Is it ethical for hospitals to have Mickey D's on premises?

[SharonH, RN]

At the hospital where I am currently doing my clinicals, they have this luscious bakery. Doughnuts, cupcakes, regular 2-layer cakes, cookies, and on and on. Every time I pass it, my mouth waters. But it doesn't seem fair to me that they have this type of thing in a hospital for heaven's sake. Grady Hospital here in Atlanta has a McDonalds on the premises and they are not the only ones. And yes, it is not uncommon to see patients over there pushing their IV poles. If obesity is on the rise along with Type II diabetes and hypertension in our young people, and a hospital's stated mission has something to do with promoting health, then how can they seriously have these type of temptations right on the premises?

Yeah I know about personal choice, etc. etc. But honestly, it seems to me that they are setting up for failure those who are most vulnerable. At the very least, it's hypocritical. Your thoughts?

[mstigerlily]

Oh that must be a big improvement if the VA's cafeteria is anything like the one in San Diego. Had to do my clinicals at the San Diego VA Hospital when I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and it was torture. They had literally the WORST FOOD of all the hospitals I've visited and I was always *starving*. A Burger King would have been nice. I love their Caesar Chicken Salad and get it all the time.

th

In Oklahoma City the VA hospital has a Burger King

[Q.]

We have a Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Subway, Burger King, and a icecream stand in one of our local hoapitals. Its just like a food court that you would see in a shopping mall.

I wish we had that here, esp. Subway. I would eat there every day.

I went from hospital cafeterias that were pretty decent; offered pre-made Cousin's subs and their own homemade food which wasn't terrible, to absolutely HORRIBLE food in my new organization!

The only thing that is tolerable is the nacho chips with cheese, ground beef and salsa. How can you mess that up? But it's certainly not the best thing to eat day in and day out...

[SmilingBluEyes]

I think it's ridiculous. I think hospitals need to offer healthy food choices, not only for the patients' sakes, but that of their own staff.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I think it's ridiculous. I think hospitals need to offer healthy food choices, not only for the patients' sakes, but that of their own staff.

Ridiculous but not unethical? :)

steph

[NP2BE]

we have a subway and seattle drip in our hospital, and across the street they have a mcdonalds and ither local coffee franchise. whats the problem? some pts familes spend weeks on premisies and the cafeteria food is average at best, not to mention the employees like a little variety. i wish we had 10 restuaraunts on site, but then my paycheckl would really take a hit

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Subway is like most places: there's some heavy calorie, heavy fat foods on the menu, and then there are healthier alternatives.

People are going to order what they want, unless the place is called "Bean Sprouts Only."

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

It will be unethical when hospital cafeterias stop serving bacon cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries. At least McD's has nutrition information available for each item. The last place I worked had a "take-out" that was the only thing available after-hours. 80% or more of the items offered were deep-fried. I can understand a heart hospital not wanting fast food there but I bet their cafeteria serves exclusively low-fat, low-sodium foods. It makes no sense to me to be upset at fast food being available when the fare is no (nutritionally) better as what offered by the hospital.

[BabyRN2Be]

Personally for me I'd take the 99cent burger at mickey D's as oppose to the stuff in cafeteria that costs about seven bucks.

Can't disagree there. Mickey D's has their standard hamburger/cheeseburger. It's just about the same everywhere while the hospital cafeteria's burger is expensive and sometimes tastes pretty bad.

Just my opinion.

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

Funny, this was mentioned in my local paper today.

Your last stop before cardiac treatment at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital might well be the Riverwalk Cafe just off the first floor lobby.

Oh sure, the sign by the entrance boasts that the restaurant's "wellness entrees and salad recipes were developed by our regional and national chefs and dieticians." But that invite is in small print.

A much bigger sign lauds the cafe's Noble Roman Pizza counter. And the invite is more alluring: "So good you'll feel better by just eating some."

Excuses for pigging out don't come much more pointed than that.

Still, the small print on the restaurant's sign pleads its case for restraint, noting, "Good food that tastes great is your reason for eating healthy."

So, you could follow that philosophy and order veggie toppings on your pie.

A quick look at what's cooking inside Riverwalk on a recent morning revealed some side orders that could well rival pizza in an ounce-by-ounce cholesterol count -- stacks of bacon and sausage swimming in their own drippings. Yummy.

An alternative presented itself: sugarless vanilla pudding, made less boring by a hefty blob of whipped cream.

Said above hospital doesn't have a MickeyD's though :)

[NurseKittyAtlanta]

The hospitals in North Carolina offer similar food choices .. as well as on-site smoking areas! It was unbelievable how many obese people would tote their IV poles into the on-site Hardees, grab a burger, and then eat it while smoking in the smoking area. I've even seen one patient smoking through his trach! It is frustrating as a nurse, but I've learned to look at it from a different perspective ... this pretty much guarantees job security for a very long time. :monkeydance:

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I think its a non issue. Hospital cafeterias sell the most deep fried, saturated with fat, sugar laden foods around , in addition to a salad bar, at most places. i dont see the difference between a large mcd's fries and a burger, and the one you can buy at the hospital right now anyway.

[smk1, LPN]

There was a just a huge toodoo over at Cleveland Clinic about this....Dr. Cosgrove said that since they are a top heart center they shouldn't be serving this stuff. He also made them cut out all red meat in the cafeteria, anything high fat.

Do I think it is right....personally, I don't care, but the kiddies in the Children's hospital that won't eat anything else deserve it.

I think that hospitals have other things to worry about. For that fact, should they cut out pop, coffee, etc also? Serve water and salad and tofu?

This is slightly off topic and i realize this is an old thread but... What sort of people are raising their kids to eat ONLY McDonald's? :uhoh21: Kids don't run the household. When a kid is hungry they will eat what you give them. These families need a nutrition lesson fast.