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Just a general question. In clinicals do you get to go to lunch on your own or do you have to stay at lunch with your instructors? We aren't allowed to even step outside for anything. We have to stay with our instructors even during our lunch hour. Starting to feel really hemmed in and ultra controlled. Just wondering how other places handle this.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN

13,952 Posts

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

We could not leave the property as we only had 30 minutes. We could bring lunch or buy in the employee cafeteria. Since we were representing the school we needed to be near our instructors/they needed to know exactly where we were at all times until dismissed from the clinical site. It's not common for students to not be allowed off site, depending on the clinical site and amenities available. We were told these requirements at orientation, reminded again at the start of school, and later before we started clinical rotations.

Specializes in Pschiatry.

Did it not annoy you that you were being treated like a child? I need a break from the instructors, classmates, and hospital to clear my mind.

kalycat, BSN, RN

1 Article; 553 Posts

Specializes in CVICU CCRN.

We couldn't leave the hospital or clinical site because there really wasn't time, but we were free to eat in the cafeteria or break room, take a walk around the hospital, or whatever. We took breaks when our nurse preceptor took a break, and oftentimes, due to the clinical model our school uses, the instructor was doing other things or not even on site during breaks. Our time was our own, with the exception of our first clinical rotation at a nursing home. They had space limitations, so we all ate and stored our bags in a conference room. The instructor usually ate in there too and preferred we spent all breaks in there where she could "keep an eye on us". As a 40 year old adult, that wasn't my favorite setup....I didn't feel that I needed to be supervised while eating and it didn't feel like much of a break, to be honest, especially because there seemed to be pressure to engage in small talk (which I hate). I started reading a book during downtime to get a little mental vacation. Everyone needs a chance to decompress. I can understand how that could be frustrating.

smf0903

845 Posts

Ours was not like that. We could leave, go sit in the car, stay in the break room, go to the cafeteria or whatever. We tried to go as a group when we could, but that wasn't always feasible. :)

johsonmichelle

527 Posts

To the op, during clinicals, you are representing the school, what if you leave the clinical site during the lunch break and something happens to you? Please note that as a nurse you may not have opportunities to leave the site to take lunch breaks or even have a lunch break.

springchick1, ADN, RN

1 Article; 1,769 Posts

During clinicals, you are representing the school, what if you leave the clinical site during the lunch break and something happens to you? Please note that as a nurse you may not have opportunities to leave the site to take lunch breaks or even have a lunch break.

As most of the PPs have said, we weren't allowed to leave the premises for lunch. We had 30 minutes. We could bring our meal or eat in the cafeteria. We weren't allowed to go anywhere in our school uniforms unless it was to clinicals.

QuinnP

8 Posts

I can understand not being able to leave the site due to liability issues but having to spend lunch break together is...interesting. Has anyone asked whether or not breaks could happen independently and if so what was the instructors reasoning?

One of my clinical instructors would do the same thing but count the time as a post conference, letting us out a little early.

OrganizedChaos, LVN

1 Article; 6,883 Posts

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

When I was in nursing school we weren't able to leave the clinical site until we were finished. I didn't have a problem with it. I knew I would be there for the whole day either brought a lunch or ate at the cafeteria. We all ate as a group. It didn't bother me, I really liked my clinical instructors.

johsonmichelle

527 Posts

Did it not annoy you that you were being treated like a child? I need a break from the instructors, classmates, and hospital to clear my mind.

you can clear you mind after clinicals

JustBeachyNurse, LPN

13,952 Posts

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Did it not annoy you that you were being treated like a child? I need a break from the instructors, classmates, and hospital to clear my mind.

Not at all. Now I work in a setting where I cannot leave my patient's side for a break. Its not treating like a child, its respecting the rules of the school and clinical site--rules were were given before we even started the program. Clearing my mind waited until the end of the day, unless there was a major crisis (such as a death, or complicated situation that required debriefing) Even now clearing my mind waits until the end of the shift. When I worked in a hospital ED, there were days we worked 12 hour shifts with only bathroom breaks, and snack breaks. When I worked in the hospitals we were not permitted to go offsite for our breaks or leave the property without management acknowledgement. You are still the responsibility of your instructor when you are on site during clinical.

Specializes in NICU, telemetry.

It didn't bother me that we were required to stay on site for lunch. This is school, it's what I expected.

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