What are your breakroom or break time pet peeves? I bet stealing people's food is on top, but there is way more. I'll give mine to start:
1. There are a few chairs, to begin with, in the tiny breakroom. Your Target backpack DOES NOT require a chair. Put it on the floor or leave it in the car.
2. Headphones were invented I think in the 80s. I don't want to listen to your phone calls, music, or Youtube videos. Read or buy some headphones for 99 cents.
3. If you see me with my headphones or my face in a book that is a clear clue.
Here's a peeve: when people jump into a private conversation as if it a forum like AllNurses. I've never did this, but we did have this coworker (Not a nurse) who would do it to nurses on their break all the time. No this person wouldn't politely interrupt either. This person would just opinion BOMB. Lot of eye rolling, it was their nature cause the coworker would opinion BOMB doctors too about their orders.
Realistically, how private can a conversation be in a break room?
Specializes in Outpatient Cardiology, CVRU, Intermediate.
On 5/7/2021 at 4:03 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:
My clinic has a very large breakroom that, if it were full, would seat about 50 people. It has a big-screen television which is ALWAYS tuned to the Steve Wilkos show-- have you seen this horrible thing? It's families accusing one another of child molestation, generally, or other horrible crimes, publicly in front of a live audience. He gives them lie-detector tests and then they jump around and scream and cry. When I was a child, "Jerry Springer" was on TV, and this is in that same genre. It's awwwwful.
I think Steve was one of the "bouncers" on the Jerry Springer shows and then spun off to do his own. ? It's such awful television! ?♀️
We had a doctor who used to eat in our breakrom while on the computer and open-mouth chew/spittle and get food ALL OVER the computer (it was OUR laptop by the way) and Lord have mercey, he made the worst noises I ever heard.
Similarly, we had a doc that was a sloppy eater, double dipper, eat-til-it’s-gone, kinda guy. Anytime we had to call him in during the night someone would grab any food and put it away before he got there....
pet peeves: coffee spilled and left to dry, dirty microwave, dishes left in the sink, cups/mugs used and left around, spilled powdered crystal lite....from patient supply that stains the counter but spiller doesn’t bother to clean up, baking dishes left from the latest potluck(2weeks ago) that someone next shift might eat the last piece....
The housekeeper came in the other day with her free lunch for Hospital week and smacked so loudly and just talked nonstop I was dead. Thankfully she rarely eats in our break room but with her fellow housekeepers elsewhere.
Constant interruptions. We recently have had to start clocking out for our lunches and I'm now very adamant that "I'm off the clock..DO NOT DISTURB..so and so is covering me".
Realistically, how private can a conversation be in a breakroom?
remember I said "politely interrupt". Some chats are private regardless they are in a break room. Perhaps feel the tone of their chat. If a group is talking quietly about their home life, I'm not going to butt and force my two cents on them.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
On 5/7/2021 at 9:04 AM, Neo Soldier said:
Minor pet peeve: people commenting on my food. I mean you can say that it smells good, but do I want to engage in conversation about what I'm eating? no.
Heating broccoli in the microwave is a bad idea.
Avoid heating any food with strong odor in the breakroom. Yuk
Yep----and just think: this "type" has access to a breakroom JUST for DOCTORS full of food and drinks---- yet I would not put it past him. People did complain of their food disappearing routinely. Who knows, maybe he felt entitled to that too, in addition to hogging our breakroom as his personal sleep room. He would be the type. I did see doctors helping themselves to our pizza during our occasional pizza parties. It would be nice to ask and then again, you have access to free food in your special doctors-only breakroom. Leave our food and breakroom alone. It's all we have.
This is my pet peeve- those that steal others food. Yes, it's theft, if it's not yours and you take it! The NPs and PAs at my clinic were the worst, till they got turned in to the medical director. They didn't even stop taking food when caught red handed, but once he stepped in and acted, it slowed way down. They acted like staff owed it to them. Now occasionally food disappears, but not like it used to. But when mine does, it's the day I have no cash/left debit card at home
Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
I would take those home and give them to the birds. Waste not, want not.
Look at the bright side, LOL
My pet peeve is that the bathroom is so near the eating area. Yuck.