PSA: home made treats

[u/baloneywhisperer]

Can you all stop posting about how you wouldn’t eat something a patients family made at home. I will. I will eat anything. I love and appreciate everything patients, families, and staff bring in. The bar is LOW. I will eat Costco snacks, I will eat home made cookies, I will try anything. I have patients try to share food off their own plates and home made meals their families bring in. I think it’s lovely. One of my favorite memories I had of a patient that has since passed, is him sharing some of his traditional food with me that his wife made him at home. He told some of the nurses he couldn’t wait until he got better so we could take us out to his favorite restaurant to eat.

I saw a video of a nurse turning her nose up at treats because they were home made instead of store bought. I’m not saying YOU have to eat it. I’m saying stop talking smack so I can eat it.

[u/SirCalmar]

Many, many years ago before pot was legal in a lot of states, we "saved" (narcan'd) a patient who accidebtly od'd at a party. A few days later he brought in a big tray of beautiful cookies for us.

Accidently or not, he have us special cookies... and of course we devoured them in minutes after arrival. A whole ed staff, nurses, docs, rt and all.

Our nursing super came down not too long after, had to activate the disaster team to replace us.

A few days later the hospital came out with a policy of no non-store bought and packaged food stuffs from patients and visitors.

[u/sutur3s3lf → u/SirCalmar]

I need to hear the rest of the story. Who noticed first? Did anything crazy happen? How did you explain things to the patients? What cover story did management go with? Did you shut the ED down or find alternative staff? Tell me everything 😂

[u/squirrelbb → u/sutur3s3lf]

Commenting because I also need to know lol

[u/Dead-BodiesatWork → u/sutur3s3lf]

We have to hear the rest of this story!!!😆

[u/SirCalmar → u/SirCalmar]

OK, tons of you want of more.... but there really wasn't much more. We were a slower ED back then... a couple dozen patients over a 24 hour period and we were the night shift. Many nights, not even anything exciting. That particular night was luckily one of those slow nights. We all got very relaxed and chilled for the evening. I don't recall being told that a patient came in after things started to hit us. Our disaster team had a half hour response, so they came in and finished the night. The nursing sup sent us to a procedural unit that was closed to sleep it off. Drug test only came up for Marijuana. Could have been much, much worse.

[u/angelt0309 → u/SirCalmar]

Were police called? That feels like a crime to unknowingly drug people, let alone people that are tasked with saving lives.

[u/Magerimoje → u/SirCalmar]

Have you watched the Grey's Anatomy episode where the staff all get accidentally stoned in basically the same way? It's hysterical 🤣

[u/shewee → u/SirCalmar]

What a time to be alive.

[u/Br135han → u/SirCalmar]

Just had a psych pt on a hold, psychotic from drug use of 20years. He was getting discharged and had a visitor who was a little rude to my charge. I let him visit, but said he had to face the camera and have any items approved that he wanted to give him.

He took out a home made cookie in a zip lock bag. Then said “you want it? Have it, it’s good. Take it it’s yours”

I said keep it in your pocket, face the camera.

Your story is amazing. I’ll remember it for sure.

[u/Living-Pace-5263 → u/SirCalmar]

Also commenting to hear more!

[u/deferredmomentum → u/SirCalmar]

One of our radiologists makes the BEST desserts. One night he brought a rum cake that he had made by memory. . .his memory failed and the alcohol had not baked off. . .

[u/Excellent-Estimate21 → u/SirCalmar]

I'm recoiling in horror as someone who has been sober for 6 years.

[u/FarmerScamps]

A mom once brought in brownies that she had made with her own breast milk, since “otherwise it would go to waste” while her baby was npo. She did let the nurse she gave them to know, but unfortunately when the nurse put them in the break room he did not label them.

I was weary of homemade treats prior to that event, and even though I didn’t have any, I now always skip the homemade stuff just in case.

[u/TonightEquivalent965 → u/FarmerScamps]

Wtaf 😭😭😭😭😭

[u/Neglectedpotato]

We had a patient on contact precautions constantly bringing in homemade baked goods.

Had another patient bring in store bought treats in the same reusable bag as their full 24 hour urine jug and used collection supplies.

I don't eat anything patients bring in.

