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

makes needs known · Feb 24, 2009

"Have you seen the elderly lady who can't settle down and relax?" She is always wanting to do something, fix something, make something better, sometimes you can't figure out want it is that she needs to relax. She doesn't know what she needs. She can't sit long for a meal, can't eat, is chronically constipated because she can't sit long enough have a BM. Incontinent of urine because she holds it so long, that eventually she overflows. She has a hard time falling asleep, but eventually does. When she sleeps she dreams about the days when she was needed and busy, and took care of very sick people. She was a nurse.

ImAgypsy · Feb 25, 2009

Re: NO LUNCH??? NO BREAKS??? Is that common in nursing?????It struck me as I read these posts. The response of "well, you must have problems with time management because you can't get all your work done in ____ time." Hmm, could it be that all nurses everywhere have a common problem with time management? It it like a personality trait or something? I don't think so!!! I'm tired of hearing that as an excuse, and I'm tired of working hard for 0 dollars because I have to clock out at a certain time, and we can't get the extra people we need to get our jobs done on time :angryfire

MC3:

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

You nailed it!

Now, all I can think is that it must be some kind of nosocomial infection that we all catch from our patients & their visitors....

I wonder if we could all file Workman's Comp claims for exhaustion, malnourished, dehydrated from all the bathroom and meal breaks we missed due to catchin this horrific malady at work?

live4today, RN · Feb 25, 2009

I have the same question as you too. I worked at Wal-mart and Home Depot while going to nursing school and my supervisors said you have to take a 15 minutes break for every four hours you are working. If the employee is not taking the break, the company can be fined for not letting their employees taking break. I wonder why nurses working 12 hours shift is only allow 30 minutes break and that's it. Is the rule different for hospital compared to retail businesses?

Then I guess that would have to be the course taken...to establish a country-wide law that states any employer found guilty of abusing their employees by not seeing to it they get lunch and potty breaks will be fined a substantial penalty. :twocents: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

aloevera · Feb 25, 2009

Are you kidding?????

I RARELY have time to go to the BR, much less eat anything at work...

yesterday we were short staffed, as usual, and I drank coffee and ate sponge cake on the way to work. Once I got there I worked 12 hr. shift with not a bite to eat and an ice tea that was sent that a pt. didn't want...that was it for the day....I got home and ate and hit the bed. That is a typical day for me.

I do manage my time well, we do work as a team....BUT when you have 8 admissions, 4 discharges and numerous things going on...sometimes eating is not a priority...it is not even a thought.....

THAT, MY DEAR, IS REALITY.....

nicurn001 · Feb 25, 2009

Are you kidding?????
I RARELY have time to go to the BR, much less eat anything at work...
yesterday we were short staffed, as usual, and I drank coffee and ate sponge cake on the way to work. Once I got there I worked 12 hr. shift with not a bite to eat and an ice tea that was sent that a pt. didn't want...that was it for the day....I got home and ate and hit the bed. That is a typical day for me.
I do manage my time well, we do work as a team....BUT when you have 8 admissions, 4 discharges and numerous things going on...sometimes eating is not a priority...it is not even a thought.....
THAT, MY DEAR, IS REALITY.....

NO , MY DEAR THAT IS YOUR REALITY ....

Me I get 1 X 30 minute lunch and 2 X 15 minute breaks , totally relieved of patient care . This is good for me , my patients and the hospital . I come back refreshed , relaxed and ready to meet patients needs .This came about because we took the action necessary to make it happen . I'm sorry but there simply is no way to get around this ,If bedside nurses allow management ,to not do , what is necessary to relieve you , then you perpetuate this problem .

prmenrs, RN · Feb 25, 2009

"...No way would my bladder last 13 hours. UTI? Kidney Stones? "

See, now that's one advantage of working NICU/peds--more DIAPERS available!!

Seriously, I know hospitals that have gotten in expensive trouble for this sort of thing---w/Dep't of Health Services/JACHO on them like peanut butter on jelly. Numerous "corrective" plans in play, and many visits from various licensing agencies.

All it took was one class action lawsuit.....and a phone call to DHS.

So--

Scrubby · Feb 25, 2009

I don't have anything to do with your opinion i just based it in my experience,i know the word teamwork dont have to say it....all i want is to share is my experience...that is why if u dont want to get hungry quickly eat a heavy breakfast, i tel you, you will not be starving for 8 hours u would still be alert in providing care with your patients...it is so exagerrated if you get your patient at risk if u dont eat..maybe its because we have different setting in a hospital.u can drink,u can seat in the station if your already finished with your task.so probably you can still rest.this will not get too much for you to experience hypoglycemia...

Sorry but your only advice to the problem with 'eat a big breakfast so you won't starve for 8 hours' is just completely off the planet. What your doing is hurting yourself so that you can go on and on with this completely bizarre routine you have that just sounds unsafe for you and whoever your caring for.

And you can't tell me that you won't get exhausted, starving after 8 hours of work without a break. There are times when I have to scrub for longer that this, I stuff myself silly before I do and by the end I can hardly think. I would hate to think of someone giving medications in this state.

If you can't complete your work in a reasonable amount of time and have a lunch break then your in a bad environment. Get out of there. Is it worth risking your good health and patient safety?

Altered · Feb 25, 2009

It certainly is common. That is, unless youre in California. Out there they have ratios (on your unit you could have no more than 4 pts ever). Thanks to those ratios they are not allowed to cover each other for lunch or they would go over the ratio for those 30 min. So they have special nurses that come in just to relieve the others for their lunches, and thus, they get their lunch breaks every single shift. It's like a different country in California for nurses. In the rest of this country, you eat as you work many times, if at all, even though it's a 12 hour shift. We dont have such vocal nurses who demand their rights. They just take it lying down like good little downtrodden employees.

I don't know what CA you've been accustomed to..

BradleyRN · Feb 25, 2009

I don't know what CA you've been accustomed to..

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.

prmenrs, RN · Feb 25, 2009

It certainly is common. That is, unless youre in California. Out there they have ratios (on your unit you could have no more than 4 pts ever). Thanks to those ratios they are not allowed to cover each other for lunch or they would go over the ratio for those 30 min. So they have special nurses that come in just to relieve the others for their lunches, and thus, they get their lunch breaks every single shift. It's like a different country in California for nurses. In the rest of this country, you eat as you work many times, if at all, even though it's a 12 hour shift. We dont have such vocal nurses who demand their rights. They just take it lying down like good little downtrodden employees.

I actually HAVE seen this in practice. In a big unit, it can work. We have to log when we took our breaks and who covered for us. That doesn't mean we don't have "lunch on duty" days, but they are by far the exception.

When I have to "go", believe me, I go--I'm too old and my bladder's too weak. And, if necessary, swing by the pantry on Post-partum for "nourishment".

prmenrs, RN · Feb 25, 2009

Then I guess that would have to be the course taken...to establish a country-wide law that states any employer found guilty of abusing their employees by not seeing to it they get lunch and potty breaks will be fined a substantial penalty. :yeah:

Actually, I think that exists already. See my post a little further down..... I mean up. #101

(p.s. Hi, Cheerful!! :heartbeat)

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 25, 2009

what you are doing is not patient centred at all. your putting your patients at risk because your not eating properly and will be unable to perform your duties as effectively.
for goodness sake get another nurse to keep an eye on your patients, do the same for them so they can have a meal as well. it's a little thing called teamwork and supporting each other.
as for the pattern of your routine being ruined, obviously it isn't a good one if it doesn't involve a meal break. :)

i don't quite understand this alleged nursing culture of refusing to take breaks because "i don't have time" or "there's no one to watch my patients." i've been in nursing for over 30 years and have rarely missed a meal break. it's one of the things on my "to do" list -- way above "change that dressing" and "placate the nasty, obnoxious family member." i might be known for being blunt at times, but i'm not known for leaving work undone. and when i'm there, they nurses around me take meal breaks as well.