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

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

Yes, It is common. I have been an RN for more than 17 years.

otessa

nicurn001 · Feb 23, 2009

you are unionized.
yes guilty as charged , but we had to fight for it , going through 2 elections , to get it.
i am not.obviously
did you read my thread earlier where i said i would be fired on the spot if i mentioned the word "union"
did you read my thread earlier where i said we were laying people off? i have read this whole thread , including all your posts
do you have a mortgage? i do. and my house is worth waaaay less than what i paid for it. i could not sell it right now. i'm in the same boat
i like making my mortgage. i like being able to pay my bills.
unemployement is not really what i want right now. yeah, i'm really not looking for that kind of 'change' . no thanks...

in these postings , we are both advocating our position , the op wanted to see if the lack of breaks is a common practice , i think it is well established in the thread that it is indeed a common practice . so then the question comes up should we accept this .

where we differ is that you do not wish to risk anything to gain that which in common decency every nurse is entitled to , the ability to go to the restroom without fear it could cost her , her livelihood . i was involved in the organization drive at our hospital , whilst it was possible any of us could have lost our jobs , the benefits of sucess , have far outweighed the stress of that time .

have you read the whole thread , as i said in post 67 " i haven't the temerity to tell you what to do , i meant simply to point out what you can do ."

EJSRN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

please see below

EJSRN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I think that is ridiculous. It definately happens but shouldn't everyday. I definately have days that I cannot even go the the BR. It's terrible. And usually if I swipe missed meal it doesn't even show up in my paycheck. I just love it when some ppl (mostly smokers, no offense) who work 8 hrs compared to my 12, take a half hour brkfst, half hour lunch and then a 2pm cig. break. I work from 11a-11p and sometimes I dont get a break at all until about 9pm when my pts are settling down and meds are mostly finished I can run down to get a soda. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. Really really irritates me.

dorimar, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

This part about the monitors going off for 10 minutes while the other nurses stood around and did nothing shows me a very dangerous, unprofessional, and scary place to work - for employees and patients. That the manager didn't do anything about it is even scarier. With irresponsible nurses like that, it isn't any wonder why nurses are so frequently blamed for things that go wrong at the hospital.

I'm finding this sort of thing is becoming pretty common apparantly in a lot of different places....

Scrubby · Feb 23, 2009

If I worked in an area where I was not allowed breaks, I would just grab my lunch and go around eating it while at the nurses station doing paperwork, drawing up meds etc. If any fellow staff complain I'd ask then if they would care to relieve me for lunch. If not, then I'm going to eat my lunch and look after my basic human needs so I can give SAFE patient care.

Also another strategy is to go and do some research and print off some research papers on the impact of not getting meal breaks on giving safe patient care. Leave it on your managers desk, send it to the CEO of the hospital, other staff members. Bring it during staff meetings. Discuss with your fellow nurses how you can work together to relieve each other during breaks.

And always claim an unpaid meal break. I didn't go through 3 years of nursing school have to do 18 weeks of fulltime unpaid work and a $ 12,000 higher education debt to work for free.

CleveRN2008 · Feb 23, 2009

Thanks to everyone who posted a response to my original thread about the commonality of missing breaks as an RN. Quite honestly, I am disgusted at how it seems the profession of nursing is being treated out there in the real world. Almost every single person who responded to my thread expressed similar situations in finding it difficult to get breaks during 8 and 12 hour shifts. Personally speaking, I find that unacceptable. It makes sense that there would be occasional situations in which lunch was not possible due to work load or patient care situations. However, that should be the exception and certainly not the norm. I understand that we are in an economy that is experiencing a major recession and yes, I need to keep my job as well. However, I still think there is a right and wrong here and it seems obviously wrong to me that RNs should work under such conditions.

I was struck by the comments made from those RNs who are unionized. It seems that this kind of treatment would be less tolerable in those type of environments. Interesting thought.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who responded. I appreciate hearing the stories and knowing that it is not just where I work....it is more prevalent than that!

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

The no break situation probably assisted in the easy decision I made in 2006 to move to quality improvement and now education. I make a couple thousand dollars less but I figure that evens out with ALL the breaks I didn't take in a year and all the stress on my health 12+ hour shifts without(or rare) BR breaks and just a quick granola bar so I wouldn't pass out from hunger-pretty even really. The stress I have now is pretty minimal-I readily admit this. Miss direct patient care but wouldn't go back unless this job gets downsized......

otessa

showbizrn · Feb 23, 2009

NO BREAKS? NO LUNCH? in NURSING?

Sometimes.

If always,

GO WORK ELSEWHERE!

We need our breaks and lunches in order to perform as safe amd prudent nurses---ALL OF US!

:up:

kishinne · Feb 23, 2009

i agree skipping meals is common especially bedside nurses....its not mandated that you should skip meals whenever possible because the management does allow nurses to have a 30 mins quick break....and its up to you if you will use that time to have a break considering that you handled 15 paTients,you had every 6 hours feeding,on going peritoneal dialysis,what do you think? maybe you will be freaking out because you are very exhausted,and unable or forgot to eat.remember the words "patient centered" so we all up to taking responsibilty what might happen if we leave them for 30 mins...it will ruin the pattern of your routines daily activity,sometimes i ate after my duty so that it will not be a conflict with my work..that is why before going in for a duty i eat a heavy breakfast for me not to be starving during the entire 8 hours.

Ayvah, RN · Feb 23, 2009

The majority of my coworkers come in 30-45 minutes early to prepare, but we will be written up if we clock in prior to 7. The majority also do our email and online lessons at home because there isn't time at work. About 2/3 of us take a shortened lunch (15-20 minutes), but get charged for 1/2 hour, even if that lunch break comes at 5:30pm. Non lunch breaks are extremely uncommon. I do go to the bathroom now, but at my last hospital job I barely had that opportunity. I have made a stink about all this unpaid time to management and so far their response has been that we all need better time management(even though they are talking about a majority of the staff). Management is not happy with those of us who work late, but I will not clock out and keep working, like some of my coworkers do. I have brought it up to others, and the further removed from the floor that person is, the less they seem to care. I am trying to walk the line between making change and not getting fired =/ It is frustrating. I am having negative health effects from the stress of the floor, and wonder if it is worth it.

nicurn001 · Feb 23, 2009

To those of you , as alluuded to by Ayvah ,who clock off and continue to work , do you realise that if there is a problem with your patient or yourself , when you are clocked off , management will all of a sudden " discover "this practice and you are then at risk of :-

a)Termination , for falsifying your time card ,

b)You may not be covered by the hospitals Liability Insurance ( you were off the clock ) , even if they decided it was in their best interests to cover you in their Liability Insurance , either the faclity or insurer could then sue you to recoup the loss you caused the hospital / insurer .

c) If you had the misfortune to injure yourself whilst off the clock , you would not be covered by workers comp insurance .

You can be sure if there are problems ,management will be able to point some laws / policies that put the responsibility upon your shoulders

So balance that into the risk / benefit equation for yourself , when you choose to work off the clock.It will be presentd by management , that you choose this course of action , otherwise they would have to acknowledge , that they were aware that staff were not being able to take their breaks .