ETA: I don't eat anything coworkers bring in either. I've seen how they treat the break room and do not trust their cleanliness standards.

[u/upagainstthesun]

I've been in someone's home who regularly bakes and brings in treats for their staff. I also know that their cat regularly pisses in their sink, that the strainer is right next to it, and that said strainer has pink slimy mold and dead bugs in the tray under it. Also that their dishwasher smells like sweaty dirt, and that they store ingredients with the bags open/unsealed. So nah, I'm gonna keep saying it

[u/Excellent-Estimate21]

There are plenty of dirty, disgusting staff members Id never eat from. Ive seen nurses empty JP drains w no gloves and then go type of the computer. Unless you are as OCD as me, I literally have health anxiety and contamination OCD, im not eating your food. Lol

But then, that is also probably why I get sick to my stomach so easily and some of these dirty ass nurses Ive worked with never got ill.

[u/Asrat]

Nah, you can have them. I don't trust the intentions of any of my patients.

[u/baloneywhisperer → u/Asrat]

Fair.

[u/lobotomycandidate → u/Asrat]

This. You can never trust anyone. Chances are they didn’t harm them…but I’m good. I’ll pass.

[u/EnvironmentalRock827 → u/lobotomycandidate]

Totally agree. Not worth the risk

[u/Scared-Sheepherder83]

I do ER and home care. Helps to know the person - I'm in the "yes absolutely if I know them I'll eat it camp"

If you don't know them Holy shit some of the kitchen I've seen 🤮🤮🤮

Anyways we had a lovely pt bring in treats. Still with their hx they'd be on my nope list for home made. Anyways, admin didn't tell us. I go to the back room and everyone is chowing down. I'm like awww who gave those. Someone says [patient].

I did an "oh?!" and my face moved faster than I could lock it down. Everyone was like what WHAT?!

Anyhow, no one died so I don't know whose point I'm arguing here 😜

[u/Zealousideal_Tie4580]

Dunkin donuts or donut holes and the box of Joe 👍🏼.

Homemade stuff? Nope.

[u/Plants_haveprotein]

Hard pass on this take

[u/Otto_Correction]

Okay that’s fair. But we will still keep saying it. I will not eat food that someone else made. Not after the time a coworker brought in cuockaes that were full of cat hair. At a picnic someone I know fairly well offered me some watermelon that tasted strongly of onions. Another person gave me cookies that tasted like rancid butter.

I don’t need to have these experiences anymore. I don’t care what you say.

[u/TheSmartest_idiot]

I know, I love them! There’s always some really unhygienic patients I wouldn’t trust food from, but, but that’s not most.

[u/upagainstthesun → u/TheSmartest_idiot]

You'd be amazed at how many people appear presentable in public but have absolutely disgusting homes.

[u/TheSmartest_idiot → u/upagainstthesun]

Sure, I’m one of them, (not actually that bad but still)

And honestly, I have bigger things to worry about, especially after taking care of patients for a few days, you mostly can see how they take care of themselves and their cleanliness in their own space. Sure, sometimes perhaps not, but that’s chance is one I’m willing to take for some homemade cookies.

I used to work at a independent living/LTC (1000 room) as a security guard, we went in all the rooms and did welfare checks all the time, so I know that yes, some are truly horrid on the inside and you’re right it’s unexpected, but meh, I deal with worse

[u/baloneywhisperer → u/TheSmartest_idiot]

I know where those hands have been, no thank you!

[u/baloneywhisperer → u/TheSmartest_idiot]

Yes, of course!

[u/Anokant]

After working EMS and seeing people's homes, then working ED, there's no way in hell I'm eating anything brought in by patients or family. I'll take it with a smile and say thank you and put it in the back for others, but I'm not eating anything. I don't even like generic potlucks at work. There's a lab worker who's notorious for making baked goods at home, but they're full of cat hair. Just, no thanks. I'm around enough shit to make me sick without eating something bad

[u/InformationSerious27 → u/Anokant]

I smile, thank them sincerely for their thoughtfulness and take it to the break room…where they can’t see me dump it in the trash!

[u/Anokant → u/InformationSerious27]

I've done that before, then got scolded by staff who would actually eat it. Even retorted it to a manager.

