NO LUNCH BREAKS ?*!$??

Va · May 19, 2001

I think they are supposed to be paid if they are not able to take a lunch break due to staffing. The nurses on our unit cover for each other also. Even if you have to have four different lunch assignments with a couple of nurses or a nurse and a PCT going every thirty minutes, they should leave the floor for a few minutes. You can also phone a friend and call the nursing supervisor and tell her to come on down!

jamistlc · May 20, 2001

Originally posted by Agnus:
Just my opinion here. Sounds like these nurse have not thought through the importance of taking thier breaks. That doesn't sound like an unusually large patient load for ortho, to me. Sometimes we make ourselves martyrs. It's a power (or insecurity) thing to think we are the only ones who can care for our patients. It is important to relenquish control for 30 minutes. (ie simple, you covery my pts, and I cover yours while at lunch)They're more than grochy their not thinking right.
either.
I would make 30 minutes away from the patient area mandatory. If that means just going in the lounge for 30 minutes that's ok. These nurses are not takeing care of each other. I bet they fight a lot.

Greetings All Nurses,

True but you are not taking into account nurses like me who do staffing at nursing homes where it is so understaffed that job coverage for a 1/2 hour would be impractical or when I do private duty where there are days I work basically as a hospital sitter and can not leave the room unless I can get someone to cover me for 10 or so minutes! :eek: In addition I have clients who are confused and NPO so I can not eat in front of them.

Peace,

Have a Blessed Day,

Jami :)

Agnus · May 20, 2001

Just my opinion here. Sounds like these nurse have not thought through the importance of taking thier breaks. That doesn't sound like an unusually large patient load for ortho, to me. Sometimes we make ourselves martyrs. It's a power (or insecurity) thing to think we are the only ones who can care for our patients. It is important to relenquish control for 30 minutes. (ie simple, you covery my pts, and I cover yours while at lunch)They're more than grochy their not thinking right.

either. :eek:

I would make 30 minutes away from the patient area mandatory. If that means just going in the lounge for 30 minutes that's ok. These nurses are not takeing care of each other. I bet they fight a lot.

GInurse · May 21, 2001

I work for a gastroenterologist and we schedule from 8 am to 430 pm. We NEVER take a lunch break. We are either rounding at the hospital, seeing patients at the office, or doing endoscopy. One of the office girls is responsible for retrieving the doctor's lunches from the cafeteria every day, but I can't tell you how many times I have sucked down a bag of chips between cases or phone calls. It's frustrting, but I guess it just comes with the territory (I don't clock out for any breaks). In our practice, I'm it. There is not anyone to cover for me. Job security-yes- potential burnout-maybe.....

nbicurn · May 21, 2001

I work in a Newborn ICU (hence the nbicurn handle). We are expected to attend all high risk deliveries and due to minimized staffing this often means that we are on call to these deliveries during our break. The other night while I was at dinner my supervisor was discussing with me some task that she had delegated to me when they called for the third delivery of the shift. I asked another RN at the table to please go. I then finished my 15 minutes of break (I had other things to do), and went back. After the delivery the other RN complained the rest of the night and one of her comments was that since I went back so soon, I really could have relieved her, since she wasn't done with her dinner (even though I had done the other two deliveries). I don't know how to fix this and it seems to affect nurses from all over. I would love to have 30 min of uninterrupted break.!!

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · May 21, 2001

I think we should all forget about a national sick out and have everyone actually take their breaks for a week. It's amazing that we can all sit and ***** , but no one takes responsibility for personal action. And a grad student(!) trying to find a way to allow breaks, and studying the impact...

This is not an acceptable way to practice, no wonder nurses are not given respect. I am so angry and about ready to stop reading the BB, why whine about poor conditions and not DO anything about it?

willie2001 · May 21, 2001

We were informed just recently that even if we do get off of the floor for our 1/2 hour lunch break and it is interupted(ie: page, phone call etc.) with anything work related,we get paid for that entire break. It has always been the case that if we are just plain too swamped to get the 1/2 hour we get paid for that time. It's supposedly the law that employees get breaks and if they don't they get paid.

PhantomRN · May 21, 2001

I really have a hard time with this. People say all the time they dont get breaks, what exactly do you mean?

When I worked nights it was the rare occasion that I was not able to sit down by myself and enjoy my food, granted at night one can't leave the floor. Where would you go a 3am anyway.

Now that I work days It is also the rare event that I don't get a break, It has actually been easier to ensure my breaks during the day as there are more nurses to cover my patients while I am OFF the floor.