Angry Nurse here!

[beeker]

Last night a float pool tech ate my lunch and threw away my tupperware containers when he was done. I didn't know about it until it was too late, but I had homemade soup, yogurt, homemade cookies, and a drink tied in a bag in the work fridge. His excuse " there was no name on it". Now I did not catch him or see him personally, if I did I probably would have been fired. I was that mad. I am pregnant, and the cafeteria was closed. A coworker saw him eating it and the charge nurse questioned him. I heard today he does this on every floor he goes to. Don't you think this should be a fireable offense? I mean it is stealing right? He did not seem bothered at all, just said sorry didn't know it was yours. I am livid.

1. Who does that?

2. How could anyone think it is ok?

3. What if it was old?

4. Who does that?

5. It does not matter whose name is on the bag, if you did not bring it, then it is not yours.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

It's ridiculous that someone would do that! I would report it to my manager and his. I'd also mention that he should be required to purchase new tupperware for you. I'm lucky I eat weird food no one else likes. Unsweetened almond milk on bran flakes doesn't tend to go missing often =)

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I once had a co-worker complain that someone had eaten her chicken legs and put the bones back in the bag and in the fridge!

OP, I would do Ex-Lax as well. It's your lunch. You can pack it anyway you choose.

I also thought of lacing a sandwhich with some sort of gel food dye. The second he bites into it, it would be all over his lips and teeth.

If you have ever dealt with the gel stuff, it's difficult to get off. He would look like he had been eating Smurfs.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I just saw an ad somewhere for baggies that will make it look like your food has mold on it. I wish I could remember where that was. It might have been FB.

[DoeRN]

I just saw an ad somewhere for baggies that will make it look like your food has mold on it. I wish I could remember where that was. It might have been FB.

Awesome! Let us know if you find out.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Anti-Theft Lunch Bags

[Kidrn911]

Stealing should always be a fireable offense, IMHO

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

There's always this option:

Amazon.com: Locker Brand Inc 157281 The Original Fridge Locker: Home & Kitchen

[DoGoodThenGo]

Am truly sorry about the OP's plight and yes I would have been "fired" as well, if not taken to central booking! *LOL*

Have worked in hospitals, offices and every place in between and am here to tell you it happens all over the place. Anywhere there is a central kitchen or fridge for employee's to keep their food it is subject to those who feel free to help themselves (theft). There have even been sitcom/movie scenes about it.

While it does seem tempting to place a "surprise" inside one's lunch/dinner for the snatcher it isn't wise. If he or she becomes ill and or otherwise suffers adverse effects you could be the one in trouble.

Being as all this may I would certainly go up the food chain and complain loudly until the matter is addressed. In my day certain aides were banned from going into the nurse's station, breakroom, etc for complaints of "missing" objects. Indeed some head/charge nurses refused to have these persons sent to their floor.

The other worry was post graduates (interns, residents) who always seemed to be on the prowl for food. You could page them for hours to sign an order or start an IV and nothing, but order Chinese food or let the night shift stash their meals in the fridge and then in short order you'd have a plague of them like locusts. Here again supervisors and or nursing administration would either sit the offenders down or complain to the proper channels.

Though not always possible have always felt the nurse's breakroom, fridge and so forth should be like the med room; licensed personnel only. Give aides and others their own space and let them deal with each other when things go missing.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

I've never been a fan of other people's prepared food. I also don't really participate in potlucks. And it takes a lot of nerve to eat a strangers food. You don't know whose mouth you are taking it out of, in this case a pregnant woman's.

Some people are so gross.

[yardienurse]

make some brownies with x-lax and leave them in the fridge that should fix him or some extra spicy chilli something that wouldnt phisically hurt him but would make him think twice bout doing that again.

[multi10]

Some hospitals/medical centers have vending machines to provide food when the cafeteria is closed. Over the years they seem to have improved and provide some healthy offerings (apples, cheese, things that you may find okay if this happens to you again).

There is no excuse for a person to steal your food. If you're forced to use vending machines, you have to pay out of pocket. Plus, you may have dietary restrictions.

Some units have the policy, "Label your food. If your food isn't labeled, and is in the fridge on [certain date by certain time], your food will be discarded." Maybe the perpetrator was waiting until the eleventh hour to pounce on your food. Like a big sneaky cat. (To call him a big sneaky cat does a disservice to cats.)

Another thing you could do is bring snacks in your purse, plus meals in a small soft "Polar Bear" cooler that you can store perishables in, and keep in a locker, for your shift.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Bring stuff in again but this time with EX-LAX or something "similar" in the recipe (get where I'm going with this). Sometimes you need to do a little aversion training.

fixed.