Your getting payed to to be here...

[jessiern]

So it's okay that you have not eaten. That's what my NPO patient told me about 3pm yesterday when he was complaining about not eating lunch. Mind you, he had a large breakfast at 8:30. Guess next time I won't tell a patient that I haven't had time to eat either.

I do hate test patients have to be NPO for. They get so cranky.

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

What drives me nuts is when patients come in with a stroke, and as a result they cannot swallow without aspirating, a dysphagiogram is done, and they fail miserably, they are made NPO and the family goes crazy, and acts like we are being mean. I have caught family members sneaking patients food and drink when they are running high fevers and have junky lungs!

Even worse, one time we had an end-of-life patient who was refusing to eat. That's his choice and we can't force it, no worries. Well the family said we were being negligent because the aides "weren't trying hard enough" and said they were going to sue us! Needless to say, documentation was very important in showing that staff had been making attempts to feed him and he refused. That, and our supervisor explaining that force feeding is assault :icon_roll Still, its never fun walking around on eggshells at work when people throw around the term "lawsuit" like that.

[angelwingsamy]

the worst cases of NPO that i have ever had were in my peds clinicals. it was so sad to see those little guys like that. it broke my heart!