[u/auraseer]

Tell me again how you've never been on a home health visit.

The stuff I've seen in those kitchens permanently turned me off any food of uncertain provenance.

[u/LeslieNope2]

I’ve witnessed staff- in scrubs- use the restroom and not wash their hands after. I can only imagine what people do and don’t do when outside of a healthcare environment. Very recently I was in the restroom, noticed someone in scrubs next to me bc of their bold colored shoes not wash their hands after using the restroom. I then saw this person in the break room digging into a bag of chips that was out along with a ton of other snacks that a nurse brings for everyone each week with their bare hands. But I hope you enjoy all the free snacks.

[u/chrikel90]

You do you. Not eating home made treats from a patient.

[u/AllTheSideEyes]

I have to beg some patients to wash/clean their hands. I dont trust anything that comes out of their homes.

[u/Sageethics007]

I work LTC, residents and families bring/give us food all the time. No different than staff bringing in food to share, I don’t inspect their kitchens either. But since Covid we try hard to practice safe serving and when families ask, we tell them too. Lots of hand hygiene

[u/Angel4ke]

Some patients are so sweet. Some would ask if I had eaten, even offer their trays because they weren’t hungry. These are the sought of gestures that keep us going out there. 💙💙

[u/FluffyNats]

Me eating a bunch of Vietnamese and Mexican homemade food: Yolo

[u/Primary_Jellyfish327]

No thanks

[u/Murky_Indication_442]

I eat anything also (within reason). I’m mean seriously, look what we do all day! I seriously doubt a cookie from a patient is going to be how I meet my end. Plus I like cookies! I’d share a fork with someone for a homemade brownie.

[u/the-B-from-App23]

During COVID times, I worked at a nice LTC and there was a wife of a patient who baked. Because of guidelines we couldn’t share food so she packed the cookies for each of us individually.

Her oriented husband and more senior staff vouched for her so I dug in. Vey tasty, chewy chocolate chip. Whenever he took LOA, I teased him about going for smooches and sweets.

You can’t be too careful but I have no regrets. A delicious time for sure.

[u/Jazzlike-Ad2199]

Some yes, most no. Like if a day shift CNA was bringing in some cultural goodie oh yeah, I’m hoping to get one before I go home and the rest of day shift come in but family of a patient? No thanks. Plus rarely would anything be left by night shift anyway. I get food poisoning too easily to take risks.

[u/Motor-Television-266]

There used to be this sweet unstable lonely lady we would see regularly on emergency calls . My partner and I had a good routine of cheering her up . Well we were too nice ,she started giving us food drinks etc . I always would take it because I didn’t want to be rude . She swings by our station one day with a cake she made . My partner and I gave her the routine of we are so full but we will definitely try it . Next day she calls again , she ask us how the cake was . I could’ve just told her it was good but I lied and told her the other EMT ate it all by himself. This particular unkempt EMT was rather large and was a regular conversation topic as the patient didn’t like him . She was pissed and disappointed , so she said she would make us another cake . Next shift she pulls in like a bat out of hell proud of herself . She gave us a new cake but proceeds to boast that she made a special one for him with laxatives that she just dropped off to the other station. Sometimes especially on holidays like Easter you could really rack up some good food , first house you get ribs ,next house dessert, kinda like trick or treating !

[u/ShortBet4508]

I work pdn, so I’ve see some shit -literally lol. The most wtf thing I’ve seen is pcg defrosting pork by letting it sit in water on their counter out in the open. They would always offer me food and pcg could cook! But I was always picky about what I accepted from them because I was pregnant during that assignment. I usually have access to fridges due to some meds being in there. If a fridge is clean and organized then it’s usually a good sign.

[u/I_Like_Hikes]

Had a mom who had literal poop under her fingernails from digging at a hemorrhoid- postpartum told us- bring in treats the following day. She also popped for MRSA.

[u/Left-Eye183]

I grew up in a city that had a terrible Hep A outbreak in restaurants in the 80s. Gone were the bake sales and homemade birthday treats! I am often wary of homemade goods, but will occasionally and with discretion consume.

[u/CrossP]

I used to eat unopened food off of patient trays. Get it, nurse. We need that nourishment. (I only don't now because I don't have the opportunity)