Fed up with the "rules"

mnmhughes · Mar 30, 2011

I'm pretty sure the JCAHO rules require that it have a lid, not that you can't have it at the desk.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2011

Some floors I've worked had "hydration areas" various places typically off to the side where you could set your drink, provided it had a lid and a label with name and date on it. It seemed to work well.

Katie5 · Mar 30, 2011

I am currently in the float pool at a large metropolitan hospital. Staffing one of their toughest units.
Recently the DIRECTOR approached me... I can't wear a white scrub top, not in the dress code.
I can't have a water container at the desk either. Exactly when am I supposed to hydrate myself as I am running up and down the halls, literally wiping sweat off my brow?

If there's a dress code- follow it.

Why would you want to have your water container at the desk either. We're all nurses, that doesn't mean everyone is sanitary or follows universal precautions.

Katie5 · Mar 30, 2011

Quitting is not the option. I am looking to change the rules, not just walk away.

Renegade:D. Change what rules? The dress code or the safety rule?

Up2nogood RN, RN · Mar 30, 2011

Quitting is not the option. I am looking to change the rules, not just walk away.

Do you have a union? If you do, I would contact your representative, like yesterday.

The culture of floor nursing is ludicrous. Why aren't you entitled to breaks? Management gets hour + long lunches, retreats, long meetings, plus they get to sip water or whatever as much as they want in they're comfy air-conditioned office all shift if they want. The problem is nurses in general have shot themselves in the foot by being such hard workers and putting up with all these plain idiotic rules all these years. We should be calling the shots, the ones on the front lines busting our butts not a bunch of number-crunching, pencil-pushers. Times are tough but we've got to stick up for our rights.

PaperPencil · Mar 30, 2011

If allowed water... you'd pee more... and that would simply lose productivity

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 14, 2012

Screw the dress code.. if it only involves adding a plain white scrub top.

I want to be ALLOWED to drink water !! like any other beast of burden.

You need to think outside of the "corporate box".

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Jan 15, 2012

...Someday, nurses will be robots that don't need to pee, eat, drink or get paid...then they will be happy!

I'm sure they are working on that right now! Nurse Robot the perfect worker!

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

Screw the dress code.. if it only involves adding a plain white scrub top.
I want to be ALLOWED to drink water !! like any other beast of burden.
You need to think outside of the "corporate box".

Yeah, choose your battles. Most facilities have a dress code. Not that hard to conform. But the water issue is also irksome. We can't drink water at our nurse station, but we do have another area where we can put our drinks. It's slightly annoying, but workable. We have to wear scrubs of a certain color, any manufacturer is fine. This is an easy rule and not worth fighting. But the water restrcitions, yes, I think this leads to dehydration. When I worked at a hospital, I was chronically dehydrated.

cathalenem · Jan 16, 2012

Maybe you could tell them you'll sign a waiver saying you'll drink your water at your own risk! I agree there are way too many ridiculous rules these days!

chevyv, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

I would definately get written up for sneaking a water bottle into the nurses station! No doubt I would probably eventually get fired for that as well. Can you imagine going to court for unemployment because you snuck water in to drink?

chevyv, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

sorry, double post and i can't delete it