Dayshifters - do you take a breakfast break as soon as you get to work?

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Nov 29, 2011

Yeah, sure, for some. But not for every nurse on the shift, every day.

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2011

Are they paying people to work or are they paying people to eat breakfast?

I'm with you about a days wage for a days work. But if you look at the big picture, how many of us actually get a routine meal break at any time on the day? I don't. More often than not I don't get any break at all. And, I don't get paid for those missed breaks either.

If nursing was a strictly 9 - 5 job, with whistles blowing break times at exactly the same time, I'd say you were 100% right. But it's not. The nurse who takes that b'fast break on Mon and Tues, may be so busy on Weds, that she can't stop for a drink of water. My point of view depends on the integrity of the nurse involved. I can see where it might be a problem with nurses who have less than an average amt of honor.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2011

I work 7am-7pm, and it seems as though the popular thing to do is to take a "breakfast" break as soon as report is finished in the morning. We had an extremely busy morning today and the nurse I was working beside complained all morning that she hadn't gotten a breakfast break and so she had not had anything to eat since dinner last night. This is the only place I've worked where the floor is a ghost town as soon as report finishes. I'm just curious to know if this is common practice elsewhere?
FWIW, I do think the 12 hour shifts make it hard to figure out when to eat and I tend to take a break after my morning assessments and meds are complete (around 10am ish) for a snack and then eat lunch around 1:30, then grab a quick yogurt around 5pm as I'm winding down my day.

never saw this where i work! soemtimes i didn't get a break until 3(rare)! same with night shift. if things keep spiraling and piling up. never saw anyone take a post report break. how long are these breaks? 2-5 mins? or 15 minutes?

SydneyJo1 · Nov 29, 2011

The breakfast breaks I am referring to with my co-workers are seriously 30-45 minutes, and they are taken IN ADDITION to a 30-45 minute lunch break, and regardless of how busy the unit is or whether or not patients are in need of pain meds, etc. As I mentioned, it is the sense of entitlement to this morning breakfast break that irritates me more than anything. It is as if the priority is the breakfast break, not the work that needs to be done.

StrwbryblndRN · Nov 29, 2011

I see some nurses who do it and some who don't. All of them still get the job done. They are just managing their time differently. Plus most nurses do snack at the pt's time of breakfast unless pt care is needed.

I see no problem with this. I agree with imintrouble. Our jobs do not follow a schedule. So if a moment arises(even if was right after report) where someone can take a break, snack or what have you, then go for it.

rnay312 · Nov 29, 2011

When I work 12s I get a half hour mid morning,sometimes that is breakfast if I didn't eat or sometimes it's just a snack.Then I get a 45 minute lunch, half hour afternoon break and 45 minute supper.

Is this serious? Two and a half hours of break time when you only get one unpaid half hour? Do you work in the US?

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2011

I think that running off the floor for 30-45 minutes is unacceptable. On my floor, we are required to have a nurse cover us in order to leave the floor. I check in with the charge nurse even if I am only leaving the unit for 5 minutes to borrow equipment from another floor. My patients are on tele, what if something happened while I was gone?

If I can safely leave the unit to grab some coffee after my morning assessment/med pass then I will. That usually only happens on the weekend when we have better staffing. But to leave 2 nurses on an entire unit for 30 minutes? Scares the crap out of me lol....

I think that hearing people complain about how behind they are when they feel free to leave for that long would be a little irritating, but I respect people who are able to take a morning break without sacrificing patient care.

divaRN* · Nov 29, 2011

When I work days (or any shift) I always eat before I go in. You can not count on always being able to take a break first thing. Also this is a huge pet peeve of mine. I used to work nights and a few day shifters would come in on time/ borderline late, punch in and then be MIA because they were on their "breakfast" break. Meanwhile I am waiting to give them report so I can go home! Eat before you come in or come in early enough and eat before your shift. Rant over. Sorry :)

linnaete, ASN, BSN, MSN · Nov 29, 2011

Sometimes I eat breakfast in the mornings at work. If I do, I run down and grab something and bring it back to the floor in the lounge so I can easily attend to anything that comes up if need be. I drive over an hour to work in the morning, and at times it's just too early for me to eat before I leave.

maelstrom143 · Nov 29, 2011

Nope. Don't care what others do, not my problem. However, it will upset me if they leave the board lit up like a Christmas tree and no lights answered because everyone is busy eating breakfast. I do not mind helping, but not my job to deal w/everyone else's patients because of poor planning on their part. I reward myself w/a cup of coffee around 10 am if I am caught up and then begin routine doc calls. Lunch around 1330 or 1400h, depends on what is going on. Supper whenever I get home.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Nov 30, 2011

Please clarify.

What is breakfast .

What is a break? :cool:

Nurse028 · Nov 30, 2011

I waited til after my assessments and morning meds. My patients went to therapy so I would grab breakfast while they were in their morning session..either that or i would grab some fruit, yogurt, and orange juice to have on the way..but i rarely did that since my commute was only 5 minutes long..lol