Eating the patients' food?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Do you eat the patients' food/snacks supplied by the facility?

    • 12
      No, never...it's stealing
    • 12
      No, but I know a lot of people who do
    • 47
      Sometimes I eat crackers, if I'm feeling sick because I'm starving
    • 12
      Yes, I do, and I feel guilty about it sometimes
    • 61
      Yes I do and I don't care. I'm working hard and need food to keep going

143 members have participated

What do you think about staff, family members of patients, and/or anyone else other than patients, eating the snacks in the nutrition room designated for patients? Have you ever done it or seen anyone else? Do you think it's stealing, if your facility doesn't offer them to you, patient's families, etc. Do you think staff should be able to have them if their not able to take a formal lunch break?

A "toonie" is a $2 coin in Canada, Canada has done away with paper $1 bills (although their currency is more plastic than paper) and the $1 coin has a picture of a Loon on it making it a "loonie", when the $2 coin came out it was then called a "toonie".

Love it. Thanks for explaining.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I used to work on a VIP floor in Los Angeles where patients had to pay over $800 a night to stay there. They had down comforters, Keurigs, satin sheets, a personal fridge, newspaper hand delivered daily, a concierge on staff during the day to arrange massages, manicures, and BEST of all, gourmet food!! Delivered on a silver platter came salmon from the Santa Monica Fish House, filet mignon from the Chart House, and even sushi. Of course a lot of these patients would be npo at times or they wouldn't want what was ordered because they had better so they would often give it to the nurses and cnas. I know it's not the same as taking food from the fridge but I had to share. Sadly, I've had the best food of my life on my unit.

This sounds posh. More like a resort than a unit. If only all of our patients could be treated so well. On a lighter note, I'd be in the break room of this unit with a white napkin on my scrubs like..."can you please pass the grey poupon"? :yes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

From reading this thread, there are really three categories of eating patient food.

1- Eating food designated for a patient, thus preventing them from eating it. Maybe you just love pudding more than you love Mrs Finnegan in 237B. This is clearly wrong in every way, and you will be going directly to hell on your demise.

2- Eating prepackaged crackers, an ice cream cup, taking juice, that sort of thing. Since it is not an agreed upon part of our compensation, this is clearly stealing. It seems like a pretty common practice, with no remorse expressed by any of the thieves here. The rationale "Well I work really hard with no breaks, and work back to back shifts with no time to prep food, and might kill a patient if I have low blood sugar....." Just doesn't cut it. The same rationale is used by thieves of all kinds from the maid stealing silverware to the presidents cabinet officers appropriating public resources for personal gain. When I eat the crackers, the hospital has to buy more crackers. That is stealing, which I do with no remorse, and no justification. I can't help myself- Graham crackers dunked in milk is just tasty.

3- Eating food that will be discarded. While this seems like a morally safe route, at least one principled poster believes this to be illegal. I am going to guess the legality of this is specific activity remains untested. While the ANA has never officially addressed the issue, experts in the field say it is probably legal. Dumpster Diver Dan, amongst others cite California vs Greenwood as a legal precedent you might use if you are ever up on charges of eating garbage.

A follow up question to the OP question:

Anybody ever get in trouble, or reprimanded, for eating hospital food?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

A follow up question to the OP question:

Anybody ever get in trouble, or reprimanded, for eating hospital food?

At one of my jobs they leave bananas out to give to patients. Of course some start to get too ripe. One gal took the overripe ones home and made banana bread to share. She got reprimanded and a small sign appeared BANANAS FOR PATIENT USE ONLY.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
At one of my jobs they leave bananas out to give to patients. Of course some start to get too ripe. One gal took the overripe ones home and made banana bread to share. She got reprimanded and a small sign appeared BANANAS FOR PATIENT USE ONLY.

Whoever put that sign up must be an absolute joy to work with.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

A follow up question to the OP question:

Anybody ever get in trouble, or reprimanded, for eating hospital food?

