Solutions for Drinks at Nursing Station?

[ImNicoEh]

Drinks at the nursing station is most definitely a heated topic. Has anyone found a solution to this issue that both nurses and management are happy with?

At the hospital i'm at, we have kind of a decent sized backroom at the nursing stations; a lot like this picture

For closed drinks; what about putting the drinks in a stackable sealed container like this?

Stackable so they can be kept neatly on the side or corner of the back room and this way the drinking bottles themselves will never come in direct contact with anything "contaminated." If management is worried about the inside of the containers becoming contaminated through communal/repeated use, the solution for that could be using the disinfection wipes before a nurse puts her/his drink in there at the start of their shift.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

[AJJKRN]

We have designated "drink cabinets" on every floor of my hospital. While it works for management and keeps TPTB happy, the cabinets generally turn into cesspools because staff do not realize that their mom dosent ever follow them to work on a daily basis.

I wish we could have a discrete covered drink at our work station because let's face it, management will never know how easy it is to dehydrate in a twelve hour shift with all of the crap they can keep inside their offices (or just carry around with them from meeting to meeting).

This along with scripting and other customer service expectations will be what pushes me away from the bedside. Sad but true.

[Emergent, RN]

My solution has always been to ignore that stupid rule, except when Joint Commission is expected. One can quickly hide a drink or food item behind a computer monitor if necessary.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

My personal solution is working night shift. There's fewer people around to criticize you about food/drinks at the desks on night shift.

[AJJKRN]

My solution has always been to ignore that stupid rule, except when Joint Commission is expected. One can quickly hide a drink or food item behind a computer monitor if necessary.

They can and have used it recently as an excuse for grounds for termination...

That being said, it's probably what I get fired for if I ever was to get fired!

[TriciaJ, RN]

Joint Commission thinks we get breaks during which we can hydrate. Management doesn't care that we don't get breaks or stay hydrated. That's our problem. We need breaks. Not a damn beverage shelf.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I agree with Emergent & Calivianya.. It is frowned upon at my job as well. If I don't get time to take a real break I'm going to eat/drink where & when I can.

I do understand why it is against policy. Contamination is a big risk, but sometimes you're starving and a break isn't in your future.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Management enforces the JCAHO rules.. at their discretion. It is NURSING management making the observation, they only enforce the rules for nurses.

I have been called out with a closed container of water, while doctors, students and telemetry technicians were chomping on potato chips and fried chicken at the desk.

I hydrated myself in the break room, then I quit that lousy job.

[MunoRN, RN]

We keep them sitting out at the nursing stations, they just need to be covered drinks (coffee cups with lids, bottles with tops), the Joint Commission and department of health have both been fine with this. Their rule is that staff cannot have food or drinks in "patient care areas". The nursing station is not a patient care area unless you are bringing patients out of their rooms and to the nurse's station for procedures, to give meds, etc.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

What patient care is done behind a computer screen? Just keep your cups behind the computer and call it a day.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I get a Styrofoam cup of ice water from the unit ice dispenser whenever the heck I feel like it. Same cups, same H2O that the pts get; if it's clean enough for pts, mgmt can't really claim an infection risk if I drink it. I do usually take a dinner break, but that isn't enough water for the whole shift. I also get very nauseated and anxious when I'm dehydrated, so if they want me to work I'm going to drink. Plus, the air is dry and my mouth will get dry enough that speaking is difficult.

I do try to respect the no outside drink rule though, because my manager has had consequences for the unit's noncompliance. She's an awesome manager who is VERY supportive of her staff, encourages us to have disruptive visitors removed, and has only mentioned The Golden Survey once (and that was to encourage us to advocate for pain control; our neurosurg team tends to undertreat.) I felt really bad that our drinks cost her a raise.

[LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN]

My personal solution is working night shift. There's fewer people around to criticize you about food/drinks at the desks on night shift.

WORD!