What is your procedure for passing ice water?

[Vtachy1]

What steps does your facility use and what type of place do you work?

[HarleyvQuinn, MSN, RN, NP]

Ice? We have a hard enough time with the small water bottles in the fridge after a smackdown-like incident involving them, a pillow case, and a nurse being thwacked in the head. Ice cubes would easily become projectiles to pelt staff for bored adolescents and manic psychotics. Or jerks of all ages.

[litbitblack, ASN, RN]

Long term care and CNA's collect all of the water pitchers and bring them out to the nutrition center to refill and replace ice water then deliver them back to the room q shift. Water pitchers are changed out with clean ones on 10-6 shift

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

28 minutes ago, litbitblack said:

Long term care and CNA's collect all of the water pitchers and bring them out to the nutrition center to refill and replace ice water then deliver them back to the room q shift. Water pitchers are changed out with clean ones on 10-6 shift

I think it's a no no to bring the pitchers out of the room in adult land in my facility. Probably an infection control issue. I've seen the techs and nurses bring ziploc bags of ice water to the rooms.

[Dy-no-mite Nurse1, CNA, LPN]

I'm on a short stay rehab unit, water is passed on both shifts. Typically the aides pass water after their morning duties e.g.; helping to get patients to the dining room for breakfast or doing hall trays, making beds, etc. Not sure when the night shift does it but I've noticed patients pitchers are full and cold when I come on duty at 7am.

[AceOfHearts<3]

I’m in the ICU and if my patient is able and allowed to eat/drink I tend to always bring a fresh cup in with me for morning meds. I never know how long the other stuff has been sitting in the room unless it’s still cold and filled with ice and I certainly don’t like drinking old stale tasting water, so I don’t expect my patients to drink it either.

When I worked on the floor our aides took care of it at scheduled times of the day (and obviously as needed). We marked on the water pitcher exactly how much a patient could have at what time if they were fluid restricted.

[Vechk]

Water pitchers at my hospital are filled once per shift and as needed. Techs/nurses fill ziplock bags with ice to deliver to each of the patients room. Patients pitchers are then filled with tap water from the sink in their rooms. Once a water pitcher is introduced to a new patient it doesn't leave the room again unless it's in the trash or leaving with the discharged patient. Due to infection control policies/procedures, used water pitchers are not allowed in the nourishment room.