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!"
Usually the hours that the health department requires states nursing hours per patient. Technically speaking the time spent making toast is not a nursing function and should be deducted from the amount of nursing hours calculated going towards patient care. If it is a facility that accepts medicare could be a fraud issue, making claims to medicare for nursing reimbursement when the nurse is not involved in nursing care but non-nursing related dietary functions.
It definitely illustrates that there seem to be some marked differences between UK & US nursing culture.
Also - just a thought, but I wonder if anyone at the OP's facility thought to consider the food handling regulations that must be enforced. There may be some slight variations according to localities, but in gerneral -- before they can hand off any part of the food preparation process, all the staff would need to undergo training specific to food handling. They would also need to have documentation of the health department screening that food handlers must undergo.
There are pretty severe consequences for violation of Health Department codes.. including posting the violations for the public to review. All in all, there seem to be a lot of unintended consequences to this daffy management notion, don't you think?? I think I will cite it in my next course for new nurse managers... you just can't make this stuff up.
Well, you know pts don't often get trays in the ED. In general, if a pt is requesting toast they probably don't belong in the department. Regardless of that, I wouldn't put a “toast nurse assignment” passed anyone running the unit I work in.
In this event I would nicely request an in-service with CEH. I would also suggest that they hang a sign at the main entrance: “Our nurses will make you toast!” Clearly this is what a person looks for when choosing a hospital -just saying.
There would have to be some sort of guidelines. Toast only on Saturday morning and only on 1 patient per assignment. I didn't even think toast was that popular.
Well, you know pts don't often get trays in the ED. In general, if a pt is requesting toast they probably don't belong in the department. Regardless of that, I wouldn't put a "toast nurse assignment" passed anyone running the unit I work in.
In this event I would nicely request an in-service with CEH. I would also suggest that they hang a sign at the main entrance: "Our nurses will make you toast!" Clearly this is what a person looks for when choosing a hospital -just saying.
It's a lot of responsibility making toast!
What's next people?!
What's next:
Brewing the tea for your unit
Making Fresh squeezed orange juice
Ironing the hospital gowns
Walking around with choices of flavored creamers for pt/visitor coffee
Wonder if you can make toast with a Lifepak, and if so, would one charge to 360 J ? Would one vary the joules for light/medium/dark toast? I advise that management should study this at once.
Wonder if you can make toast with a Lifepak, and if so, would one charge to 360 J ? Would one vary the joules for light/medium/dark toast? I advise that management should study this at once.
:yeah:
Up2nogood RN, RN
860 Posts
Send her my way too please.