Poor RN professional conduct

[Omgseriously]

I am new to this site. I am hoping to get some insight. I am an RN with 15 years experience. I have seen a serious decline in professional behavior at the hospital I work at. We have a no eating or drinking policy which stayed in place with little incident for years. Now, nurses who know better are blatantly doing it. Those of us who are respectful of the rules are not. Guess what? We are hungry and thirsty too. One nurse actually told me that now that I know where the snack drawer is....I have to eat from it...that way, they be sure that I won't tell on them. Yes, that is what an educated adult said to me. So guess what, the snack drawer got emptied today. The whining started. So, I told them I gave them up and if they want their stuff back they can go get it from the managers. The spineless creatures got so quiet. What is up with these people these days. Anyone else work with selfish inconsiderate "professionals"? How do you deal with the immaturity and sense of entitlement?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

It depends on the facility and what they seem patient care area. Our conference room is in the middle of our unit and is deemed in patient care area...no food or drink. We are in pods with 6 patients. We aren't allowed to have food or drink in there either.

But I would have given them a heads up that it is considered a no no, I would not have turned them in without speaking to them first. As an ex manager, I am a pretty big stickler on the food thing...we got dinged once because someone had a coffee in the unit when The health department was there. I about strung that person up.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Thankfully the definition of what it means to be professional in the workplace has evolved in the past 15 years. Being a severe, uptight, martyr is no longer a requirement.

Remeber, past examples of professionalism in nursing also included: jumping to your feet whenever the doctor entered the nurses station, not wearing gloves when performing personal care 'cause it would make the pt "feel bad", "matrons" who were more concerned about caps being starched and panty hose being run-free then they were about actual patient-care issues.

Your concern over who's eating trail-mix while they're charting seems like a relic of another era.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I think the original post did display "poor RN professional conduct." Just not in the way the original poster intended.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Whose immaturity and sense of entitlement are you speaking of?

No eating or drinking at the desk is an infection control policy. As with many policies, they make no sense. How can a covered container of water cause infection?

Nurses are human,professionals need food and water throughout the shift. Perhaps you have not noted the doctors walking around with coffee and doughnuts.

The "spineless creatures" got quiet so they can plan....

[ponymom]

The staff appears to be hungry and thirsty. Could it be because there are not enough of them to accomplish what needs to be done on each shift, and they don't have time for a break or lunch?

Even prisoners in jail get a lunch.

Just a thought.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

I'm not piling on the OP. I think the anger over the snack drawer thing is a symptom of something bigger. Seventy percent of the staff being new grads is a clue.

It wasn't a fight I would have picked, but I tip my hat to the nurse who fights their fight face to face. She told them she did it. She was honest.

She's standing there taking the fall out. Deserved fall out, I might add.

My defense of the OP only goes so far.

As far as professional behavior evolving. I'll add a couple myself.

Cell phones in every pocket, and on every desk. Facebook updates all shift long. Texting continuously. I have a list, so lets don't make this a battle of old professional behavior vs new professional behavior.

We have evolved. We are treated with so much more respect now by our patients than we used to be. (Note the irony).

[Laurie52]

I work in an ICU that would consider 15 years low seniority. I have over 40 hears of experience and have learned to pick my battles. These are your coworkers, the people who will have your back when something happens during your shift or in your life. Have you ever had an emergency in your life and needed to leave? I have, on a busy day. My coworkers picked up my patients and I was out the door in 15 minutes. The gift my coworkers gave me that day allowed me to hear my father speak to me once more before he died. I can never repay them. My point of this is that you are not responsible for enforcing silly work rules. If it doesn't affect patient care, it's not your concern. Maybe they need to eat or drink during the day. Maybe the are just hungry or thirsty. Just not your concern.

[CantDecideUsername]

Or maybe they're dehydrated or diabetic/hypoglycemic and need to eat/drink?

Ok it's a long shot but really, how do you know their medical issues? Do you want to be responsible if one passes out?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Oh no. I was just being nice. Pt and staff safety issues are near constant. I am just waiting for someone to hurt someone else. 70 percent of our staff are new grads. It is a mess. I personally had to speak to hospital lawyers about an SSE. thank goodness it wasn't me who messed up. Rules and regulations are constantly disregarded. Management doesn't care. I was just scratching the tip of a very big iceberg.

If your concern is for major safety issues, why go after the smallest one?

Your snack drawer rat out only served to alienate your colleagues. Probably too late, but what is your biggest concern that you could start a unit initiative to improve?

[CantDecideUsername]

If your concern is for major safety issues, why go after the smallest one?

Your snack drawer rat out only served to alienate your colleagues. Probably too late, but what is your biggest concern that you could start a unit initiative to improve?

And unfortunately since you may have alienated your allies, you will have a hard time initiating major patient care improvements (the ones that really matter)... People will be unlikely to listen to you if they don't like/respect you

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

How can you call your coworkers spineless creatures?

That is ridiculous, rude and disrespectful.

[HumbleRN]

Well the way I see it omg. If you work with newer nurses and you are so worried about them then you need to stop " eating the young, embrace and educate". I have been a RN for over 17 years and find that the young are eager to learn from us oldies if we are open to teach!