Not in any of the hospitals where I've worked, no. But because I'm curious and bored like that today, I'll google it and post anything that I find.

I mentioned in another post that I worked in a group home setting for a couple years. At that group home, the employer kept a fully stocked kitchen, and we were allowed and encouraged to use the food and cook it there. We weren't allowed to leave the premises at all for our breaks, so he offered it as a courtesy. There was an individual who would cook something to eat, and then take food out of the refrigerator and freezer, staple items, seasonings, anything he wanted, pack it up and take it home. He would also take toiletries. He did not get fired for it, though the owner and manager were aware of it. I thought that was excessive and maybe abusive. I never took anything home from there, but I did take crackers, and milk etc. from the nutrition room at hospitals where I've worked, that was not formally offered to us. I'm not trying to be hypocritical. He took stuff there, I took stuff in other places. I think what he was doing was just crossing a line that I draw for myself, if that makes sense. And it's clear that what I do crosses lines that others draw for themselves.

Your #1 above is hilarious, and I totally agree.

Based on your posts to this question, I see I could've added another response in the poll..."Yes I do, and yes it is stealing."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.

We had a policy on our floor that if a patient goes home, then it's ok to consume, as the kitchen will toss it. If they refuse, we still save it in case they change their minds, as they sometimes do. If a meal tray comes up, and the patient is discharged, it is offered to any staff member who wants it. No secrets, just policy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Certified Vampire and Part-time Nursing Student.

I am a CNA at a nursing home, it's not a big deal as long as you make sure all the residents have at least been offered their food, if they refuse or the kitchen sends extra trays for someone who was already discharged it's just going to get tossed anyway.

That said I've seen a CNA get suspended for it (sounds like an overreaction but not really). I work evenings, a resident who was not expected to be coming back my shift came back (family pulled her out of the hospital AMA), I never even looked in that room because of this and I was super busy that day. Well apparently the day CNA had helped herself to the breakfast the kitchen had sent for that pt and left it there in the room, so when the family brought her back they immediately see the remains of the breakfast from that morning still sitting there in the room and are now concerned with staff going through the pt's things while she was gone and stealing, etc. They ended up moving facilities because of it. No idea why the CNA just didn't take the plate into either the pantry or the break room and eat it there. Instead she sat in the residents room watching tv, ate her breakfast on the clock.

Maybe it's bad of me but it always makes me laugh a little but the aide was so morbidly obese but I always wondered how you can get that fat as a CNA, running around constantly chasing call lights, but apparently that's how. :yes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This may be a stupid question to you nurses, but why not just bring a snack from home and eat it at work? You could bring healthly snacks that fill you up too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I too am guilty of taking crackers, etc from the snacks! If your blood sugar is dropping, one needs to do something before becoming a patient!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You are right! Most times I did but sometimes you forget!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am a CNA at a nursing home, it's not a big deal as long as you make sure all the residents have at least been offered their food, if they refuse or the kitchen sends extra trays for someone who was already discharged it's just going to get tossed anyway.

That said I've seen a CNA get suspended for it (sounds like an overreaction but not really). I work evenings, a resident who was not expected to be coming back my shift came back (family pulled her out of the hospital AMA), I never even looked in that room because of this and I was super busy that day. Well apparently the day CNA had helped herself to the breakfast the kitchen had sent for that pt and left it there in the room, so when the family brought her back they immediately see the remains of the breakfast from that morning still sitting there in the room and are now concerned with staff going through the pt's things while she was gone and stealing, etc. They ended up moving facilities because of it. No idea why the CNA just didn't take the plate into either the pantry or the break room and eat it there. Instead she sat in the residents room watching tv, ate her breakfast on the clock.

Maybe it's bad of me but it always makes me laugh a little but the aide was so morbidly obese but I always wondered how you can get that fat as a CNA, running around constantly chasing call lights, but apparently that's how. :yes:

yeah very very stupid move with the cna, and from the sound of it not a good one. she could have taken it to the breakroom. maybe she has an eating disorder like the cna i was talking about previously

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment