A man visiting a relative in hospital walks straight into the ward's pantry and helps himself to coffee and biscuits before heading to the patient's room. Meanwhile, another visitor heads for a bathroom and walks away with a stool used by weak patients for in the shower.
Though less prevalent than at St Luke's, Malta's main hospital remains a magnet for looters, as certain visitors steal anything in sight, from toilet paper, light switches and soap dispensers to patients' belongings.
These are a few of the "little annoyances" faced by nurses at Mater Dei Hospital on a daily basis.
"They are not big annoyances but a string of many little ones. We need to educate people how to behave when they come to hospital and to first and foremost respect patients," staff nurse Julia Colerio said.
Armed with a two-page list in hand, she outlined the main problems nurses and doctors face with some hospital visitors.
Ms Coleiro admitted that, since the move to Mater Dei hospital two years ago, visitors' behaviour had improved - probably because people were prepared to have more respect for a new building.
"Since the move, people also stopped walking into hospital carrying a pot of soup as many did at St Luke's Hospital. I think it's because the food improved," Mr Coleiro said.
However, some old habits die hard, she added. People insist on keeping their mobile phones on, turning up outside visiting hours, overcrowding wards or failing to keep their voices down, causing inconvenience to other patients.
"I've even had cases of people peeping through a curtain I would have drawn to treat a patient," she said.
"And some are heard discussing the health of other patients after they would have overheard something during a ward round."
More commonly, visitors sit on patients' beds or, in some cases, use vacant beds to take a nap.
"People don't realise that when they sit on beds they run the risk of spreading germs. It's not hygienic," Ms Coleiro said.
"Some people just need to learn how to respect patients and remember they are in a hospital where people are sick and vulnerable... that's why we point these annoyances out," she said.