Do your staff desert the floor during a potluck?

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I realize potlucks are popular. I don't partake because I'm anal about my food. But if sharing food brings us all together, Kumbaya. However- the last one went on for too long. People were looking for their aides, or their nurses, and they were "on lunch." Lunch going on 2 hours for some. Most of the floor at once, of course, because it was a birthday. One nurse's aide was gone from 11 till 2, picking up food, making the lounge ready, hanging with her best bud... Her nurses were PO'ed to the extreme. The manager is a loveable lady and does her best, and I know she ignored the potluck because she's like me, and when she found out how much time was spent on it she got pretty miffed and spoke to the perps.

But come on. We are at work. Years ago when I worked nights, I went to medsurg for some reason and every single nurse, aide and secretary, was in the lounge eating- including the charge nurse. This isn't safe or even reasonable.

Is it like this everywhere? Or does your place have rules? I'd like to suggest rules where I work.

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We don't have rules. Even though pletny of staff members are idiots, here seems to be enough common sence amoung the majority that this isn't a good idea to have everyone gone at once. i dunno how your unit is set up but our break room is set up in the middle of the unit and we can still see most of the unit from our break room. During the day there would never be enough people in there since only 4-6 can fit in there at once to eat. At nights people tend to eat at the desk so they can watch their own patients, that is the mentality on the unit and getting someone to "cover " for you is often more trouble than it is worth. How often do you have these parties? We rarely see them where I work. lol

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

It doesn't happen with us, but in ICU you can't really afford to ditch your patients if you don't want them to crash or extubate or climb out of bed while you're gone

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Sounds like there was a little joy in the workplace.That's nice, I think.If we have a little party and more staff leave the floor than usual, then whoever is on the floor will just call someone back out to the floor when they need to.You divide into groups and decide which group goes when and call someone back out for more help if you urgently need it.Is there no joy?? Must we now complain when we have fun?

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During our potlucks (that's usually organized by our charge nurse anyway) she usually tells us to go in groups of 2 or 3. Love it!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

On our unit only day shift gets stuff like that. The rest of us get dried out leftovers that have been sitting out too long to be trusted for consumption. So I guess we don't all disappear at the sound of a potluck.

:barf01:

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Specializes in Gerontology.
On our unit only day shift gets stuff like that. The rest of us get dried out leftovers that have been sitting out too long to be trusted for consumption. So I guess we don't all disappear at the sound of a potluck

. There is nothing that says that other shifts can't do a Potluck. If you want a potluck, organize one!

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I am a school nurse. Today there are goodies in the faculty room. I am unsure who is teaching the students at this point. ;)

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Sounds like your manager has dealt with the situation. Let it be.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

In the old days we had them in the nurses station so we were available to the floor. With The JC and rules..... that no longer happens (wink, wink) during the night. If there is a problem why don't you just talk to your co-workers in a non confrontational manner and negotiate a better solution? I have found that most of the time the "offenders" really unaware how long they have been gone and that there has been a problem. :)

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

Potlucks go on, but I never participate. Certain people (always the same, too) seem to be able to break away from their duties and get to the potluck and by the time the rest of us get our patient stabilized, nothing is left except the fork swimming sauce at the bottom of the pan. What I find extremely selfish and really low-class are the Nurses who make the mad dash to the pot-luck and then walk out with three plates of food, each piled sky-high.

Oh well. I am envious of the people that can make it work in their facility. No matter how much planning goes on in ours, once the word 'potluck' gets out-it's over.

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Nah, at 1700 when management leaves and the evening shift (potluck bunch) has the floor, we bring the goodies to the nurses's station. Luckily our main entrance is locked at 1630 and people have to ring a bell to be let in. That leaves us enough time to get rid of the evidence :smokin:

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