Do the doctors and nurses really sit apart in cafeterias?

tntrn, ASN, RN · Jun 11, 2012

Yes. Our hospital has a small doctor's dining room.

sauconyrunner · Jun 11, 2012

Pretty much. Some of our Docs will sit with some of the nurses, but remember, that as a nurse, you won't be sitting for long anyway as your entire lunch break will be 30 minutes. Lunch is not really an event, even though you see a lot of it going around in TV.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2012

Yes...mostly so we can complain about them.....

Nurses are on the run. Most MD's in the community setting will not eat at the hospital and if the do it's in a private dinning area away from patients families. In larger medical settings, It's kind of a mix.....but the residents tend to travel together, the Attendings together, the fellows, then the nurses in another. OR is the one exception usually and you can't tell they all dress alike.

Lovely_RN, MSN · Jun 11, 2012

People have time to go to the cafeteria sit down and actually eat? Lol. We usually eat in our breakroom...no MDs allowed! Well they're allowed but it's our hallowed space so even when they come in to use the BR they get the "look" from us and leave quickly. The cafeteria isn't popular because it's open to the public, there are never enough seats, and the food selection is gross.

mappers · Jun 11, 2012

I work in a clinic. One MD will occassionally eat with us. He is very young and I think he relates more to some of the nurses than the docs. A few of the other docs might join us on a "food day" (Thanksgiving, etc). Most eat at their desks. They are really too busy to take much of a lunch. We don't close at lunch like a lot of doctor's offices.

When I was in the hospital, I rarely ate in the cafeteria. I can't actually think of a day when I did that after my initial orientation day. Doctors ate in the MD dining room.

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 11, 2012

Most of us tend to bring our own lunch and heat it up in the breakroom microwave. When time is limited, hiking over to the cafeteria, waiting in line and getting your food there eats up too much of your limited time.

Except for a couple of married doctor& nurse couples, I don't see much socializing between the two groups.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2012

Our ED breakroom is shared by everyone. The docs have their own dining room, but like us, they have very limited time to eat, so most bring something from home or grab something from the cafeteria and we all sit together in the breakroom. PA's and FNP's have their own breakroom too, but like everyone else, we eat together in the ED breakroom.

Unlike MD's and PA's from some of the other services, ours only work in the ED, so that is home. There is a good bit of socialization of all of the ED staff. There is really not much difference from a social standpoint between the docs, the nurses, the techs, the pharmacists and the unit clerks. We really are family, and we rarely even see staff from the rest of the hospital. We like our little world :)

Altra, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2012

Pretty much the same in our ED, Dixielee. Though some eat in the cafeteria, step out to call home or run a quick errand to the pharmacy or credit union ... for the most part we all eat together in our breakroom.

When I work in the ICU the residents and attendings also eat in that breakroom with nurses and other unit staff, too.

Fearless_leader · Jun 11, 2012

At the hospital I use to work for. The Dr.'s had a special dining area away from everyone else. I always wondered what went on in there. I am a PCA & most of the RN took a full hr break. They really worked with each other & covered for the other nurses teams. Nurses take your breaks. I remember leaving the break room for non emergencies & as well as nurses. I had to learn & (new nurses) as well to take your break. I don't know how hectic ICU & ER are but I can imagine being that our hospital was also a Trauma center. It could be difficult to take one. All I'm saying is take one if you can.

allnurses Guide · Jun 12, 2012

I worked in two teaching hospitals - most people didn't have time to sit and eat in the cafeteria, but if they did the residents didn't seem to have an issue sitting with anyone they knew from the floors. There were several other outside seating areas that people pretty much co-mingled in also.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jun 12, 2012

I see this a lot in TV shows. The doctors are at one table and the nurses are at another, generally with no mixing. Is this really how it is in real hospitals?

If I ever get time to sit in a cafeteria, I'll let ya know.