how many break(s) in your 12 hrs. shift?

[Sammi15]

Hello

I plan to work 12 hours night shift when I graduate in 2007. Just curious how many break(s) will be given? Also, how long is your break?

Any input will be appricated!

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I" from Maryland and we get 30 minutes

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

I always take my 30 minute lunch break, unless I have a really good reason I don't get paid for that half hour so I take it. I usually find time for a 10 minute break after I assess my patients and do the charting on that. That gives me a relax, deep breath period to decide how I will deal with the issues that are not emergent. I find I cannot think things out when I am answering call lights and talking to co-workers. Sometimes I take a later break about 2 hours before the end of the shift for the same reason. My short breaks are no more than 10 minutes, sometimes just sit in the hall outside the unit in the dark and quiet, sometimes a quick walk outside to smell air contaminated by vehicles instead of sick humans.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

I hope the people who are routinely working through their breaks are getting paid for doing so.

Our half-hour break is unpaid no matter what you do with it but the 15" break is paid.

[melsch]

You guys need to start taking your breaks as you are only hurting yourselves and making it easier for the hospital to work you short staffed. We take two unpaid 30 min meal breaks and two paid 15 min coffee breaks. There is no running off the floor for a 5 min smoke break in between and you are expected to stay in the hospital for your 15 min breaks, meal breaks you can leave for though. In Canada I believe the government has mandated this for twelve hour shifts, but it might just be in our union contract. On nights if possible we take all of our breaks together so we can have a nap. We also work in teams and have no problem covering for each other. Our manager doesn't care how we do our breaks at night so long as the work gets done.

[OR2ER, BSN, RN]

you guys need to start taking your breaks as you are only hurting yourselves and making it easier for the hospital to work you short staffed. we take two unpaid 30 min meal breaks and two paid 15 min coffee breaks. there is no running off the floor for a 5 min smoke break in between and you are expected to stay in the hospital for your 15 min breaks, meal breaks you can leave for though. in canada i believe the government has mandated this for twelve hour shifts, but it might just be in our union contract. on nights if possible we take all of our breaks together so we can have a nap. we also work in teams and have no problem covering for each other. our manager doesn't care how we do our breaks at night so long as the work gets done.

same here..in our er,,if you work 12 hrs on day shift..two 30-min breaks and one 45-min break..you are only paid 11.25 hrs.night shift is in the discretion of the charge nurse.if its busy..everybody gets 30 mins-1 hr.sometimes none at all...if its not..we take our break all together anywhere from 1-2 hrs as long as every area is covered.

[Midwest4me]

In my LTC experience there was NO time for breaks though we were expected to clock out and take lunch(30-min). Constant interruptions by CNAs/phone calls, etc occurred while we were on lunch so we were winding up "working" anyway; therefore I'd clock out and continue to work---when I was managing to take a few mins for lunch I'd wind up getting out of work late and incurring the wrath of the DNS about overtime.

Community health group homes are a different story---we are there 12 hours, paid for the entire 12 as we cannot leave; since there is a LOT of "down" time, we don't really figure in "break" times.

[rnmi2004]

I work 12-hr night shift & usually only take my 30 minute lunch. If I can't even squeeze that in I can and will clock out "no lunch" so I get paid for it. We are also supposed to get two 15-minute breaks, but only the smokers actually take them (and they're gone so long, they take the non-smokers breaks too ). We non-smokers joke about taking up the habit just so we can take more breaks. People have complained for years and management won't do anything about it.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

one 30 minute break

[HighHopes]

Ok, sorry this is unrelated to the topic. I'm having trouble posting a new thread. I watched the little video thing, but I still don't see where it says post new thread. Grrrr. Also, if someone posts a reply to me, where do I find it? Grrrr. Just grrrrr. Lol. Any help would be appreciated. My email is [email protected] just in case I don't find the reply,

[dcbg]

well, sometimes you are lucky to get a break.....it can be very overwhelming.....I think a joke i once heard is appropriate for this question....

A WOMAN WAS FOUND DEAD ON THE SHORE LINE OF A BEACH, THE CORONER CAME TO EVELUATE THE CASE, AND ALTHOUGH THE WOMAN WAS DECAPITATED, THE CORONER SAYS TO HIS ASSISTANT "WELL AT LEAST I KNOW IT WAS A NURSE.."

THE ASSISTANT SAYS BACK TO THE CORONER "HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS, SHE HAS NO ID, NO UNIFORM ON THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE SHE WAS A NURSE"

TO THIS THE CORONER REPLIES "3 THINGS TELL ME SHE'S A NURSE....HER STOMACH IS EMPTY, HER BLADDER IS FULL, AND HER ASS IS CHEWED OUT"

lol

seriously though, on 12 hr shifts where i work you get 3 15 min breaks, and 1 30min lunch....good luck to you!