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

[CleveRN2008]

Hi everyone!

This topic has been bothering me a lot lately. I would love to know your thoughts and experiences! I am a new RN working on a cardiac unit. Since I have been on this floor, I have observed and experienced first hand how many of the nurses do NOT get a break during their 8 and 12 hour shifts. If we do take a break, we have to find someone on the floor who can cover our typically 4-5 patients. Our charge nurses do NOT cover lunches and our parent shifters are not used for this, either. There have been many days when I went home after working 13 plus hours and not sitting down once or being able to use the bathroom.

Is this COMMON in the nursing profession? According to wage and hour federal laws, we are entitled to a break.

This frustrates me as I think we are all entitled to some time away and I do not feel it is our responsibility to find our own coverage.

What are you guys finding out in the nursing community? Do you swipe a "no lunch?" Is this even SAFE? Technically, this employer is violating wage and hour laws by not freeing the nurses up for a break.

Please share your thoughts and experiences with me. I think this practice is wrong and I would like to implement change...I just do not know how.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[aloevera]

I understand that my employer does not give a darn and $$$ is their only concern..........but........I care about my patients.....and if I miss a lunch once in a while, I make up for it on days I'm not as busy.........

that IS the nature of MY business........patients come first..........

[nicurn001]

i understand that my employer does not give a darn and $$$ is their only concern..........but........i care about my patients...are you inferring here that my colleagues and i don't care about our patients ?..and if i miss a lunch once in a while, i make up for it on days i'm not as busy..what by actually taking the break you are entitled to or having time off in lieu of the previously missed breaks.......

that is the nature of my business........patients come first...as do our patients . when we are at break ,we know our patients are cared for by a nurse who is solely assigned to them , while what do you do when you manage to get your potty break ? , do you hand the patients off to another nurse who already has her own patient load ( effectively abandoning your patients as in reality this nurse will not have time to care for all the patients in this double assignment ).......

sorry aloevera i'm not trying to pick on you , rather i am picking on the martyr mentality represented by your rationalisation , that you are the professional caring nurse because you miss your breaks in order to meet the needs of your patients . thats bs .

my colleagues and i meet our patients needs by ensuring we work within a safe staffing level ( minimum patient / nurse ratio ) while maintaining our ability to work at an optimum level by ensuring we have the opportunity to recharge our batteries during our break away from the activity of the floor , plus ensure our stomachs are full and bladders empty .

i'm sorry but martyr mary's by not looking after your own well being are reducing your ability to give optimum care to your patients . if i were a patient i would want the professional ( i believe we are all professional nurses ) nurse who meets my needs to meet their own needs without risk of confusing my care ( due to excessive work load ), fainting ( due to lack of nutrition ) or p**ing their pants due to inability to get a potty break .

[EMP, RN]

I'm the only nurse from 2-10 pm on a busy 20 bed rehab unit. I always clock out no break because there is no other nurse who can assume my duties to allow me to even take a break. Regardless of how busy we are I always take about 5 minutes to stare blankly at a wall while I rapidly chew down food. I always take my pee breaks. What good am I to anyone if all I can think of is my full bladder and my hands are shaking from low blood sugar? Believe me I have complained about the lack of adequate support during evening shift, but I doubt corporate cares.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

I think it's all about the workplace culture. I almost always get a lunch break. There have been rare occasions where things have been so crazy no one went to lunch, but usually, we find a way to cover each other to make it work.

On the rare super slow night, I have forgotten to leave to go to lunch, but that's because I'm too busy killing time because there is nothing to do. But since that ends up feeling like the second half of my shift is one big break, I don't worry about that too much.

[SoundofMusic]

I do get to the bathroom when I need it, but our unit is AWFUL about covering each other for lunch. After 3 months, I've basically given up on asking anyone if they'll cover for me, because they're always "overwhelmed" and can't help.

I think it's ridiculous what is done to nurses. We are worked worse than animals. Even ANIMALS are fed and watered and given regular breaks.

As long as nurses keep putting up with it and say nothing, it will continue.

It's just sort of the overall reason I'm leaving the bedside, this week, in fact. I'm just feeling incredibly overworked in my job. I am absolutely zapped on my days off, and I think it's just because of being overworked w/ no decent breaks to eat and just an impossible list of tasks to do -- and that I have to get done at WARP SPEED or I don't get out at a decent hour. I've developed IBS from it ...and I'm hoping reducing my stress w/ a new job will help.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

I have not read all responses on this thread, but my state has few nursing unions and NO I don't get a break. I was eating candy because I was so hungry, but switched to a protein bar. This is common in my work area. When nurses protest, it's usually not a unified, protest and the others are quiet and usually that nurse is in trouble. I'm expected to answer calls during my break, so I usually cut it short and go right back to work. We also have difficulty in obtaining coverage for days off or vacation days, but our employer is willing to pay for those days. However, I would rather have a day off. My employer always blames the nurse for poor plannig or time management. I work for one of those large take over all healthcare companies and they get away with it. Nursing jobs are hard to come by these days, so I just put up with it.

[TriciaJ, RN]

Don't get me started on this topic. Oops, too late. Unfortunately some employers take advantage of having nurses over a barrel. If something bad happens to your patient while you are on break, you have poor timing. If you don't get a break: poor time management. You get vocal: poor attitude.

It's hard to rouse the rabble if your coworkers are too busy scoring martyr points. Otherwise concerted efforts to contact labour board, joint commission, etc. would be in order. Unfortunately, staffing levels are not bargainable, but if you have a union they can protect you from retaliation.

Good luck to you. I'm so glad I'm out of hospital nursing.

[nicurn001]

Not being able to get breaks is a problem that can only be resolved by collective action , as TriciaJ correctly showed if you approach management as an individual , management will give one of the three responses she mentioned ,whichever one used it boils down to it being your fault you didn't get a break .

The only indivdual response is to report to the responsible agency that you are not being given breaks .

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

It happens some times when it is really busy; if we can not get the house sup to cover us; usually because the whole hospital is busy. In my state, if you miss a break they have to pay you an hours wage for each break missed (max 2).

[nicurn001]

I guess the penalty is different in every state , here in CA they have to pay 1 hour / night for any missed break , but if you miss > 1 break it remains at that 1 hour of pay . But you can obviosly report / claim multiple shifts where breaks were missed .

[MJB2010]

I rarely take a break, no time and no one to cover. But they deduct 2 half hour breaks from each paycheck. Yep you heard that right, I work an hour for free. No way to fix it without getting fired. I have tried complaining up the ladder and quickly learned I would be let go if I pursued it.

[nicurn001]

Actually MJB2010 they are making X2 from you ie. the hour of work you do and the hour of income they don't pay you .

I cannot understand why all of you continue to tolerate this and don't even think of going to an attorney , acting collectively or entertaining the idea of unionization , you are only as weak as you allow yourselves to be .

As to those who get your breaks how have you got your employers to enable you to take your breaks ?. We worked together with our union and now have break nurses to cover us when we go for a break , management has found this to be cheaper than paying the extra hours to us!!