Do the doctors and nurses really sit apart in cafeterias?

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Specializes in ICU.

In all of the hospitals where I have worked, the doctors had their own dining room and were served much better food. We shared the same dining room as everyone else did, including visitors. You could see the kitchen staff taking huge platters of shrimp and other good stuff to the doctors. One hospital even prepared a huge separate breakfast for any doctor in the whole town that wanted to drop by to eat. They also had their own breakrooms, filled with food like frozen yogurt, etc. Nurses usually would just eat at the desk while they charted, because it took too long to stand in line in the cafeteria to get your food on a 30 min. lunchbreak. Most hospitals cater to the doctors, because that is what brings in the money. They tend to put their patients in their favorite hospital, as most serve several hospitals, in my area anyway. Some of the hospitals I worked at included the regular staff in the Christmas parties, along with the doctors, but the one I am at now has a "separate" party just for the doctors, where we are not invited.

Specializes in ICU.

As a NP student, yesterday was my first clinical, I got to see the doctors lunch room with all the free food, drinks, and desserts. I felt awkward cause I work at this hospital for the past 11 years, so I made no eye contact with them and I didn't take any food. I sat all day in the OB Dr lounge waiting for OB pts to come in and need triaging, when the nurses called to say a new patient had arrived, we went to see them. I knew the nurses were out there answering the call lights, helping new moms shower ect. While I watched Tv and did homework, the lounge had more free food. My preceptor paid bills and took care of home issues. A different mindset I can get used too.

MassED, BSN, RN

2,636 Posts

Specializes in ER.

I would love to know a hospital where people actually go and sit to eat in a real cafeteria, never mind separation of the practitioners. That may happen on day shifts, or with administration, but most of us have busy shifts and don't have time to sit and eat!

MassED, BSN, RN

2,636 Posts

Specializes in ER.
In all of the hospitals where I have worked, the doctors had their own dining room and were served much better food. We shared the same dining room as everyone else did, including visitors. You could see the kitchen staff taking huge platters of shrimp and other good stuff to the doctors. One hospital even prepared a huge separate breakfast for any doctor in the whole town that wanted to drop by to eat. They also had their own breakrooms, filled with food like frozen yogurt, etc. Nurses usually would just eat at the desk while they charted, because it took too long to stand in line in the cafeteria to get your food on a 30 min. lunchbreak. Most hospitals cater to the doctors, because that is what brings in the money. They tend to put their patients in their favorite hospital, as most serve several hospitals, in my area anyway. Some of the hospitals I worked at included the regular staff in the Christmas parties, along with the doctors, but the one I am at now has a "separate" party just for the doctors, where we are not invited.

As a caveat from that... our third year residents vote for their nurse of the year award for our ER staff. Really? I heard it through the grape vine. Some of their qualifiers for a great nurse are those that don't question their orders. Bahahhaaaaa!!! I'm sure there are more and some realistic ones, because, let's face it, first years make huge mistakes and are only saved by us nurses. Sometimes it seems this culture of nursing is a popularity contest. Even with peer reviews, (here comes another caveat, sorry!), I have seen people say "she always smiles, easy to get along with, dressed sharp, etc" I think mature professionals, and even some of the immature ones, need to understand about professionalism and understanding a nurse's role in the workplace. Not the IMAGE a nurse should have, or how one wants to be perceived. Perhaps doing a great job (and I think it is) is to question those orders that need to be clarified, or question that coworker who you feel might be unsafe or need some help. There's so much to this profession that has to do with backbiting and making evaluations or the general culture about assimilation and popularity is ridiculous, just as it is for someone to WANT to be popular. Like high school, it was a ridiculously aimless goal then and it would be as a professional. You sometimes are unpopular when you are a good nurse who tows the line, who questions orders and just doesn't follow blindly, who is a leader and not just a follower, and who has the guts to be themselves.

Sorry, just had to roll with that one!!!

gonzo1, ASN, RN

1,739 Posts

Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

In most of the hospitals I have worked in there is a pretty distinct separation. My favorite ER most of the docs were not afraid to take a quick break in the break room and chatting it up with the nurses. Also a lot of eating together at the nurses station. A couple of places at night the ER docs would raid the doctors lounge for cool eats for us.

The hospital ICU I work at now the nurses still get up and give their chairs to the doctors when they come to the nurses station.

Would have to say that the ER probably has the most laid back nurse/md relationships cause they spend so much time together SAVING LIVES.

Real life nursing is nothing like TV nursing.

NayRN

122 Posts

Specializes in med/surg.

If all of the docs and nurses are sitting in the cafeteria who is with the patients?

elkpark

14,633 Posts

In my experience, yes.

raianne

41 Posts

On the off chance that I do get to eat something, it's in our break room...and doctors do sit in there and eat sometimes. As far as actually having time to go to the cafeteria and eat something, forget it. There are days that go by in which I have no time to even get into the break room and grab a snack, let alone sit down for a real lunch. It's not uncommon for me to go my entire shift without eating or drinking anything.

JDZ344

837 Posts

We have a canteen. We sit with whoever we have gone to lunch with or whoever has spare seats at their table.

I mostly eat alone.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

the doctor's dining room is a thing of the past -- it was rarely used, so it got converted to education space for the nursing staff. we rarely eat in the dining room -- too many patients and families, and lunch is a nice time to get away from patients and families. we have our break room on the unit, and most of us bring our lunch from home (or buy it in the cafeteria and bring it back) and eat it there. most of the providers eat with us, except the attendings who eat in their offices or in the fancy restaurant near the main entrance.

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

I used to go to a hospital with several fast food establishments across the street. At lunch time, you saw all kinds of medical type people congregating there, if you could find a seat.

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