BREAKS?????? You've gotta be kidding!

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One of the big adjustments that new nurses have to make to the real world of nursing is the reality that nurses do not get to take breaks. This is something they just don't tell you in nursing school.....among other things. Just for fun...what's the longest time you've gone without a bathroom break?

Specializes in Med-Surg.
LupieNurse said:
It's a federal law that gets ignored. I don't ever take breaks cause I've been the only evening nurse in charge of the whole building for 8 months and no one to help me. and they "fix" my clocking so if anyone were to say, "hey why isn't this nurse able to take her break?" They can just paint me out to be this huge idiot who forgets to clock out. Sad but true.

If you don't get a break, you must be paid for your time. Organizations have been fined when during a survey enough people say they don't get 30 minutes uninterrupted breaks. Our management has insisted that if we don't get a break, we document it and ask for pay...and they will pay us. At the same time managers are pressured to make sure their employees get breaks and not paid to work through them. I'm thinking the large company that just bought us last year has been fined before.

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Tweety said:
If you don't get a break, you must be paid for your time. Organizations have been fined when during a survey enough people say they don't get 30 minutes uninterrupted breaks. Our management has insisted that if we don't get a break, we document it and ask for pay...and they will pay us. At the same time managers are pressured to make sure their employees get breaks and not paid to work through them. I'm thinking the large company that just bought us last year has been fined before.

I read on the state labor and workforce site that it's not mandatory to take a break, it is however illegal to dock pay for untaken breaks. Which im going to bring up to my employer. It also looks bad that if you were to look at my med administration history, it doesn't add up with the times they are saying im "taking my breaks"

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Specializes in ER.

It is sad how nurses view it as a norm. I had this discussion once about how it is unfair that we are expected to not clock out no lunch or else we would get written up for not taking our lunches. It is unfair and unethical. Not to mention if it is a nurse who works 3 days a week and earns 26 (which a lot more people earn more), then the nurse loses out 2,000 dollars if they do not clock out no lunch.

I personally don't mind taking no lunch if I can grab something to eat at the desk.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Well I am SURE to take a break to make sure my hair and make up are flawless. It's a priority.......

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SmilingBluEyes said:
Well I am SURE to take a break to make sure my hair and make up are flawless. It's a priority.......

I go in with my hair and make up flawless but I cannot say the same as for when I walk out!!

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
Here.I.Stand said:
This is how I handle situations like this (assuming I don't know the answer to their question): "Your nurse is at dinner right now, and I don't know the answer as we only have detailed information about our own patients. I will let her know that you need to speak with her as soon as she comes back. It should be in about x minutes." If it's something I can answer like "when can I have more pain meds?" or something like that that I can find the answer to, I'll find the answer. Easy peasy.

Of course. Thanks...yes....it's done that way when I am covering others' patients. Basically, I cover my own patients while I am at break...and I often get 1-2 calls during the 30 min break, so my breaks are interrupted....but I do get a break most times these days. At least the 30 min one. I was saying that it is sometimes difficult to get a full, uninterrupted break and I can empathize with and believe not getting any break during a crazy shift. Adding- crazy shifts can be a regular occurrence on some units too.

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8 hours, no more than 9.

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My unit culture makes sure that everyone gets a break and a lunch. It's part of the expectation of the coordinator role that all the staff get their breaks.

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The longest I went without a bathroom break was 13 1/2 hours. I felt the urge to go on my way home after a 12 hour shift (7A-7P). I then realized that I hadn't gone to the bathroom since leaving my house at 6:30 AM AND DIDN't leave work until 8:00 PM.

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Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.

I work a small peds unit. We can take a break, but can never leave the unit, and never be away from patient care. So is that really a break?

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Dacatster said:
I work a small peds unit. We can take a break, but can never leave the unit, and never be away from patient care. So is that really a break?

It is If you get to eat and actually recharge but if you're being interrupted for non urgent things then no. I don't think so

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Specializes in Pediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics/Research/psych.
Dacatster said:
I work a small peds unit. We can take a break, but can never leave the unit, and never be away from patient care. So is that really a break?

Probably not according to labor law.

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