Cafeteria Feedback!!

I would think that if the patient was well enough to go to the cafeteria, he/she would be well enough to be discharged.

I would think that if the patient was well enough to go to the cafeteria, he/she would be well enough to be discharged.

I agree!! In this day and age of "customer service" crap I was wondering if any other hospital engages in this practice. I think it is stupid to let them go to the cafeteria spreading their germs around food items.

But how do you enforce that upon the patients?? After all, these patients are adults...

I've got more important issues to deal with than to police after noncompliant people. (Actually had one MD order staff to lock a patient's bathroom door because the pt was on a fluid restriction and the MD thought the pt was getting water out of faucet??--Not in my scope of practice).

We Have Had Patients Go Down To Caferteria And Eat With Their Families....most Patients Are Not 'germy' But The Point Of Whether You Are Responsible For Injuries Orr None Diet Compliance Is A Valid One

Our cafeteria doesn't have any self-service sections, so I'm not concerned about that aspect. We do have dietary restricted patients who (surprise!) have elevated sugars or a big jump in their weight or phosphate or whatever - while I have some concern, I think that they're going to go home eventually, and their intake won't be supervised there. I'm not saying that I'm going to order them a pizza and Coke or anything - I draw the line at facilitating noncompliance; in my opinion - you can (and should) educate about why diet and fluid restricitins are recommended, but if competent patients choose noncompliance I don't care. It's not my life.

On the rare occasions where the patient isn't competent but is sufficiently mobile, the unit can request a patient attendant to shadow them and steer them away from the lift to the ground floor, but there's no question of this being a nursing responsibility. We're way too busy as it is! I just ask that if they leave the floor they tell me, so I can send out a seach party, or jump in alarm if there's a code blue called!

PS I'd really appreciate a staff only cafeteria - I hate heading down for my precious break and having to waste half of it talking to a relative.

At the hospital where I work, patients are not allowed in the cafeteria. That means, we are constantly taking orders from patients and running down to the cafeteria to get their order. Of course, this happens only during the night when their visitors have gone home and aren't here to go for them.

But how do you enforce that upon the patients?? After all, these patients are adults...

I've got more important issues to deal with than to police after noncompliant people. (Actually had one MD order staff to lock a patient's bathroom door because the pt was on a fluid restriction and the MD thought the pt was getting water out of faucet??--Not in my scope of practice).

Obviously I am aware that I cannot control another adult! My point was mainly in concern for their germs being spread into our food/eating areas that we employees and visitors eat. With self serve stations you have to literally pick your food up by hand. The reason I even posted this was because the last few times I have seen a patient helping themselves in the cafeteria, they were coughing uncontrollably!! I couldn't help but wonder what germs I was about to consume.

Many of our patients go to the cafeteria, or out to smoke. Many are also on isolation for MRSA or VRE but that doesn't stop them. We gown & glove up to give meds and they leave the floor touching everything along the way. Is it anywonder I don't go down to the cafeteria? Why this is allowed I will never understand.