Nurses eating and drinking at the nurses station

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Trauma and Psychiatry.

Hi fellow nurses, how do you feel about nurses drinking coffee or other beverage and eating food in the nurses station on a regular basis, especially in the presence of patients, visitors and doctors. What's your hospital policy regarding this. It is forbidden on my job, but staff continues to do it, even the Head Nurse when he is stressed out is seen sipping coffee on the unit. The problem with drinking coofee, tea etc. is that especially on nights somehow staff 'accidentally' spills liguids on the computer and on patients record. What is your experience?

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I don't generally eat in front of patients or family, but when you're one nurse, you've gotta eat sometime. We have no choice, since there are many instances where you can't leave the floor.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Drinking at the nurses station doesn't bother me, and it is permitted as long as it is a covered container.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

I work in a very busy ICU and food and drinks are prohibited in the nurse's station. However this would not bother me if management would allow us to have timely breaks.

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Specializes in LTC.

we have drinks at the nursing station. covered ones. in fact they got us cool cups for nursing week!! :) i think eating there looks unprofessional tho. maybe if no one is around

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Specializes in OR.

I don't think the nursing station was meant to be a cafeteria or lounge!

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I can understand the concern about spills on patients' records and spills on the computer.

But as a patient, I couldn't care less if you all eat. Everytime I was in the hospital having babies the nurses were usually chowing down at the station. I even got offered some jalapeno cheese and crackers by the nurses while BEING INDUCED ( I thought that was weird).

I realize nurses often don't get to take their breaks so as long as they are getting their work done I don't care if they have a barbecue!

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Specializes in Trauma/Tele/Surgery/SICU.

I think it is sad. Sad that the nurses cannot get away for enough time to eat a meal in a much cleaner non patient care area. Sad that they do not have the time to walk away for a few minutes to take a few sips of a beverage. I have eaten at the nurses station and I hated it. I mean really you might as well eat in a patient room. The desk, computers, and chairs are probably riddled with all kinds of nasties. Not to mention the phone! yuck! We were not allowed to at my previous job but on nights we did because we never got breaks.

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Well, it's not hygienic and it looks unprofessional. However, we've all done it and if there's no one around and your surface is wiped down, I don't see the problem. The habitual eaters that sit there, eat, and gossip for half an hour are the ones management is going after, and I can understand why.

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Specializes in Emergency.

If we had enough time to take breaks, then you wouldn't see this problem so much. I work in a very busy ER, if I even leave for ten minutes to eat, I will have a new EMS patient (just my luck). Can't just keep them waiting forever. They should hire a nurse to just go around and give people lunch breaks. Just make sure the patient stays alive while I'm gone. Problem solved!

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

If I don't drink when I chart then I hardly have time to drink all day. When I first started mgmt tried to stop this behavior but after yrs of no change in the staffs behaviors they relented and only enforce the rule when a surveyor is in house. For nursing week they got us mugs with lids so that atleast we have covered drinks.

I do try not to eat at the nursing station because it grosses me out!

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.
If we had enough time to take breaks, then you wouldn't see this problem so much. I work in a very busy ER, if I even leave for ten minutes to eat, I will have a new EMS patient (just my luck). Can't just keep them waiting forever. They should hire a nurse to just go around and give people lunch breaks. Just make sure the patient stays alive while I'm gone. Problem solved!

Decades ago, they did have assigned "floats" and their jobs was to cover for lunch breaks...but I guess Mgmt is way too money grubby to allow it now days.

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