I worked hospital nursing for 19 years. Do you get lunch breaks? I can count on 1 hand the number of times I took a lunch break. Mostly its my fault, I can't just leave when there is work to be done and I'm paranoid that I'll forget something or someone will need something or no one will watch my monitors (which they won't) it could be alarming for several minutes and no one does anything!!!!
Granted, most of the years, I have worked 7p to 7a, so its not that big of a deal for me to miss lunch breaks. After having kids, I worked mostly 7p-11p or 3-11.
Even when I was a nurse for a general surgeon, I never took a lunch break, there simply was NO NONE Zilch nada, NO time for lunch what so ever!
I have always packed my lunch and then I eat it on the 20 minute drive home from work. I'd rather spend the time that I'd spend eating lunch(that would take me 10 or 15 minutes), to clock out 10 or 15 minutes sooner. We'd be raked over the coals if I ever clocked out "no lunch". So of course I'd NEVER do that, but its worth it to me to get home sooner and also to be there for my patients.
I am Canadian so we have union rules .... we are paid for 45 minutes of that too.
I find these differences between the US and Canadian nurses quite interesting and while I am looking forward to working some short term contracts someplace in the US, I am trying to tell myself that I will have to expect these differences and to bite my tongue.
That is excellent! Do we at least get paid more here in the US?
Well, from the research I have been doing, the only places that I can find that make more than what I currently makre are California and perhaps New Jersey, but only in some instances. That may not be the case for travel nurses ... I haven't really looked that much into it yet.
If I don't get a break, I put on my time sheet "No lunch" It is bad enough if while in the cafeteria, you get paged three times, with people having questions about one of your patients.... I have had to stand there writing doctor orders on a napkin before durring my *break*
for the first time since I have been in nursing, I have a job where I don't have a patient load. (Im doing the computer thing now) and that means that I get paged all the time. get numerouse calls if I do take a break, and get calls at home at all hours of the night and day! Every time I get called in the middle of the night at home, I am tempted to go in an hour late the next day. (but I don't!)
You need to start taking breaks. You may not see it, but your work suffers if your blood sugar drops. 12 hrs without eating and on the go the whole shift. Those breaks are there for a reason. We all have to trudge thrugh without stopping sometimes. But if you take a quick break to regroup, clear your mind, and nurish your body, you will be more productive for the rest of the shift.
Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
I am much more efficient and pleasant nurse when I take breaks during my 12-hour shifts. There are the occasional crazy shifts where I don't get to do more than swipe a cracker from the kitchen, but it doesn't happen very often.
I tell newer nurses who think they need to get everything done before going on break that the charting will still be there after lunch.
And please don't EVER work through your lunch break for free. It is demeaning to you and it really does have an effect on your co-workers as management will expect this of everyone.
When I was new, I missed a lot of my dinner breaks. Now I make myself take them. I don't always take my full allotted time; sometimes my dinner break consists of scarfing something down and getting right back to the floor. Often, taking a full break means that I will not be getting my work done. When that happens, I stay over if I need to and I claim the overtime. I won't work for free.
I get 2 half hour breaks and one 45 min. lunch break in my eight hour shift. Not taking your breaks will earn you stern words from the others. Half of us goes for break while the rest cover and then we switch.
I worked per diem in the ICU at SFGH. The pay was great, but I was not able to take a break. I was told it was my responsibilty to get someone to cover even though the charge nurse had no patients and completed a form every shift assigning breaks and coverage. Furthermore, I had two vented pt on one shift and by law could not allow a nurse with an assignment to cover my patients. Quit that job fast and told the manager that she should take her license more seriously as she knowingly encouraged people to lie and break the law. That's nursing for you...
I get really crabby when I can't eat and relax for a few minutes. I can not relax knowing my patients will not be properly watched when I am gone. I am also more proned to making a mistake.
I get 2 half hour breaks and one 45 min. lunch break in my eight hour shift. Not taking your breaks will earn you stern words from the others. Half of us goes for break while the rest cover and then we switch.
Wow, that sounds so nice!
Sometimes I'll get a break (only 30 min unpaid for both 8hr and 12hr shifts), but if I don't get a break I "cancel lunch" on the time clock. If I only get 10 minutes, I also clock out and hit the "cancel lunch" button. I expect a 30-min unpaid break without interruptions - I've been called back to work during my break and I do not count that as taking a break. If I don't get a 30 minute break, then I expect to be paid for my time!
A 30-min unpaid break is automatically included during our shift and if you work 8.5 hrs without a break, you will only get paid for 8 hrs unless you claim "no break"; it is quite annoying to have to clock out as not taking a lunch considering this happens nearly each day. Plus, management now bullies us about "cancelling lunch" when we don't get a break (we have to have it "authorized" by the charge nurse now; as if that is a solution to the problem), so I think some coworkers aren't claming the missed break due to fear of "management intervention".
I don't have the opportunity to get regular breaks due to the nature of the ED and there's not enough staff to cover my rooms. Lately, I've been working in a second ED arena (less acute area) and there is 2 nurses and 1 tech for 10 rooms; there's no way I can cover those 10 rooms on my own while the other nurse goes on a 30-min break. Plus, it always seems like a critical pt is en route just as I begin to arrange my pt load so I can take a break...
I get 2 half hour breaks and one 45 min. lunch break in my eight hour shift. Not taking your breaks will earn you stern words from the others. Half of us goes for break while the rest cover and then we switch.
omg...I need to come work where you are. In a 12 hour shift I'm supposed get two 15 min breaks and one 30minute lunch (not that we EVER do).
Plus we're forever getting called back to the unit during those breaks...sigh.
I generally have time to take a break whenever I want. I definitely have time to eat every night. We get paid for our lunch regardless of whether we take it or not.
Specializes in BNAT instructor, ICU, Hospice,triage.
Wow, it sounds so nice! I am actually frowned on for taking a lunch break. My co workers get huffy when other nurses take a break. As I'm getting older or feeling older and gray haired, I need to at least get the weight off my legs for a minute and sitting down is just so refreshing, but still I am dying to get home on time too (which NEVER happens!)
But its just not possible to take a break, when there are codes going on, rapid responses, and stat hearts and it takes all of us just to survive the shift running like mad women! It stinks and I hate to be negative but I'm done with hospital nursing.
Jules A, MSN
8,864 Posts
That is excellent! Do we at least get paid more here in the US?