Refusing food offered by patients

[Lev]

All to often patients very sweetly offer me some food, sometimes from their tray that they didn't touch or sometimes some home baked "specialty" made just for me. How do you tactfully refuse food offered by patients? Especially in cultures where refusing food is a "sin"...

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I have had many patients offer me baklava or some similar sweet popular in Middle Eastern culture. I will politely take it, say I am saving it for later and either put it in the break room or take it home to my husband since he loves that stuff. I usually will say that I have just eaten and will take some for later. Sometimes I leave it in the break room and sometimes I eat it. It totally depends on what it is.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I had a Greek woman with dementia in one of my buildings. She got a cup of yogurt every morning on her tray. She would eat half and put the other half in her bedside table for later. Of course we couldn't let her eat old, warm yogurt so I asked her if I could get her some fresh yogurt. She wouldn't hear of it. The next day I must have looked hungry to her. She opened the drawer and offered me the yogurt. I took it with a hearty "Oh, thank you!!" Needless to say, I didn't eat it but it solved a multitude of problems....no more stinky yogurt in her drawer posing a health hazard AND it made her happy to know she was feeding a hungry nurse.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

I like to be really creative and say, "No, thank you."

My no thank yous must not be convincing enough.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

It took me years to figure out that gifts are more about the giver, than the receiver. I mostly refused when a pt offered me anything, then I decided the pleasure the pt received was worth whatever discomfort I felt.

I don't eat the food though.