~The Silver.~--The silver must be bright and in cold weather made slightly warm, as must also the china. The chill of cold silver may readily obliterate a fragile appetite, and to place hot food in cold dishes will deprive it of much of its palatability. The foods intended to be hot must be really hot, not warm, and those which are intended to be cold should be thoroughly chilled before being served to a patient. The placing of flowers on a tray is a questionable addition to it; a single flower laid across the folded napkin may add daintiness and attractiveness, but it is poor judgment to over-decorate, either with flowers or by garnishing the dishes.
~Arranging the Tray.~--If the nurse will place the necessary articles upon the tray and memorize their position so that she will be able to duplicate the same at each meal, she will be able to tell at a glance if everything needed is in its proper place, thereby saving herself unnecessary steps and the patient the worry of having to wait until they can be brought. Food should not be allowed to stand in the sickroom, and glasses or plates in which food has been served should be removed from sight as soon as the patient finishes with them. Care must be taken, however, not to create the impression of hurry or the patient will be made nervous and either will lose her appetite or have indigestion.
The nurse should be careful of her topics of conversation during the meal hour. Especially must disagreeable subjects and business matters be rigidly excluded if the invalid is to obtain the full benefit of the food served her.
1. ~Setting the Tray.~--Tray should be sufficiently large not to give the appearance of being crowded, but not too large.
2. Tray cover must be spotless, and of a size to just cover the edges of tray; if too large, make a pleat down the center.
3. Place service plate directly in front of patient.
4. Knife, cutting edge in, to the right of plate; fork, tines up, to the left of plate.
6. Napkin on the lower left side of tray, open edges to the lower right side.
7. Bread and butter plate on top of napkin.
8. Soup tureen in lower right corner, with cup and saucer above it.
9. Tea or coffee pot and hot water pot in upper right-hand corner of tray, with sugar bowl next to hot pot and cream pitcher next to sugar bowl.