Eat Before You Get Here!

[NurseJacqui]

WHY is it that as soon as people step one foot into the ER, they suddenly are overcome with hunger and thirst? Now I can understand if the patient is admitted and has been there all day and has eaten nothing. But I don't understand how when someone comes in at 10:30 at night they IMMEDIATELY ask for food and drink because they haven't eaten all day. They have had the entire day to eat.Its not my fault that they didn't eat at home. I don't know how many signs are posted stating "no eating or drinking until evaluation is complete". Then again we have I don't know how many RESTRICTED AREA signs and people ignore those too. The other day I needed to use a bedside table but there was a tray on it so I asked the young lady if she was finished. And she said(snottily)" THAT was lunch. I didn't even GET dinner, yet." She was NOT an admitted pt. Matter of fact she was discharged an hour later. Does this happen everywhere? :uhoh21:

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Are you telling me you don't have room service immediately available to people who come into your ER? What kind of place is that?

[redheadindixie]

Yes, yes, yes.

And can I have a glass of water?

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

We have parents in our NICU always asking for food. They seem surprised when we don't have any for them, sometimes geniunely outraged!

"But all the other floors have food for the patients and their familes in their fridge," is what they usually pout. When I say that the only thing we stock in our fridge is breastmilk and formula, they're shocked! What, did they think we get a stash of turkey sandwiches and chocolate pudding every night in case the babies get the munchies?

[jemb]

When I worked the floor, this was always an issue. Patients would be admitted late evening, asking for food and saying they hadn't eaten all day. Sometimes they would add, "I'm diabetic so I have to eat." (So why have you not eaten all day????)

That particular facility would admit patients from ER with the only order being "Call Dr Soandso for orders" beneath the admitting diagnosis. Sometimes it was hours before the doc would call back, and the patients were on the call light every five minutes with "Did my doctor call yet?" Like I'd keep if a secret when he called...

Also thouht it was really stupid when the patient would arrive with family in tow, and the forst question was "How do you turn the tv on?" Then patient and family would refuse to turn the tv off -or even the volume down- so I could assess the patient and ask all the questions.

So glad I don't work there anymore!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I am outraged. I CANNOT believe that your ER does NOT have a meal waiting for your guests, or a McDonlad's in the waiting area! :roll

[RNin92]

I am outraged. I CANNOT believe that your ER does NOT have a meal waiting for your guests, or a McDonlad's in the waiting area! :roll

You're implying of course that if there were a McDonald's in the waiting room people would actually PAY for their meals!!!!

Silly nurse!!!

:rotfl:

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Ah come on, the state will pick up the tab!

[RNin92]

Ah come on, the state will pick up the tab!

I'm pretty sure it does already!!!

[oramar]

Have noticed people with psycological problems have the worst kind of eating habits. Again and again have had them tell me they fast from the time they get up in the late in the morning untill early or late evening when they start to binge. At that point they stuff themselves continously with unhealthy foods untill they finally sleep which is usually between 2 and 4am. They then get up the late the next morning or in early afternoon and start the whole thing again. People who are mentally and physically healthy have completely different eating and sleeping habits. When a person tells me they live like this I know they got problems.

[susanna]

People who are mentally and physically healthy have completely different eating and sleeping habits.

Yeah, I've noticed that with people with severe emotional disorders, it really affects their eating/sleeping habits. But, I've come across a few (not many) people who are severely depressed or schizophrenic who have excellent eating/sleeping habits but are still disabled in other ways (cant focus/hearing things).

I guess emotional disorders affect people really differently?

[Burnt Out, ASN, RN]

We have parents in our NICU always asking for food. They seem surprised when we don't have any for them, sometimes geniunely outraged!

"But all the other floors have food for the patients and their familes in their fridge," is what they usually pout. When I say that the only thing we stock in our fridge is breastmilk and formula, they're shocked! What, did they think we get a stash of turkey sandwiches and chocolate pudding every night in case the babies get the munchies?

Oh my gosh...I can not believe that... Good grief.... :uhoh21: