Do Students Get Breaks In Clinicals?

[FutureNurse2008]

Hi, I really would like to know if nursing students are allowed to have breaks during their first Medical-Surgical Clinical. Our CI only gives us 10 min. for a break and we are in clinicals for 6 hrs I feel we should at least have 30 minutes. It takes at least 3 min. to take the elevator and that is not enough time to do anything. When we asked her about the breaks, she got pissed off and for the rest of the day treated everyone unfair and wrote most of us up for any and everything. She stated that we were there to learn and do patient care not to take breaks. Please give your opinion on this situation. Do you feel this is fair? What would you have done? Oh by the way, we still only got 10 min.

Confused and Discouraged

[lisabeth]

All of this seems brutal. I guess gum or mints or something is an alternative to drinking. Otherwise, I will never make it as a nurse. I have had myself checked for diabeties, but it was all clear. I am thirsty all the time and I need to pee all the time.

[suznan]

I had clinicals today and I was bored out of my mind. We each have one patient and a crap load of paperwork for each one. But today my patient went home this morning at 930 so I had nothing to do all day. I spent my day bonding with the other patients all six of them. That's the one thing that sucks here is that this is a small hospital and there aren't always that many patients.

susan

[z's playa]

We break when our buddy nurse breaks.......or we break whenever our proff says "Take off eh?" hehehehe.......(jk).....like NOone says "take off eh" anymore.........

20 minutes for coffee......and 45 min for lunch.......unless our pt is really sick......which NEVER happens....

Z

Hey..where are all my buddies? Marie....SBE.......Fran.....Never too late...HEEEllllooooooooo buddies !

[marilynmom, LPN, NP]

Heck yes we get a lunch/dinner break! Our first clinical day is 4 hours so no we don't really take a break. The next day we have clinicals for 8-9 hours and we get one hour for dinner...as well as pre and post conference.

Most of the RNs I have worked with so far also get a lunch/dinner break. It might only be 30 mins but they do get it.

[BSNtobe2009]

7 hours is too long to go without anything more than a snack.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

When I had clinicals, there were some rotations where we didn't get much time for lunch. What we'd do was bring our lunches instead - sodas, sandwiches, fruit, cereal, etc. - in insulated lunchbags with cold packs. We wouldn't bring anything that needed microwaving, so we could eat anywhere. If we only got ten minutes break, we would just grab our lunchbags and sit wherever we could - staff breakroom if there was room, otherwise family waiting rooms. It doesn't take long to eat a box lunch if you don't waste time leaving the floor.

[meme_911]

hay am meme_911 ,yes we do take 30 min in clinical :cheers: thay have to give you more time 10 min is not enough:confused:

[RNin2007]

We have 12 hour clinicals...get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch.

~J

[bmoore1973]

the way i see it is, that is the way it is going to be when you go to work. if you work in a hospital setting and you work an 8 or a 12 hour shift, you are most likely going to be busy all the time. there are many times when you work on a hospital med/surg floor you will be glad to get 15 for the whole shift. i say, just get used to it because nursing is busy, keep moving job and the patients or the dr's or someone always needs something from you!

[LydiaNN]

IMHO, you should get a break. If this was a paid job, you'd be legally entitled to a 30 hour break during a 6 hr. shift. OTOH, you are experiencing a very real aspect of hospital nursing... the opportunity to actually take a break is rare.

[Justin_T_W]

15 minutes - 12pm - 5:30 pm clinical- break at 2:15 to 2:30

Also get break in the beginning when turning in paperwork on patients

[atrice, BSN, RN]

We are at the hospital for 8 hrs. and eat during postclinicals. We go about 7 hrs w/o a break....although I have been known to sneak into the nutrition room to grab a cup of ice water.