Why coffee with every meal?

[FireStarterRN]

What is it with the hospital obsession with coffee? My patients seem to get it with every meal. I wonder, at what point in the day do they switch to decaf? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, it's coffee, coffee, coffee, and lousy coffee at that. The last place I worked was the same.

Blah!

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

I think when you drink coffee all day (like me!) you get so used to the caffeine, it doesn't affect you. If you never had it a cup before bedtime would probably leave you all buzzed, but for me it's as important as air.

[truern]

I put a pot on first thing in the morning and have one on until we go to bed each night. Hubby could drink a pot by himself and still sleep like a baby....a snoring baby, but a sleeping one :)

On tele, we serve decaf although there's regular if somebody requests it. There's two huge restaurant style thingies of coffee going day and night.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

If I'm ever hospitalized I'll be sending down to the hospital espresso bar every morning. 16 oz double latte, extra hot please!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

My parents order coffee with their meals at restaurants. I'm more for the cold drinks with meals.

The hospital where I work has tea with every meal. The older patients may turn down everything else but the tea, younger patients don't find it as essential.

[egglady, LPN]

Well, its easier to serve coffee than a beer with supper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Atheos]

Well, its easier to serve coffee than a beer with supper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nah... You don't have to 'prepare' beer!!!

I never did get the whole coffee thing. Yeah, espresso tastes good but coffee? Ugh.

I find tea more palatable.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Well, its easier to serve coffee than a beer with supper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not really, just get the can from the pharmacy and plunk it down in front of the patient. I've also given patients red wine with their dinner.

[Dinsey]

I like a cup of coffee after dinner. I also drink a lot of caffeine throughout the day.

Sometimes I drink half a can of Diet Coke before bed, sleep well until about 3am, then wake up and drink the other half and go back to bed.

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

I remember my grandparents put on a pot of coffee before breakfast and then later after dinner. It was like their ritual.

My grandparents and parents did the same.

I cannot drink caffeine after noon - or else I will not sleep.

steph

[truern]

If I'm ever hospitalized I'll be sending down to the hospital espresso bar every morning. 16 oz double latte, extra hot please!

Somebody after my own heart!! I :heartbeat latte w/sugar free vanilla or caramel, but I always ask them to make it extra hot. If you don't its lukewarm within minutes.

[lpnflorida, LPN]

Our facility does not automatically send coffee or tea on the meals tray. A patient has to circle it on their menus in order to receive it. We do have a restraurant type coffee maker which dispenses reg, decaf or just plain hot water with reg or decaf tea bags available so push comes to shove unless contraindicated we can given them what they want.

When I worked psych only decaf beverages were available no matter what the patient wanted.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I wonder how wise it is to force a hospitalized person to go through sudden caffeine withdrawal. I don't even drink near the amounts that others do here, and yet I will get a bad headache if I miss my morning dose of coffee.