning about how bad nurses are, people should be fighting to prevent the NHS from being further destroyed, and trying to help nurses have better conditions, because it benefits all of us if good nurses stay in their jobs, have a good morale, and can cope with their workload.

Lweji · 13/07/2013 20:50

I'd prefer the nurses to be on top form, hence not hungry, than distracted by it.

ShadowStorm · 13/07/2013 20:59

Flossiechops - there aren't always offices where nurses can grab a quick snack out of view of the ward.

When DS was in SCBU, the office was adjoining the nursery room where the incubators were, and separated from the nursery by a giant window. So parents sitting by incubators / cots could see right into the office. This office was the only staff room on the ward, there wasn't even a staff toilet on the neo-natal ward.

I appreciate that newborn babies aren't going to care whether the nurses are eating in the office or not, but DH & I had nurses asking us on more than one occasion whether we minded them having a snack in the office - apparently they'd been told not to eat in the office after a parent had complained about seeing them eat, but staffing levels meant that they couldn't leave the ward.
DH & I were fine with this - and personally I really couldn't see why the parent in question thought that risking the neo-natal nurses who were caring for their baby becoming faint with hunger would be a good idea.