In your LTC dining room

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Specializes in LTC.

For those for you that work in LTC facilities do you have a nurse in your dining room when your residents are eating in case someone chokes?

I have been working at this LTC facility for almost a year now and it is the only place I have worked that a nurse has to be in a dining room in case some one chokes. I know of at least 5 other nursing homes in my area, 2 of which I have worked at, that the nurses do not go supervise the dining room in case some one chokes. I guess I ask this because I just started 1st shifted this week and find it extremely frustrating having to be in the dining room until the last person is done eating. I have a ton of things to do and with having to be in the dining room for breakfast and dinner it hard to get it all done but still expected to still. I just feel like I am expected to cramp 8 hours worth of nursing work into 5 1/2 to 6 hours. I could be sitting in the dining room doing absolutely nothing but watching at last couple people eat but I'm not suppose to leave.

What do you do in your LTC facility?

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Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.

We have CNAs in the dining room at all times but the nurses don't go unless we are short staffed and the CNAs need help. Everyone in our building, in the nursing dept, is CPR trained and the nurses are within ear shot if anyone needs help.

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Specializes in Skilled Care, Sub-Acute.

Yes, it is a mandate in some states that an LPN/RN be present in the dining area during meals. I know for a fact that it is a law in PA and NY. Is it reasonable...? Maybe not. Could your time be spent doing more productive things...? Yes. But it is required. I would check with your Board of Health as well as your administration.

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It's required in my state. :down:

It's not that bad though because each floor only has to do dining room duty on one day of the week.

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Specializes in LTC.

I do not think it is required in Michigan. The other LTC facilities I worked in the CNA's are the only ones in the the dining room.

Where I am currently everyone in the building is CPR certified required by the faciltiy. There are plenty of nurses within ear shot of the dining room including the DON office is right outside the dining room and my hall is right off the dining room as well.

It just seems to me that I could be doing more productive things like someone else said.

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

What's the point of requiring CPR and first aid certification if the nurse has to be there "just in case" anyway?

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Specializes in LTC.
What's the point of requiring CPR and first aid certification if the nurse has to be there "just in case" anyway?

You got me! I learned to stopped questioning management because you don't get anywhere anyway.

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

We had to have a nurse in there before the residents could start eating. I liked it because I got to see firsthand how my residents were doing. Then I could report the info back to families, speech therapy, social worker, etc.

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Specializes in LTC, MED SURG.

:mad:we also have to go to the dining room as well, we have 4 wings/halls 2 lpns 1 rn sup...only 1 lpn goes to lunch, and the rn sup does breakfast, its for choking, seizures and i&o accuracy is what i was told, i serve soup and the main course after surviving taking their orders...its home style no trays just plates and silverware and cups, it was difficult @ first but i eventually got used to it, we only have 6 feeders or so and the nurses aides help us with them and we are in eyesight and earshot of their feeding room. if your facility is a no code then most likely this will not be protocol for your facility, i'm not sure though. my pm med pass and all my charting and summaries take me well into 4 ish or even 5 if theres a incident with skin tears or falls on my hall, i have 22 residents most days, but it could possibly only get easier as i get better with my time, i'm so thankful for my rn sup who does breakfast because lord knows the 9am's would be given at noon...lol : winks : most nurses help each other 2 will go and 1 stays...it helps but there are a few who wont come at all...and they are always going home at 330pm, lol and the nurse who does lunch goes home at 4 or 5 because of her unfinished work...!:mad:

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
For those for you that work in LTC facilities do you have a nurse in your dining room when your residents are eating in case someone chokes?

I have been working at this LTC facility for almost a year now and it is the only place I have worked that a nurse has to be in a dining room in case some one chokes. I know of at least 5 other nursing homes in my area, 2 of which I have worked at, that the nurses do not go supervise the dining room in case some one chokes. I guess I ask this because I just started 1st shifted this week and find it extremely frustrating having to be in the dining room until the last person is done eating. I have a ton of things to do and with having to be in the dining room for breakfast and dinner it hard to get it all done but still expected to still. I just feel like I am expected to cramp 8 hours worth of nursing work into 5 1/2 to 6 hours. I could be sitting in the dining room doing absolutely nothing but watching at last couple people eat but I'm not suppose to leave.

What do you do in your LTC facility?

In one facility I worked in, the nurse was mandated to be in the dining room at all times while residents were eating in there, in another only the CNAs or CMAs needed to be present. I hated messing around with the dining room myself, since with some of the slower eaters, you could be there for hourse, and there is much to be done right after dinner.

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Every place I've worked has required a nurse be present during meals.

I hate hate hate feeding.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
For those for you that work in LTC facilities do you have a nurse in your dining room when your residents are eating in case someone chokes?

I have been working at this LTC facility for almost a year now and it is the only place I have worked that a nurse has to be in a dining room in case some one chokes. I know of at least 5 other nursing homes in my area, 2 of which I have worked at, that the nurses do not go supervise the dining room in case some one chokes. I guess I ask this because I just started 1st shifted this week and find it extremely frustrating having to be in the dining room until the last person is done eating. I have a ton of things to do and with having to be in the dining room for breakfast and dinner it hard to get it all done but still expected to still. I just feel like I am expected to cramp 8 hours worth of nursing work into 5 1/2 to 6 hours. I could be sitting in the dining room doing absolutely nothing but watching at last couple people eat but I'm not suppose to leave.

What do you do in your LTC facility?

For my peace of mind, never mind actual policy, I always stay until the very last person is out. I know most of my team are all CPR certified, but CNA's aren't allowed to chart on a nurse note, so I would be charting something they did if I wasn't there. Not safe enough for me.

Blessings, Michelle

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