*Vent* RN's make toast?!?!?!

[WickedRedRN]

Imagine my suprise this weekend when I get to work and find out that new policy is that the RN's will make toast for the pt trays!!!!

Yes, that's right, dietary will only send bread up and we are expected to toast it in the toasters provided to the unit. So now, I have to pick up the tray when it is dropped at the desk, take it to the pts room, take the bread all the way back to the convienetly located toaster (NOT) and bring it back.

I work in AICU, anyone think I really have the time for this malarkey??? I was really frustrated over this one and I told the charge nurse they better get some techs up here if this is what they expect. I can only hear the complaints now..."The nurse didnt make my toast right!"

Sorry, just had to get this one off my chest!

[flyingchange]

That's some expensive toast.

[mentalhealthRN]

I have worked on many units where the toaster was taken away! I was there for the staff's use but after burnign toast setting off the smoke detectors and the whole rest of the hospital being forced to deal with it they just took the toasters away. And most are not allowed to make popcorn in the microwave either!

As far as toasting the patients toast--crazy. There is hardly enough time for the tasks nurses have to do as it is. I would have an issue with this as you do. The more we put on the nurses plate the less safe the patients are. They are spread too thin and rushing and that is when mistakes happen!

[nyrn5125]

someone needs to break the toaster

[Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN]

I'd like to know what the rationale is of the mastermind behind all these "mealtime" policies.

Passing trays and helping feed is acceptable for a nurse to do. But preparing toast???????????? Thats a dietary job and needs to stay that way.

[MassED, BSN, RN]

I would deliver the bread to the patient, untoasted. I would tell the patient that dietary deals with the food. When they ask for you to toast it, tell them that you'll be able to get to that once you're done with the medical aspect of your patient care. Then when you burn that toast, or make it a bit too crunchy, tell them you're a better nurse than you are a cook.....

and if you can say it politely (which can be hard....) say you went to nursing school, not culinary school.

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

I think this is ridiculous.

I don't think you should have to do this.

However, I don't know if dietary would have the time to do this either because they like to short staff in that department too. When I worked dietary, we were so short staffed that when I worked I was the only person available to pass trays throughout the entire hospital. As in, I went into every patient room and put every tray on every patients bed side table (many times having to clear there tables to do this). In addition to passing trays in the hospital by myself, I also had to push two stainless steal meal carts down a ramp underground that went to the extended care facility (a whole different building) and I had to pass the trays out to the residents there. I also had to set up fancy tables for all the mothers and fathers who had babies that day (table cloth, putting ice into glasses, pouring drinks). ALL OF THIS HAD TO BE DONE IN UNDER A HOUR AND A HALF. I would not have had time to toast, toast.

Maybe they are trying to push this on the nursing staff because they don't have enough dietary staff? They need to hire more dietary people and stop pushing this onto the nursing staff. However, the problem with adequate staffing in dietary, as I was told, was:

1. They couldn't find enough people who were willing to work in the conditions

2. The people who were willing to work in the dietary conditions couldn't pass the drug test

We were especially short staffed because two of the employees got in a fist fight in the kitchen and when the manager tried to break it up, he got punched too. They were fired on the spot.

Dietary at that hospital was really tough and stressful! YIKES.

[CNABESS]

So what the h@$$ is the dietary staff doing for breakfast??? Is it that the hosp. has cut dietary staff to save a few bucks and the old "they can do it on the floor" bell was rung during a management meeting?? Honestly, this is not a terrible tragedy, unless of course, someone falls, chokes, doesn't get suctioning, has a febrile siezure etc.... while the nurses were making toast. THAT would be a nice lawsuit for the hospital to deal with.

In LTC facility I was most recently at the CNAs are now preparing the liquids on the trays, folding, hanging, and putting away laundry, and doing hair (cuts and sets). This is ridiculous! How can we take care of 12 residents who are complete care and do a decent job??? We Cant! Always during laundry rounds someone falls. Always while preparing the juices, coffee or tea for trays a resident decides he is sick of waiting and tries to pour coffee himself and burns himself. Always, always, always!!!! Really, can't the hospital bite the bullet and just hire one more dietary aid ? Just an opinion.

[flyingchange]

On the other hand, maybe a good way to put the visitors to use.....

"Here's Fred's bread. Oh, he prefers toast? Boy, here's your chance to make it just how he likes it at home! Toaster's right over there, go nuts."

[barbyann]

form a committee..include dietary, nursing, patient advocates, CEO, security and the fire marshall. Discuss ad nauseum the pros and cons of the current toasting protocol. Meet for an hours length at least three times and you may just make some headway. That is how we handle things here.

[SlightlyMental_RN]

form a committee..include dietary, nursing, patient advocates, CEO, security and the fire marshall. Discuss ad nauseum the pros and cons of the current toasting protocol. Meet for an hours length at least three times and you may just make some headway. That is how we handle things here.

How very true.

[schroeders_piano, RN]

What will they have you doing next, changing lightbulbs?

Heck, changing lightbulbs, mopping floors, and doing admiting functions after 2300 has been part of my duties for years.

We joke all the time that in the hospital I work in why do we need the ancillary departments. Nursing becomes Purchasing/ Central Supply after 1500, Pharmacy after 1600, Dietary after 1800, Resp Therapy after 1900, Housekeeping/laundry after 2200, Admiting after 2300, and Social Services on the weekend. I'm surprised we aren't having to run the labs and take the x-rays as well.

[caliotter3]

Heck, changing lightbulbs, mopping floors, and doing admiting functions after 2300 has been part of my duties for years.

We joke all the time that in the hospital I work in why do we need the ancillary departments. Nursing becomes Purchasing/ Central Supply after 1500, Pharmacy after 1600, Dietary after 1800, Resp Therapy after 1900, Housekeeping/laundry after 2200, Admiting after 2300, and Social Services on the weekend. I'm surprised we aren't having to run the labs and take the x-rays as well.

Don't worry, if they could think of a way to make it happen, you would run the labs and take x-rays too.