NO LUNCH??? NO BREAKS??? Is that common in nursing?????

mscsrjhm · Feb 27, 2009

Where I work it is mandatory that we document we had a break even if we did not or we would get reported. We could get written up for eating or drinking at the nurses station.

Through agency, I have worked at places that required their own staff to do this.

I just don't get it.

I go to work to make money, and consider putting food in my children's mouths a great responsibility. I work very hard, am a good employee, do my job, and respect the employer/employee relationship. I'm pretty thick skinned, don't let little things bother me, and try to work with all P&Ps without complaint.

But-

NEVER MESS WITH MY MONEY!!!

If I don't get lunch- I WILL be paid.

And, isn't it illegal to mandate employees to perform criminal acts? Falsifying timecards to avoid paying employees for time worked- wouldn't that be criminal in a really big way?

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

I told a manager once " we should at least be able to have the time to change our tampons during our shift. She was pretty speechless.

LegginMF1 · Feb 27, 2009

I am in Ca. I know of multiple RN's who complain of no breaks.....ever. No one to cover their pt's while they take break. I am an LVN and if you work ALZ/Dem or convalescent you will have 35 to 40 pts, be responsible for 2-4 med passes in an 8 hr shift, charting, new orders, tx and admits. Breaks, I don't think so. I once worked at a facility alz/dem, locked. I had 53 to 56 residents, of which 2-5 were actively dying at any given time, not only were we expexted to all of the stuff listed above but we were also expected to make cheese platters and serve ice water to the family of the actively dying pts!

LegginMF1 · Feb 27, 2009

Oh yeah. At the job where we were one nurse to 53+ we were required to clock out for lunch. But get this..... we were not allowed to leave the building. The reasoning was that since there was only one licensed nurse on duty per shift it would be a violation for us to leave the building and there was no one to leave the key to the med/narc cart with. Took me about 6 month to say KMA. I called the labor board got paid time and a half for 6 months of missed breaks. Since I was not allowed to leave the building I was considered on call and since itoccurred during my regularly scheduled shift I was paid ot for it.

I LOVE THE LABOR BOARD!!!! LOL

My last complaint with them got me $800 in back pay and $6800 in penalties. The other nurse I worked got $1500 in back pay and $10,000 in penalties. When in doubt keep your mouth shut and go to the labor board.

Altered · Feb 27, 2009

i know nurses in california, and they have everything i have said and so much more. great pt ratios; nurses filling in for their breaks; guaranteed raises for years to come.
now that i see you are a second semester nursing student, i am editing my post of the irrelevant information i was giving you. become a nurse in california before you stand up here and try to tell me i am wrong. maybe you should add "2nd semester nursing student" to your experience. you could have saved me this entire post.

go eat something. it'll take the edge off.

LilyBlue · Feb 27, 2009

go eat something. it'll take the edge off.

what a rude and dismissive post.

LilyBlue · Feb 27, 2009

I am in Ca. I know of multiple RN's who complain of no breaks.....ever. No one to cover their pt's while they take break. I am an LVN and if you work ALZ/Dem or convalescent you will have 35 to 40 pts, be responsible for 2-4 med passes in an 8 hr shift, charting, new orders, tx and admits. Breaks, I don't think so. I once worked at a facility alz/dem, locked. I had 53 to 56 residents, of which 2-5 were actively dying at any given time, not only were we expexted to all of the stuff listed above but we were also expected to make cheese platters and serve ice water to the family of the actively dying pts!

Barf. You know, seriously, I can handle needy patients. The patients usually aren't the problem. It's the family members who make me want to quit my job.

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

but it is important to some co-workers, and so i work with them to make sure they can get away for 30 minutes to eat.
and in return, they respect what is important to me.
once a co-worker states a need for food due to: diabetes, post-illness, medications, or feeling weak- we make sure they get their lunch break.
.

why do we need a 'medical condition' to 'be sure' we get a lunch break?? shouldn't a basic necessity like food and being allowed to eat without any 'special' circumstances be a human right , my g-d, even prisoners get 3 meals. :uhoh21: it's amazing the insanity we put up with and justify, as being our weakness, if only i could be more organized etc. bull. poor staffing and pt acuity is the only reason we don't eat or pee, many years ago you could do both, then again in that lifetime nurse managers actually gave a crap about their staff. it's completely abusive, we put up with this crap, hoping it may change, keep working harder and maybe if your 'a good girl' the powers that be will change, it's practically battered wife sydrome, geez,wonder how i got my username

makes needs known · Feb 27, 2009

Our dietary department prepares a cart of coffee and donuts for families of patients who are dying. That frees up nursing to do nursing. Seems to me that a coffee cart is a small thing to offer for a family who is losing a loved one. I notice nursing doing alot of jobs that should be done by other departments. I guess that the other departments go home, and nursing is always there. I would make a nicer tray for the families, little sandwiches, homemade cookies, and several kinds of juice, etc. I am joking of course. Even though I know I could do it better, my point is that by having other departments do this, it enables nursing to do their job better...

LilyBlue · Feb 27, 2009

I guess as a healthcare consumer I have different expectations than many. Even before I was a nurse, it never occurred to me that as a visitor, the nurses should meet my needs for food, drink etc. I just assumed that was my responsibility and the nurse's responsibility was to care for my dying relative. It seems so many people have so many different expectations - it's hard to figure out what each person's is.

makes needs known · Feb 27, 2009

Customer service is a really big issue for us and I think that they consider the family as customers, too. I work in ltc and some of our pts have been with us for weeks or months and sometime years. The family is important to us.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 27, 2009

barf. you know, seriously, i can handle needy patients. the patients usually aren't the problem. it's the family members who make me want to quit my job.

i second that one! i've had family members follow me into the break room, sit down, and start to chat. i look at them as if they're rudely interrupting (which they are) and sometimes they'll get the hint. but sometimes other nurses will invite them to stay and chat. grrrrrrr!