Drinks in the nurses station...

[mcknis]

Hey all,

Are you allowed to keep drinkin your nurses station at work? If so, any mandates around it? I am pushing to be allowed to have drinks in the station and need some info on how to do so.

We have been told continuously by our NMs that JCAHO says no-no to this practice, but I have not been able to find any info regarding this at all. Closest place we can keep our drink is at the other end of the unit in a staff meeting room (about 200' from nurses station). If you can pass on a little bit more advice, please do so.

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Little background on why I am pushing for this...

The other day I assisted the security staff in restraining a combative pt. I felt fine running down to help and even during the whole situation, but I vagaled down after the incident was over. I went to the ER and to our Occ Health specialist, but of whom confirmed the I just vagaled down and had a near-syncopal episode. They mentioned the reason why i probably went down was because I needed to push more fluids and just did not have enough on board.

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

WHOOPS!! Forgot--

Our Infection Control Person always comes down on us for this.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I make a covered bottle of water a condition of employment. I know how often I won't get a break, and how awful I feel if I can't have a drink.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I was told that it is an infection control issue, and unsanitary to drink in clinical areas. I work in a clinic, and we are not supposed to have food and drink in the nurse counseling room or exam rooms. I do admit that I have a water bottle and don't place it near computer equipment, but when someone is coming, I hide it immediately. Sometimes, we do not get a break, or we do not break when we are scheduled. I need my energy.

[pickledpepperRN]

It is a must that nurses get at minimum a 10-15 minute break every four hours AND a 30 minute break for every 6 hours worked.

Unless they provide someone to relieve us for breaks we have sandsiches, warm soda, cold coffee, and water bottles at the desk or on a table in the hallway (so we can continue to observe our patients.

AND we are then paid for the breaks we really did not get.

Even if we are in a break room if we must get up to answer the phone or a call light it is NOT a break.

We need hydration just like anyone else so there must be sufficient staff for us to take our breaks and drink as much as we need.

[danissa, LPN, LVN]

We all have our water bottles with us on shift, nothing to say we cant do this. You need to keep hydrated for goodness sake. Even are allowed to have our morning or evening coffee by the side of our babies, (NOT over them!!), just sitting beside them!

[mianders, RN]

I did some research on this issue and found out JCAHO does not regulate drinks at the nurses station. I live in TX and even our state health dept says it is up to your institution to determine what is a patient care area and where the food and drinks are allowed.

[mcknis]

Thank you all for your advice and opinions, but are there any infection conrol nurses here who could provide a little more advice? I know now that evryone is saying this is an OSHA thing, but can't seem to find any research backing this.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

We are allowed drinks, but I think it does get out of hand with the nurse's station getting littered with half drunk, unlabeled drinks. I will also drink them, but people are slobs about them. They'll get left behind by the next shift and the place ends up looking like a party zone.

[namaste_71]

How about installing a fully stocked bar instead?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

The whiskey would probably do us some good. :)

[namaste_71]

Well, once-upon-a-time it was used for "medicinal" purposes. Isn't it also an antiseptic?

[squeakykitty]

How about installing a fully stocked bar instead?

Great idea! Or a coffee machine.