Availability of food/drinks

[memphispanda, RN]

I was wondering what other facilities supply for patients beyond the regular meal trays. Also if anything is provided for family members. Do you have coffee, soft drinks, ice cream, sandwiches, soup, etc available for pts to have during non-meal times (say 3am when dietary is closed)?

[Burnt Out, ASN, RN]

There is always coffee for patients, family members and staff. Our patient kitchen is stocked with: sodas, crackers (saltines, low salt, and graham), peanut butter, soup, cereal. We also have several different flavors of juice, milk, applesauce, Jello (sometimes), sandwiches, ice cream and popsicles.

There are vending machines all over for the patient families. If a patient is dying or very sick and the family member never leaves their side, I do offer to bring them juice, milk, sandwich, crackers, etc. We do have problems with families raiding our kitchen and clearing it completely out-we then get social services involved to make sure they have adequate food supplies at home.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Coffee, sandwiches, ice cream, soda, soups, Italian ice, and fruit sometimes. We have to go to the kitchen ourselves after hours to get all but the coffee. The soda is no-name brand half cans. We used to keep a stock of coke products and the unit, but staff drank so much of it management cut it out of the budget. :)

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

I work in a LTC facility and we have ice cream, cokes, shakes, coffee, sandwiches, pudding, breakfast bars and so on...If we are out of something I know a patient likes a whole lot and we are out of it. I have been known buy a private stash and keep it the side for them.:wink2:

[EmilyCCRN]

The hospital at which I'm currently doing my clinical rotation has fountain soda, coffee, tea, sandwiches, gelatin, and pudding on the floor for patients (and staff, for the liquids at least).

[walnuttree91]

My hospital has box lunches available for patients and family (even staff when the going gets rough!). We also have coffe 24/7 in waiting rooms in the ER and ICU. Staff can get the coffee also.

[luvin it]

most facilities I've been in always have coffee. Usually bad coffee. But, we're not starbucks. Which leads to my next point we are not restaurants. I want my patients to eat however, remember most of us (pts and staff) are spoiled in our dietary habits. Expectations are sometimes unrealistic. As for family, OMG, we nurses tend to be sooo co-dependant. The families NEED to leave for a few minutes and disconnect. Meal times are a great time for that. If we don't encourage our pts. family to lead a somewhat normal existance what happens after the crisis is over. Don't disservice people by feeling "sorry" .

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

We have coffee, Coke, diet coke (both caffeine and caffeine free), Sprite, diet Sprite, chicken and beef broth, ice cream, sugarfree ice cream, sherbet, popsicles, peanut butter, crackers, milk, juice, applesauce. SOMETIMES we will have sandwiches, chips, fruit and/or jello.

We usually will give coffee to just about anybody, and supply other stuff to families of a dying pt. Otherwise they will be directed to vending machines or the cafeteria, or McD's across the street. We used to give visitor trays, but I guess they charged $10 a pop to the pt's insurance and have been having trouble getting paid for that, so they have quit that.

[luvin it]

my piont exactally!!! why would insurance want to pay $10 for a family tray?? NURSES LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE!!!! just because your pt recieves pain med. do we give the family tylenol. I have been at a hospital that was independant and closed d/t bankruptcy. Pt family feed themselves in real life and we are REAL life

[rnmi2004]

On all the units I've been on during clinicals, the snacks have been behind a door with a code. That keeps family from raiding the pantry.

[jax]

We supply nothing for the family - there's a canteen downstairs, and vending machines scattered around. If they are sitting with a dying pt. , I'll make them a tea or coffee, but that is literally all we have, with the exception of some emergency food for diabetics.

However, I don't think the general public here is expecting much either, it's not often you get asked. If the patients are requesting goodies I ask them to get their rellies to get if for them, as I can't leave the floor to satisfy their chocolate cravings.

[adidas99]

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