[Victoriakem]

I have given lots of breaks for smokers who always seem to be able to leave the floor to smoke no matter what is going on with their patients. One solution that seems to work is for the non-smokers to say to the returning smokers from that break is to have them watch YOUR patients while you leave the floor for 10 minutes. Keep track of when & how long the smokers leave the floor & then take a similar break & see how they like it. Is the manager aware of how many breaks the smokers take? I know this is a problem in other work places, not just health care. Many places do not hire smokers because they are not as productive as non-smokers.

Originally Posted by mjlrn97

Can anyone say "DUH"?!


I know how crabby I get when I don't get off the floor and something in my stomach by the time I've been out there for several hours. I have the added problem of coming in at 11 AM, having to break everyone for lunches, and then I get admits and/or post-ops so I don't get to lunch before 3 or 4 in the afternoon when I'm supposed to pick up a whole new team of patients. I do take that half-hour, but it tends to put me behind schedule so I really have to hit it when I come back. Breaks? I'm lucky to sit down and snarf a handful of peanuts or gulp down some water while I chart........that's a break. In the meantime, my co-workers who smoke are coming to me every hour or two and going "Couldya watch my team for ten minutes?" even though I am no longer in the PRN role by that time and have patients of my own to attend to.

I know, I need to be more assertive about taking my breaks.......even my manager has told me so, and I know she's right. I can't expect my co-workers to respect my needs if I don't tell them what they are. But I get so irritated sometimes.......I think they think because I'm the 8-hour person, I don't NEED breaks, and that's wrong. I don't begrudge them the extra break they receive because they're 12-hour employees; I just want them to acknowledge the fact that I'm entitled to a couple of 'em too. And I know it's up to me to make that happen.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by z's playa

I'm going to take a lesson from the seagulls I see around in parks. Those nosedives into the unsuspecting carton of fries seems awwwwwwfully effective my friends. Stash some food in a corner here and there.....10 or 12 of those bird dives per shift and you got yourself a hefty snack !

Z

Sometimes it's like that for me, especially if I get interrupted. I come back to the meal, shove a few bites down on my way to do something and come back and do it again, until I can actually sit again.

I'd hate this to become a smokers vs. nonsmokers thread. The smokers make it a priority to smoke (and frankly I'd rather not work with a smoker who skips his/her smoke, they are bears), just the same and the nonsmoker should make it a priority to take breaks. If they can do it, you can do.

Tweety (high and mighty non-smoker here)

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

(high and mighty non-smoker here)

Well, in this job, I've told all my smoking coworkers that I have an addiction, too--to cafeteria food.

[Nursesaremyheros]

Wow! I'm glad I saw this, I will def. check out that link!
I'm currently investigating another area that may contribute to burnout - emotion. I am a graduate student at Illinois State University. I came across this site while I was searching for information for my thesis which is about nursing and emotion.

I finally have IRB and committee approval for my thesis. I'm finishing up the online version and I need some way for nurses to put the areas they have worked in. Since there are so many possibilities I am thinking something like four basic catagories with:
a checkbox an example of some areas included yrs

Well my committee (none of which are nurses!) this that these four catagories would work:
Hospital: Critical Care
Hospital: Non critical care
Non-Hospital: Critical Care
Non-Hospital: Non critical care.

Sadly I do not know if these catagories are exhaustive enough, or what "examples" to list after the catagories (e.g. Hospital: Critical Care, i.e. Oncology, ER...)??

Would nurses just know ?

Whatever insight you can offer would be greatly greatly appreciated!!!

Oh! One more question!
I'm looking at a number of ways to distribute my survey:
1) post a message with a link on here
2) post messages on other sites such as this (are there other sites??)
3) Is there some way ANA or state sanctioned nursing associations could send out a link? That is, do you have email listserv's etc. that might be willing to send out my link?
4) Any other electronic method you can think of
5) PAPER, talk to hospital supervisors and see if I can distribute paper surveys to nurses mail boxes (or leave in lounges?) with either postage paid envelopes or a collection box?

Thank you thank you thank you!

Thank you!
Bless you!
Kate

PS - I only wear suits and heels to teach - sometimes. But rarely ever to conduct research!!
PPS - you can also reach me at magsamenk@yahoo.com

[VivaLasViejas]

I didn't mean to point the fickle finger of fate at smokers........I'm an ex-smoker myself, I know just how it feels to have a 'nicotine fit' and I'm sure I wasn't very nice when I was in the middle of one. It's just that where I work, the few smokers on our floor take A LOT of breaks, which means the rest of us often don't get our fair share, which is all I'm asking for. And yes, we HAVE brought it up to management---I myself just said something last week---but nothing real ever gets done about it. They just turf it back to us and tell us WE need to tell the offenders that we can't watch their team while they 'sneak downstairs' for 10 minutes, and that we need to be assertive about taking OUR breaks.

Which, in a way, is true......we nurses tend to be awful about taking care of our own needs, we don't want to alienate our co-workers, we make sure other peoples' needs are met before we tend to our own, yada, yada, yada. No one can take care of us but US. Still, it would be nice to have a little backup from TPTB.

[osborncs]

Another reason I enjoyed taking a bathroom break--I finally got to sit down for a minute!

[butterflynurse]

I am a smoker and the reason some of us smokers go out more than one time is that its takes at least two times going outside to finish one cigarette . We always get called back in for a phone call or a family member wants to talk to us, etc.

As far as lunch breaks go, it's sad that when we actually take one we feel stressed out and rushed to finish all of our work. The days I don't take one I almost finish on time.

[Alicia18]

During an 8-hour shift, eating is generally out of the question for me; I usually take Mountain Dew breaks -- It's quicker to drink something and hurry to answer a call bell, plus, you don't have your mouth full! I usually try to eat a big meal before work, and sometimes even during a 12 try to get away without taking a real meal break. I have to watch myself, though, because when I'm really hungry I can get dizzy and faint. When I started seeing spots one time during clinicals, I decided I would watch my body a lot closer!

[Sylv]

Originally Posted by frodo

I would love to have a meal, lucky to go to the bathroom. the nurse to patient ratio sucks lately. we need to hire some more nurses, but they just seem to keep working us to death.

Isn't that the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sylv]

Originally Posted by frodo

I would love to have a meal, lucky to go to the bathroom. the nurse to patient ratio sucks lately. we need to hire some more nurses, but they just seem to keep working us to death.

This seems to be the case everywhere, why do we all keep putting up with it?
What can we do about it?