Food in the ER

Specialties Emergency

Published

I know maslow's, and that food is on the bottom.

I'm laughing because there were family members that cursed at me every time I walked by because I wouldn't make them sandwiches and sent them to the cafeteria.

How often are food requests at your place, and how often do you run into disgruntled family members because you don't feed them?

Hmmmm some of y'all are acting like these patients are asking for food of of your plates!! They are your patients and if they are cleared by the Dr to eat then why not call dietary and get some food for your patient?? It's not like it's money coming out of your pocket!

Apply that logic anywhere else. Let me know how that goes.

Secondly, it's emergency. Chances are, if your #1 priority is a meal tray, a remote, footy socks, pillow and blanket.. I would imagine it may not be an emergency.

Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'There's no such thing as a free lunch'?

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Specializes in ER / Critical Care.

It's not about personal cost to me.

#1. Believe it or not there are people who visit the ER exclusively for the gourmet fare. I have sympathy for people with nothing else to eat, but we have an overcrowding issue, and we are not a diner or a shelter. The ER is not the appropriate place to catch a meal.

#2. We are referring in this thread to people who come in with a CC of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting or otherwise too ill to take care of themselves or eat at home, and the first thing on their mind is a snack. See the irony? I have the same issues if they bring their own or purchase food in the lobby.

#3. Patient's families do not as a general rule need to be fed since they can pick up, walk out and find something much more tasty than the dried up old sandwich I can provide. I'm not a waitress and catering to their culinary needs is a waste of my time.

#4. The stealing!!!! So, when I do have one of those unfortunates who does both need and want to eat in the ER I have nothing left because room 12's entire family just gorged on cheese sandwiches and apple juice, which they are more than capable of going and buying for their own darn selves.

So I guess it's a matter of mixed practicality and principle, not stinginess on the part of the ER nurse.

I see where you're coming from... Especially with regard to the family members.

I'm still a nursing student and have not had the pleasure of working with the type of patients described in your post. I had a ESRD patient today that had been refusing to eat/drink/take meds for the past 3 days, so when he told me he was hungry but only wanted IceCream you better believe I got him some :)

Maybe I shouldn't have assumed that the other posters were being stingy.... I'm still learning the ropes, and I apologize :)

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Ill put it this way.. A pt went south real quick.. Crash cart, lots of hands.. Lots of people in and out of the room. The curtain didn't get pulled back far enough at one point. I'm pretty sure everyone could tell what was going on.. Different requests being called out.

Nurse attempting to run back and forth for meds, family member yelling at her each time she popped out because her mom has been waiting 40 minutes for something to eat.

So ya, someone else's family member will be dying, it will be no secret, and you still will get yelled at for someone else's food request.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

After the abdo pain or n/v pt has been checked and hydrated, being able to hold down food is a condition for d/c. But yeah, no food for anyone else they bring along.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I see where you're coming from... Especially with regard to the family members.

I'm still a nursing student and have not had the pleasure of working with the type of patients described in your post. I had a ESRD patient today that had been refusing to eat/drink/take meds for the past 3 days, so when he told me he was hungry but only wanted IceCream you better believe I got him some :)

Maybe I shouldn't have assumed that the other posters were being stingy.... I'm still learning the ropes, and I apologize :)

No worries. We'll give you a few years and you'll be here in all your eye-twitching, venting glory, and we'll all get it ;)

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I just realized they are probably taking the condiments too.

Isn't it funny, how society views healthcare/emergency services? Where else can you go and steal all day long?

US Senate.

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It's not about personal cost to me.

#1. Believe it or not there are people who visit the ER exclusively for the gourmet fare. I have sympathy for people with nothing else to eat, but we have an overcrowding issue, and we are not a diner or a shelter. The ER is not the appropriate place to catch a meal.

#2. We are referring in this thread to people who come in with a CC of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting or otherwise too ill to take care of themselves or eat at home, and the first thing on their mind is a snack. See the irony? I have the same issues if they bring their own or purchase food in the lobby.

#3. Patient's families do not as a general rule need to be fed since they can pick up, walk out and find something much more tasty than the dried up old sandwich I can provide. I'm not a waitress and catering to their culinary needs is a waste of my time.

#4. The stealing!!!! So, when I do have one of those unfortunates who does both need and want to eat in the ER I have nothing left because room 12's entire family just gorged on cheese sandwiches and apple juice, which they are more than capable of going and buying for their own darn selves.

So I guess it's a matter of mixed practicality and principle, not stinginess on the part of the ER nurse.

I am guessing I am not the only one who has bought pt's food, or really gone out of my way to feed them when indicated.

Trust me, you pt isn't the one people are venting about.

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Hmmmm some of y'all are acting like these patients are asking for food of of your plates!! They are your patients and if they are cleared by the Dr to eat then why not call dietary and get some food for your patient?? It's not like it's money coming out of your pocket!

Hey Red-

you are either being ironic or truly lack an understanding of healthcare and economics. Who's pocket do you think the money comes from?

That said, I don't think it is the cost that folks here find offensive.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
No worries. We'll give you a few years and you'll be here in all your eye-twitching, venting glory, and we'll all get it ;)
A few years?!?!?!? In today's healthcare environment, I figure it'll take maybe ONE year. All that me-me-me mentality combined with that customer service at-all-costs mentality is flushing the system down the tubes real quick.

And to anyone out there, please know that we responders here are talking about those who abuse the system, not someone who has a real need.

And re 'money not coming out of our pockets' - it's not money coming out of our pockets, but monies not going in. Food costs are part of the facility's budget. If mgt has to put its monies into food, you know it's not going into better salaries/benefits/better staffing.

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Working today... Someone or someone's, went into the kitchen area and stole every last juice, sugar packet, milk, ginger ale. I was SPEECHLESS

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Specializes in ER / Critical Care.

Hey Red-

you are either being ironic or truly lack an understanding of healthcare and economics. Who's pocket do you think the money comes from?

That said, I don't think it is the cost that folks here find offensive.

Nope, not being ironic. And I have a grasp on healthcare and economics, thanks :)

Patients pay for the ER services (which are EXPENSIVE) one way or another and I don't think a $5 meal is denting the pockets of the Hospital.

Hounding the nurse for food while other patients are crashing is NOT ok, totally agree on that!

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Nope, not being ironic. And I have a grasp on healthcare and economics, thanks :)

Patients pay for the ER services (which are EXPENSIVE) one way or another and I don't think a $5 meal is denting the pockets of the Hospital.

Hounding the nurse for food while other patients are crashing is NOT ok, totally agree on that!

Red-

What makes you think patients pay for ER services? Sure, some do. I do if I go to an ER. I pay for insurance, as well as a copay.

But, there is a huge population of folks who don't pay anything. At all. Many of the folks who misuse the ER in various ways fall into this category.

The people who don't pay anything for emergency services tend to use them differently than the people who do.

I don't think anybody here objects to feeding somebody who needs it. And, I don't think cost is the over-riding objection.

But, in simple economic terms, both time and money are limited resources. Every dollar feeding a family member is a dollar not spent elsewhere. Every minute I spend feeding somebody who doesn't need it is a minute I don't spend doing patient care.

I have no problem feeding people when it makes sense, including family members- but that isn't what this thread is about.

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