How Can Healthcare Facilities Encourage Better Hydration as Temperatures Drop?
Do you notice that when the temperature drops, so does the amount of water you drink? If you work in a fast-paced healthcare facility, you’re even more likely to overlook your own hydration needs. In these environments, breaks are short (and sometimes even skipped when teams are short-staffed), and infection control rules restrict food and beverages in patient care areas and nursing stations. And if over a long 12-hour shift, you’re donning and doffing PPE (including gloves and face shields), grabbing a hydration break is next to impossible.
Cold weather compounds all of this. Thirst signals weaken in cooler temperatures, and cold drinks are less appealing. This makes a well-planned on-site hydration strategy for nurses, doctors, and administrative staff crucial.
Why Medical Staff at Healthcare Facilities Must Prioritize Adequate Hydration
Even mild dehydration can become serious. This occurs when fluid output or loss (1% to 2% of total body weight in fluid) exceeds fluid intake. Mild dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, impaired focus, and can impact mood and short-term memory. Dehydration is also linked to urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and muscle cramps, and can contribute to absenteeism and burnout. It’s also stealthy. Dehydration can creep in if staff forget to drink enough water over a couple of days.
Research on nurses and doctors bears this out. In a study of 88 nurses and doctors on medical and surgical admissions wards at a UK university teaching hospital, 36% of participants were dehydrated at the start of their shift and 45% by the end. The research also reported that dehydration significantly impaired short-term memory in participants.
In a Japanese study of 115 registered nurses across 19 wards in two hospitals, 51% were already dehydrated before their shift began and 71% were dehydrated after it. Nurses with fewer years of experience were more likely to finish the shift dehydrated, and the authors recommend that managers encourage new nurses to drink enough water.
How Can Healthcare Facilities Help Staff Stay Hydrated in Cold Weather?
Healthcare facilities can improve staff hydration in cold weather by placing water and warm-drink options within a few steps of where people work. That means hydration stations in staff-only areas just outside patient care zones with hot water on demand for tea, broth, and instant soup.
At InReach, we work closely with healthcare facilities across the U.S., helping HR and operations teams implement smart hydration programs available 24/7. Our stations offer both still and sparkling water, hot water for instant teas, soups, coffee, and hot chocolate, and flavored options to add a little pizzazz.
Each station connects to the facilities’ existing water supply and filters it on-site, so staff get clean, crisp, delicious water without cases of bottles to store, restock, or carry. Touchless dispensing keeps water access hygienic, and because stations run around the clock, the night shift has the same access as the day team.
What Should a Hydration Program for Healthcare Staff Include?
An effective hydration program for healthcare staff includes filtered water in more than one format, stations placed where staff already pass through, round-the-clock availability, and hands-free dispensing. Ideally, it should also be paired with a program that supports intentional fluid intake. At InReach, telemetry complements our hydration stations by reporting how the program is used, and we customize our strategies to align with facility layouts, budget, and wellness priorities.
Each station offers:
- Chilled still, sparkling, and instant hot water.
- Custom carbonation, temperature settings, and flavorings.
- Hands-free operation.
Behind the scenes, our team handles the logistics, so your team doesn’t have to. Online ordering, analytics, usage metrics, and consolidated billing and reporting keep the program simple and easy to monitor. Staff can even track their own hydration goals if your wellness initiatives call for it. And moving away from single-serve plastic bottles also cuts waste and is better for the environment.
Hydration is only one part of keeping a healthcare workforce fueled. HR departments in the healthcare sector can support staff with a nutritional on-site food and beverage program, including a curated pantry with fresh fruit, yogurt, high-protein snacks, and other grab-and-go options. They can also include coffee, tea, energy drinks, kombucha, and more. Smart vending machines strategically placed across campus add convenience, with quick access to fresh sandwiches, wraps, tasty treats, and nutritious snack options. Instead of zipping to the nearest coffee shop for something substantial when hunger strikes, staff have everything they need on-site.
Create a custom hydration program at your facility that keeps your staff hydrated and fueled year-round. Contact InReach to schedule a consultation..