Eat Before You Get Here!

Specialties Emergency

Published

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:

Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

oh boy i see its the same everywhere .feeding someone in my ed isnot my priority.if pt can eat we order a meal from cafe .but i am not a waitress. all we have in our pt fridge is a few

Specializes in Emergency.

The University of Michigan hospital use to have a Wendy's in it. When the contract ran out though the felt better to have more healthy options so the chose to use the area for other vendors. I think they now have a bagel place and a coffee place.

All I know is it was great to be able to get something hot at 2AM when you yourself were starving at that hour. It still didn' t stop the DB's from begging turkey sandwiches.

Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

We have a frulatti's now. But they are too pricey for most people. They might be healthier, but they really are not as good as they think of themselves

The University of Michigan hospital use to have a Wendy's in it. When the contract ran out though the felt better to have more healthy options so the chose to use the area for other vendors. I think they now have a bagel place and a coffee place.

All I know is it was great to be able to get something hot at 2AM when you yourself were starving at that hour. It still didn' t stop the DB's from begging turkey sandwiches.

I don't see how they are fixing things, there is still a burger place in there, where you can get burgers, fries, onion rings and chicken fingers.

They do have sushi across the way, though!

I know the (r@p that nurses deal with. at my hospital, the patient calls the kitchen themselves (between certian hours). If it is not those hours yes i do ask the nurse to get something from the kitchen, but i also say to her why dont you get a few so that i do not have to bother you later if i get hungry again. so they will bring me 3-4 little cans of gingerale and a handful of saltines. and that keeps me happy for hours. Also my nurses usually realize that i only ask SINCE I AM TIED TO AN IV ATTACHED TO MY BED and my parents arnt there.

this is not to say that you are horrible people for getting frustrated. I know that alot of patients are totally stupid, and want food even if they are puking/waiting for surgery in which case they absolutly can not eat.

Specializes in Emergency.
I don't see how they are fixing things, there is still a burger place in there, where you can get burgers, fries, onion rings and chicken fingers.

They do have sushi across the way, though!

Yeah I know but getting rid of the obvious greasy burger joint and just having them in your cafeteria is a start. I can remember the 2 AM option was the vend-a-bait machine, Wendy's or something from home. I for one was eating way to much of that crap.

Rj

Specializes in M/S,TELE,ORTHO,ER.
I know the (r@p that nurses deal with. at my hospital, the patient calls the kitchen themselves (between certian hours). If it is not those hours yes i do ask the nurse to get something from the kitchen, but i also say to her why dont you get a few so that i do not have to bother you later if i get hungry again. so they will bring me 3-4 little cans of gingerale and a handful of saltines. and that keeps me happy for hours. Also my nurses usually realize that i only ask SINCE I AM TIED TO AN IV ATTACHED TO MY BED and my parents arnt there.

this is not to say that you are horrible people for getting frustrated. I know that alot of patients are totally stupid, and want food even if they are puking/waiting for surgery in which case they absolutly can not eat.

WHAT?????

When a pt has been around the block a few times, let them adapt...

I have been the pt several times so, I know what I'm talking about. If the kitchen is closed, so to speak, and u are ill, go to sleep!!!

I have worked nights forEVER and I don't expect any sucha thing.

Go ahead and flame me (if it makes you feel better.)

WHAT?????

When a pt has been around the block a few times, let them adapt...

I have been the pt several times so, I know what I'm talking about. If the kitchen is closed, so to speak, and u are ill, go to sleep!!!

I have worked nights forEVER and I don't expect any sucha thing.

Go ahead and flame me (if it makes you feel better.)

i have been a patient a "few" times. I think 13 surgeries counts as that.

the kitchen is open from 8-10, 1-2, 5:30-7.

They have VERY set hours. You need to put your order in the meal AHEAD. i will sometimes get hungry in those in between times. I guess I am a horrible horrible person. I am usually there after surgeries to have tumor removed from my HEAD they need to watch for bleeding, do neuro checks, and watch for infection. THAT is why i am in the hospital.

and by the way the 3-4 cans and handful of saltines usually lasts me the rest of the day and part of the next.

Specializes in M/S,TELE,ORTHO,ER.

And now I say "take a breath..."

So was your comment constructive or a complaint?

And now I say "take a breath..."

So was your comment constructive or a complaint?

i was saying that while YES some patients do indeed just complain and ask for anything they can possibly get (and expect it IMEDIATLY) there are sometimes legit reasons.

I have SEEN the demanding ones. I have had them as roomates. The ones whoes VISITORS nothing can satisfy them, demand extra tvs and turn them all up really lound despite their child (I go to a childrens hospital) crying in pain and they do nothing to soothe them, and the roomate (me) having her head wraped up from having it operated on. I know that those patients are out there, which is what made me be DETERMINED to NOT be one of them.

I am usually fortunate enough to be on wards that have low patient nurse ratios (I am usually on the neuro floor though last time i was on the transplant/short term stay ward) so the nurse can spend that little extra time doing it for me. However, i do realize that it might take time to get it. things come up with other patients.

The only times I have been mad being kept waiting was when i wet the bed because my nurse did not get there in time to un hook my iv and help me to the bathroom, however after the 2nd time it happened that day i found out the person at the other end of the call bell was not telling my nurse that I needed to go and they got mad, and started checking on me a couple of times an hour.

I am sorry that i got mad at you but I felt liekyou were insinuating that I am one of those patients. I try my hardest to NOT be. I hold all my requests (minus bathroom) until either the nurse or tech makes rounds and ask for all of them at once, so that they are not constantly running to my room for every little thing.

ETA

I also just realized that I used kitchen 2 times in my original post. There is the kitchen that you order the meals from, then there is a little kitchen with snacks for the patients on each ward. That is the one that i get the saltines from, and if i was not hooked to an iv i would happaly go get it myself.

Specializes in CAPA RN, ED RN.

I feed patients if it is what they need (like hypoglemic reactions) or if they have to wait a long, long time. If you come straight to my ED and ask for food I will generally tell you that it will be only a couple of hours and often we need patients to have an empty stomach for one reason or another.

In the memorable past, one of my frequent fliers asked for food (one of many times, had been fed many times but he needed to leave this day). I told him, kindly, "George this is not a restaurant." He asked if he could sleep on the stretcher for a while. I told him "George, this is not a hotel." He asked for a cab and I told him we were not a cab company. I did give him a bus pass though. It was the best thing for him that day. He has moved on to another state, wonder what he is up to now. Are you feeding him?

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:

I know, one of our doc's is thinking about doing a study. ........ Dorito's or Fritos as an antiemetic. Seems there are some pt's that have " really bad vomicin" , so bad infact that waiting their turn is just too much for them. Firtst they try to alleaviate this terrible sickness by cussing out the triage RN, then, once the snack machine is spotted they seem to gravitate to it, put money in the slot , buy Fritos , consume a bag or two, then.... to our amazemet, their nause is cured. Usually just in time to be able to consume large doses of Percocet. If ist wasn't for the amazing effect of these snack products, our pt's may never be able to take the percs. So, I would like to give a harty "shout out":yeah: to the Frito Lay Company for their help with the n/v pt's in our ER waiting area.

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