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

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, IMCU/Tele, HH/CM.

Where I work, you can fit in your lunch most days if you plan your time well. Right before lunch I round on my patients, make sure everyone is brought to the toilet if needed and pain free comfortable in their beds. Then I tell my charge I'm going on my break, turn off my phone, and don't come back for 30 minutes unless there is an emergency. Of course some days you cannot manage to get it all done and take a break, so on those days you don't get a break. I never take 15 minute breaks but I do get to use the restroom as often as needed.

Our hospital advocates taking your breaks, if you don't get one for some reason it is paid as overtime per union policy.

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
where i work, you can fit in your lunch most days if you plan your time well. right before lunch i round on my patients, make sure everyone is brought to the toilet if needed and pain free comfortable in their beds. then i tell my charge i'm going on my break, turn off my phone, and don't come back for 30 minutes unless there is an emergency. of course some days you cannot manage to get it all done and take a break, so on those days you don't get a break. i never take 15 minute breaks but i do get to use the restroom as often as needed.

our hospital advocates taking your breaks, if you don't get one for some reason it is paid as overtime per union policy.

well, i just had to highlight this part of the post.

Specializes in Cardiac.

I was told recently at work that if I muttered the word "union" that I would be fired on the spot.

So, to all the union people out there that find it odd that we aren't getting our pee breaks and our lunch breaks, please remember that we don't all have the same luxuries as you do.

I just had to stop myself typing something incredibly sarcastic.

Specializes in Peds, CCU, ICU, Cardiac, ER, MS, SNF's,.

Metaphysically speaking, over the years, I have come to the conclusion that Nurses are people who do not know how to take care of themselves, so they live out this lack of Self-Caring by caring for others. Until they "Get It"; if they ever do. We are, collectively, quite hypocritical in what we teach and say vs. what we do and practice in our own lives. Bear with me...

After (too) many years of Caring For Others before Caring for Myself, I have the battle scars to prove that I a prime example of this hypocrisy....

50 pounds heavier from my "Q 24 Hour Feeding Whether I need it or not"; an overcaloried one meal a day eating frenzy; or should I call it Inhaling as chewing is seldom remembered?

Frequent UTI's the first 5 years of Nursing from not taking Pee Breaks?

Developing Diverticulitis, Kidney stones from not keeping well hydrated?

Type 2 DM now from the obesitiy and "too tired to exercize" for many years?

Smoking Cigs rationalization because "at least I get to leave the unit for 5 minutes..."?

Ahh yes, Think about it. For me; this thing we call "Health Care" has been a spiritual journey and we all have our lessons to learn during this life.

What about you? What are you telling/teaching others that you are not doing for yourself?

Specializes in Gas, ICU, ACLS, PALS, BLS.
Thanks for your thoughts, guys. Yeah, I definitely believe that this is a HUGE HUGE problem since the majority of my floor has to skip lunches due to patient volume and work load. I suppose that is why unions can positively impact nursing. If we swipe a "no lunch"... we often get a reprimanding about it. If they are so worried about us not having a lunch, who don't our charge nurses and managers come and relieve staff for lunches? Instead, they sit in their offices and do not get involved in hands on care. FRUSTRATING.

PM me and let me know where you're working so I know not to go there......just please say it's not a hospital in cleve....PLEASE!!

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
I was told recently at work that if I muttered the word "union" that I would be fired on the spot.

So, to all the union people out there that find it odd that we aren't getting our pee breaks and our lunch breaks, please remember that we don't all have the same luxuries as you do.

Geez, it's enough to make someone move cross country to a union area just to have a humane working environment with the ability to pee and eat at normal intervals. I weigh that with moving away from my family and loved ones, the city that's been my home for 25+ years. It's a tough choice.

Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Those of you that belong to unions have to remember that many of us do not and don't have a choice in our state. In NC there are no unions for nurses unless many the V.A. has one?

I know that NC is very anti-union and it just won't fly here :(

Specializes in ER Nursing, Disaster Nursing, Education.
I was told recently at work that if I muttered the word "union" that I would be fired on the spot.

So, to all the union people out there that find it odd that we aren't getting our pee breaks and our lunch breaks, please remember that we don't all have the same luxuries as you do.

I live in the south, where your employers can fire you (legally) without having a reason. That is why we cannot form unions, take our lunch breaks, and bathroom breaks. A lot of it is feed by the MDs and administration.

Specializes in Cardiac.
Geez, it's enough to make someone move cross country to a union area just to have a humane working environment with the ability to pee and eat at normal intervals. I weigh that with moving away from my family and loved ones, the city that's been my home for 25+ years. It's a tough choice.

I hear you multi...if I weren't so upside down in my home right now I'd move too. But, thanks to this market and economy-I'm stuck!

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

your break is your responsibility; very few hospitals or units have someone designated to follow you around and make sure you take one. i've found over the years that there is very little that cannot wait until you've had a chance to eat your lunch. (ok, i wouldn't cut out on cpr, but very little else cannot wait!) if you plan it into your day, it's more likely to happen. (failure to plan is planning to fail -- i borrowed that from weight watchers.) if you don't plan a break, it's unlikely to happen except on very slow days -- like when all the surgeons who admit to your sicu are in a medical conference. you have to order your day to allow time for it, and it helps to find yourself a break buddy early in your shift and plan when you're each going to take a break.

i've had a few shifts with no breaks, but mostly i manage to get them in.

Well, as this is my second career to be, I am not used to having official breaks... going to lunch has always been frowned upon... BTW in the corporate world, unless it is a vendor or management lunch meeting etc. We usually ate at our desks with one hand on the keyboard, etc. Used to working 12-13 hour days most Mon thru Fri, many times Sat.. and bring work home if you want to sleep. A lot different than the pure physicality of nursing (at least I could sit before). Those that know me, know I will drop and they will have to resusitate if I can't have my coke and snack LOL. So, tho I won't need a total sit down break, I will be eating on the run!!! And don't you even try to take that coke away from me, LOL. :beercuphe

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