Nurses eating on shift...

[PatsyAndEddy]

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?

You flatter yourself, OP. But carry on.

patsy I hope a truckload of kettle chips lands on your head and you have to spend 13 hours picking them out of your hair and no body helps you ....and you can't have a shower ..and spend a whole week smelling like balsamic vinegar....and you wet your own pants.....

Im a nurse and a very kind and caring one at that. I regularly go without my break and always work unpaid overtime as there is simply not enough time to get everything done. I read a thread on here the other day about nurses calling people 'love' and 'sweetie' and how unprofessional that is. I work for a very good trust where everyone pulls their weight yet It is now par for the course to hear of complaints on a daily basis. I've quite honestly got to the point where I want to leave the profession. Im good at my job and I think I would be missed but I just don't know how much longer I can listen to the press/society rip us apart. It's very sad. Nurses are responsible for everything. Physio's, OTs, Dieticians, speech and language therapists, cleaners etc all come to the ward and focus on their task....nurses have to deal with everything and are constantly juggling who is in the most need at any given time. Try looking after 30 patients who are all acutely ill. You have 2 qualified nurses and 2 health care assistants. 7 of those 30 patients are confused, be it with dementia, acute confusion due to infection or Alzheimer's....they don't know where they are or what is going on. They are being aggressive to you and need 1 to 1 care but a 'special' to watch them can't be funded. I don't really know what things are coming too. I agree, it's not professional to eat in front of patients but then again, Im sure it isn't to pass out in front of patients either.

Your friend sounds rather entitled and self centred and very small minded. From the vitriol you have used against people defending HCP , and tenuous example of your husband working hard, and the drip feed of information you have so desperately come up with to try and validate your friends stance ? It sounds like you a pair well matched. Or are you one and the same?

Oh purleese!

Married - And finally if there are no staff loos on the wards there are loos for the patients so why can't nurses use those if they are bursting?

Ha ha, I can just imagine what OP's friend (and a few choice other posters on this thread) would think if she saw a nurse using the patients' loo!!

What drip feed? All relevant information was out fairly quickly, I have had to repeat myself quite a bit though, seems people need to hear things a few times before they sink in. I can hardly be held responsible for that now can I?

I spoke of my husband's work because people were asking about other professions and their conditions.

tonsils all present and correct here

I'm a nurse and often miss breaks. We have to eat.

OP just wants a bunfight I think. She asked if she WBU, most posters said yes she WBU, and she just got more and more inflammatory and continues to drip feed yes this

and what Hobnobs said ...bahhhhh

Oh look! Troll hunting. How jolly!

I do think nurses work extremely hard but I think it is unprofessional to eat in front of patients who especially are nil by mouth, the patients are rarely there because they choose to & are ill & very vulnerable. I have to ask would kettle crisps be the choice of food if blood sugar was about to crash!!!

There's not usually a choice of food, you grab what you can or go without ona busy shift!

patsy what is the matter with you that you can't budge on this and show a bit of compassion and empathy? is it that you are too proud to accept a different view ?

Or are you just trying to goad people and be a twat. Please help us out here. Thanks

Flinstones, often patients who are NBM may be nursed next to patients who aren't NBM, should they also miss a meal or snack in empathy with those who can't eat at that time?

I think there's a big difference between a patient eating & a professional nurse who is there to care for their patients & I'm afraid eating in front of nbm patients is uncaring.

Judgy pants

I don't recall stating my stance, the whole non event just got me thinking. I've not banged my drum saying how out of order they were. My question centered around were they bu to eat on shift in front of patients. I've clarified points when asked. Which is of course drip feeding

However, seeing as you asked, I don't think it is best practice and that seems unanimous really. No one working anywhere should be denied breaks. However, given that the ward was quiet, they were well staffed, it does strike me as unnecessary really. Her bed was right opposite the station which was on the ward, no other bays just one 12 bed ward with 4 occupied. This ward has a lounge for people awaiting lifts home on it which was empty. As well as an office (all of which I've already mentioned, before the accusations start) so it seems unnecessary in this situation.

London do feel free to elaborate on why you think I'm a troll, I'm fascinated

As we speak, there are nurses all over the country working hard long gruelling shifts. I have a lot of respect for them. I dont begrudge them having a quick snack while on duty after everything they do for others.

Night night.

I did reply earlier that I wouldn't mind at all if a nurse was eating at the nurse's station but I have to admit I would feel uncomfortable with them eating elsewhere in the ward. Only for hygiene reasons though. OP, your friend was unfortunately located close to their station, I don't think the fact that she had to fast meant that they were deliberately being inconsiderate. I think she was rude.