Is it okay to have snacks in my pockets for clinical?

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2015

Unless your clinicals are in some remote wilderness you will have plenty of access to food every 3-4 hours without having to carry a snack on your person. Plan your morning so you can kill and prepare something to eat before you arrive at your clinical facility. You will most likely be scheduled for a lunch break in 3-4 hours. As previously suggested you could keep a snack bar or tasty insects in your backpack and visit it on your break in the breakroom. When clinicals are over you can rush to your favorite fast food joint for a nutritious meal.

Eating in patient care areas is against JCHO, OSHA, CDC, DOH and NFL guidelines and just plain icky. Eating at the nursing station is also against guidelines, "disgusting and unsanitary" even if you see others doing it.

Should you even think about eating, wash your hands before returning to any patient care area. That scene in "Seinfeld" where Kramer drops a Jr. Mint into an operating field is NOT an approved best nursing practice video.

NotAllThoseWhoWander · Sep 22, 2015

Thanks, everyone! There really isn't any reason that I'll need to carry around snacks - it sounded gross from the start! It's just that one of my friends in particular, inspired me to become a nurse. I sort of look up to her. I'm surprised that she (and other senior nursing students) did it. I need to stop assuming that just because somebody made it through a nursing program, they do everything correctly. :sour:

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 22, 2015

What everyone else said, I would NOT put food in your pockets and I defiantly would not be seen eating except in the break room or cafeteria. It's poor manners since you have other staff that may not have even had a break yet even if they are starving and you also may have patient's that are unable to eat that may see you. I am also guessing you instructor would not be happy at all since technically no one is suppose to be eating in patient care areas.

Also think of all the germ covered things you will stick in those pockets!

Annie

EricaAngela90 · Sep 22, 2015

I used to leave a couple snacks in my bag. I always have low blood sugar so if I had a moment I would grab a snack. If I didn't have a minute I would just grab an orange juice from pantry to hold me over.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Sep 22, 2015

Not only is it against policy but there's a chance that some of the yuck yuck in clinicals can accidentally end up on the wrapper. Keep the snacks in your lunch bag and have them during breaks. If you have a medical condition that requires you to have access to food other than the scheduled times allowed by your school (such as hypoglycemia), get medical documentation and provide it to your school. They will make accommodations so that you can access it should the need arrive.

chris21sn, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2015

Personally, I never ate during clinical.

Some of my professors scheduled a break, most of them didn't. For the professors who allowed a break, they would tell us sometimes not to even bring bags or a coat with us, because we weren't given a storage space, let alone a space for a lunch bag. And as other people have described in this topic, I feel a bit icky storing a bag of chips or peanuts in my uniform pocket, which could be potentially unsanitary. I pretty much only eat if we are allowed a break, and are allowed to go to the cafeteria for a bit. I bring money.

NotAllThoseWhoWander · Sep 22, 2015

It's poor manners since you have other staff that may not have even had a break yet even if they are starving and you also may have patient's that are unable to eat that may see you.

Oh, goodness, I didn't even think about that... Yeah, I would be annoyed at a student nurse who ate in front of me too.

middleagednurse · Sep 25, 2015

Don't eat from the patient's kitchen, (unless you're about to pass out of course). Can be grounds for termination.

Tex. · Sep 25, 2015

Great advice posted previously. I'd like to add that after a few hours on the floor, every part of you is covered in cooties, so ewwww....don't even think of pulling food out of those pockets. Even on my most insane Hell Days, I can sprint to the break room, wash my hands and inhale half a power bar and be back to my crashing patient's bedside in under 90 seconds. You can do it.

emily.elizabeth · Sep 28, 2015

I agree with PP, eating on the floor is not only prohibited for patient safety, but yours as well. Also, you won't want to eat anywhere other than designated areas-- they will most likely be cleaner (more free of contaminants, such as bodily fluids and other bacteria and germs). Eat a healthy meal before going to clinical if possible, and pack a "lunch" for while you are taking your break.

jena5111, ASN, RN · Sep 28, 2015

When you start clinical, you'll soon realize that being in patient care areas can be a good appetite suppressant, haha! You won't want to eat ANYTHING that's been on/near your person. Promise.

I bring a lunch to each clinical day (we are required to take a break each shift, to demonstrate that we have decent time management skills) with an extra protein bar in the break room for mornings when my breakfast doesn't do the job. I can race over there, wash my hands THOROUGHLY, gobble down a few bites of bar and a couple gulps of water from my water bottle, and be all good until break. We don't have scheduled break times; we're expected to have all AM assessments, care, meds, and documentation done before texting our instructor/reporting off to our assigned nurse and taking a break.

I will say the emergent trip to the break room doesn't happen too often--I can generally wait until my break.

Which brings me to the next point--get in the habit of eating breakfast (or lunch, if you have PM shifts) before clinical. It will help with your ability to concentrate and maintain physical stamina throughout your shift. I like eggs with a slice of avocado toast or a fruit smoothie with a scoop of protein powder.

Good luck, OP! You'll figure out what works for you.

bloatedputti, MSN, RN · Oct 1, 2015

No. unfortunately the accreditation Gods forbid almost everything now, in spite of very few scientific studies to prove their points.