Eating at the nurses' station

[nursebrandie28, BSN, RN]

Hey my fellow nurses,

I work in the ER and we very seldom get our "30 minute" lunch breaks. Well, one day, I was working day shift and around 2pm, no lunch break and I was starving!! I had a team of 4 patients and all the orders were done, I just had to chart....so I went to the back to get my lunch heated, brought it out, and ate it while I was charting in one of the back corners!! Does anybody else do this??

Brandie

[november17, ASN, RN]

No, I always take my breaks. I make it a point to always take my breaks. Always take your breaks!!!! You teach, eh? Well teach your students to always take their breaks. When I orient people I tell them to always take their breaks.

[miko014]

If you were caught up why couldn't you take a break? Charting doesn't take that long. Eating on the floor is not sanitary, not to mention a big time JCAHO violation. Plus, it's gross. Like november551 said, always take your breaks. I realize that some people aren't going to like me saying that and are going to say that there is no other alternative. I say, if it's getting to the point where you either NEED to eat, or it's getting close to the end of your shift and you feel like you can't take a break, it's time to talk to your charge RN or house sup. They should be able to figure out a way for you to get a break. Like I tell the RNs I work with, someone else can watch your pts, and if not, tell me and I will watch them (when I'm in charge). There are very few situations where you actually cannot take a break. It should be a very rare occurence.

[november17, ASN, RN]

Eating on the floor is not sanitary, not to mention a big time JCAHO violation. .

Sometimes I take my lunch break in segments. I'll take 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there and 10 minutes somewhere else, but it always adds up to a lunch break. You're right though, the nurse station is not the place where food belongs.

[allevi]

we do eat at the nurses station, mainly because there is usually only 2 of us on at night. Know it isn't ideal, but then neither is the staffing here!

[RNpandoraRN]

Eeeeewwwww, what a nauseating thought (eating anywhere besides the break room at my hospital). Might as well lick an isolation cart!

[cherokeesummer]

I do eat at the desk occasionally if I'm super busy, particularly if I'm charge b/c I have to do secretary and charge. For those that always take a break, how do you manage? Trust me, talking to charge (who is also often without one) or manager doesn't make it happen...we just have to find a way to sit for 5 mins to eat. We get deducted for 30 mins but never get that long, doesn't seem fair but its true.

[Scrubby]

If I worked at any place which denied me my unpaid meal break I would be looking for employment elsewhere.

[sister s]

Yep - I work in ER too. On night shifts everyone brings a plate and we have snacks through the night. Sanitary? You should see our tea room. What difference does it make if you eat a chip on the floor or in the tea room? You still wash your hands don't you? I take breaks and eat on the floor at times. Sometimes I even have a coffee on the desk too - ooooh!

[smoke over fire]

Why do you feel the need to martyr yourself?

Obviously the fact that you are violating the joint commission rules, labor laws, and likely hospital protocol doesn't bother you. Think of it another way, if the school your child attended said "your child was not allowed to go to lunch because they did not complete their classwork" what would you say? Now please use that to speak with your supervisor and get someone to cover your for 30 minutes. I would not want a fatigued & hungry nurse calculating my loved one's medications.

[crb613, BSN, RN]

If we eat or drink....its at the desk.

[rainyann]

Why can't you eat and chart in the break room? We don't allow eating and drinking in the nurses' station. We even throw away a doctor's cup of coffee if it is brought into the station.