DON passing trays in dining room

Specialties LTC Directors

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Specializes in ICU, ER, MS, REHAB, HOSP ICE, LTC DON.

I have been asked by my ADM to assist in the dining room passing trays, and checking diet orders. Do any of you do this. I dont mind on occasion, because this is the best way to know your residents. I enjoy it. But it takes about an hour out of my day, and this is asked of me every day now. And the worst part is that I get the dinner time slot. The ADON and MDS gets the day slots. This is because they are not salaried. This makes me work 12 hrs a day, every day. I dont like this at all, and am looking for a way to deligate it to someone else. The nurses are passing their own meds, and they cannot leave the floor. This just started because our census has grown so large that we had to do it that way. Corp will not let us have but 1 CMA. When I was hired on, the hrs were from 8- 4:30. Most days I work 10 hrs, with some room to move around and leave earlier if I like. Now Im kinda put off by having to stay every day until 7 pm. What do you think?

Once in awhile, ok. Every day and you are doing the job of a CNA in addition to your own. I would politely decline. Some facilities hire PT CNAs to work during the heavy meal times. Looks like this is called for here.

Specializes in ICU, ER, MS, REHAB, HOSP ICE, LTC DON.

I agree with you 100%. Just like clerical duties, DON does not get paid to make copies.

What a waste of critical skills. Does anyone have an easy way to politicaly decline. I have tried but have been told that the MDS nurse should not have to work the floor either, but hello... the DON does? Not when the regs say no to a census over 61.

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

oh my the don passing trays. that is the job of the cna. the floor nurses should do it instead of you. my facility just started a new policy that the cnas will now pass trays for my 3-11 shift. it used to be done by the dietary aides. even though i am passing meds to my 25 patients, i still have time to help them out and pass trays. although i could use the excuse i am passing meds, i still help pass trays most times. i feel awkward being the only guy and letting the women pass trays by themselves. make your floor nurses do it.

Specializes in ICU, ER, MS, REHAB, HOSP ICE, LTC DON.

There has to be a nurse in the dining room at all meals. My ADM wont let go of this. She feels we can supervise better. But IMHO , if my charge nurses cant supervise, they dont need to be there. But even though the nurses feel they are too busy, hello, what am I. A glorified office nurse?

Specializes in ICU, ER, MS, REHAB, HOSP ICE, LTC DON.

No other facility that I have ever known, has the DON doing this.

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

In my facility, we needed a nurse in the DR at all times. Sometimes, mostly for breakfast, the ADONs had to help out. I never saw the DON do it, ours was always busy with her own work! For lunch and dinner, though, they just had the floor nurse do it. Fortunately on the Alzheimers wing where I was, the DR was right there on the same floor, so I'd park my cart by the door outside and do meds at the same time. Other floors, one nurse got stuck dropping her med pass to go down to the main DR, the other one held down the fort until she got back. Then the other nurse would drop her med pass for the second seating. It was a huge burden to lose that productive hour off the floor.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

Ha ha I fell , I'am the 3-11 nurse supervisor at a SNF and LTCF, sometimes i have to take a CNA assignment and do all kinda things including pass trays and clean floors as needed lol, any way here is some ideas.....maybe try to run a VOL program to pass trays?, dietary aides assistance?, have assigned people on certain days to stay over and help like maybe you on mondays, social worker on Tues, ADmin on wed so on so fourth. I hope it works out for you

Specializes in Geriatrics.
oh my the don passing trays. that is the job of the cna. the floor nurses should do it instead of you. my facility just started a new policy that the cnas will now pass trays for my 3-11 shift. it used to be done by the dietary aides. even though i am passing meds to my 25 patients, i still have time to help them out and pass trays. although i could use the excuse i am passing meds, i still help pass trays most times. i feel awkward being the only guy and letting the women pass trays by themselves. make your floor nurses do it.

yeah the job of the cna is to take direction by the licensed nurse but, when it comes to simple things like that honestly its everyone's job to pass trays we are there to help those poor little resident not fight over whos gonna feed them lol nursing has become nothing but titles and people trying to pass work off on the poor women on the bottom of the pole..... good luck! theres no i in team work!!!! :D

When I worked in LTC many years ago, the RN or LPN Charge/Med nurse had to be in the dining room for 1 hour at mealtimes. The nurses were told that they were not to leave the dining room for any reason. Therefore, about 6-7 patients who requested prn pain meds at mealtimes would have to wait one hour until the nurse was finished in the dining room.:crying2:

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
yeah the job of the CNA is to take direction by the licensed nurse but, when it comes to simple things like that honestly its everyone's job to pass trays we are there to help those poor little resident not fight over whos gonna feed them lol nursing has become nothing but titles and people trying to pass work off on the poor women on the bottom of the pole..... good luck! theres no I in TEAM WORK!!!! :D

What? Did you really not read the original post before typing this reply. The DON should not be required to work 12 hours a day every day just to pass meal trays. It's not about putting work off onto someone else...it's about not being physically/mentally possible to meet all the needs all of the time - that's why we staff buildings for 24 hours. Call lights are "everyone's" responsibility, by your logical it would seem that the DON must stay after dinner to answer call lights as well because after dinner they are gonna need to use the bathroom.

OP..in my facility a floor nurse is assigned to supervise the dining room. All department heads are handed the calendar at the beginning of the month and we all sign up to rotate thru all 3 meals. At the very least, I would insist that your other nursing supervisors take their turn in the DR as well. They can always come in later on those days.

Specializes in MDS/Office.

Working the Dining Room every day is absolute Nonsense!

Do the staff nurses rotate the DR?

And if your Administrator is so concerned, why isn't she/he in there? :rolleyes:

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