What do you do on your break at work?

Nurses General Nursing

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dramanurse

1 Post

We have to carry these pesky little phones with us everywhere now...you know so we can always be reached.....so if i ever do get a break...i usually leave the unit because by the time they call me on my phone for something really stupid..i at least can get away for a little while which some nights makes all the difference.

Tiiki

95 Posts

I have read a lot about the smokers. In the ER smoke breaks have to co-incide with scheduled breaks (ifn they actually happen) otherwise, sorry, you cannot leave. If I get a break? I eat!! cause it may be the only time in my 12hr shift I'll be able to do that.

Have a good one!

JO

I HATE carrying those stupid phones! You are required to answer on the second ring...elbow deep in dressing changes? At the bedside of a critical patient? TOUGH! They call to tell you somelone has a call light on!! Like I can't hear it binging! AND....my biggest gripe.....they expect you to be on the phone discussing private client concerns no matter where you are...confidentiality doesn't seem to figure in to the plan!

PhantomRN

299 Posts

When I worked bedside care I never got a break, Now I take them faithfully. I just go in the lunch room and stare at the wall......haha

nicubabe

22 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

Shame on the inconsiderate smokers:o I smoke myself ,but I never leave without checking if my coworkers need help with anything first and I limit my breaks to 2 a shift. I also make sure my coworkers get abreak by offering to care for their patients while they are away. It doesn't help an already stressful work environment to create unneeded animosity over a bad habit

fedupnurse

790 Posts

I don't begrudge anyone a break but please don't take your break when your patient is unstable. I have been running into this more and more. Patient is having chest pain, or they are titrating dopamine due to a BP in the toilet and they say "Can you take report" I say not until your patients issue is resolved. You are his nurse and he is circling the drain. I'll be happy to help you but I won't take over the care of this patient while he is unstable (especially when I have 3 unstable ones of my own and a manager sitting on her butt doing nothing in the office).

Rottie1

46 Posts

Specializes in Surgery.

When I actually have a few minutes, if I don't think of something else that has to be done, I go pee. Some days I am amazed that I actually was able to do that during the day. Days that aren't so crazy I also grab a slimfast and maybe read the schedule for the next couple of days (surgery). Then when it is really good I might join a smoker for an extended break.

Esther.

LasVegasRN

835 Posts

I have to chime in on the smokers - someone suggested taking a break with the smokers, we used to call it taking a non-smoking smoking break. BUT, when we did that we were LESS productive.

My apologies to the smokers but I noticed this mostly when they would go for "quick" smoke breaks - they were never quick! Add up going for a "quick" smoke break and some of them were off the floor for a total of 50 minutes in an 8 hour shift - that's in ADDITION to the 2 ten minutes breaks and lunch! Thus, it brought about SCHEDULED BREAKS, which was actually a good thing because it made those of us who never took breaks take them and the smokers could only go during the scheduled breaks.

B.Wilhelm

16 Posts

I agree with CEN35! It seems the only one who gets a break at my facility is the smoker, who takes a break between every case.

(I work at a surgery center) If I totalled her smoke break time for the week and got as much time I could have a three day weekend! No joke!

REDWOMANRN

19 Posts

DON'T PICK ON US SMOKERS--I REALIZE THERE ARE A FEW THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF "SMOKE-BREAKS"!!!

NOT ME!!!!!!!GOOD LUCKE GETTING A BREAK!!!!

micro, RN

1,173 Posts

I think the answer for me is that i either take up smoking (again----even though when i did i never did at work, but maybe will now)or actually take at least a 1/2 hour break to walk and listen to good music and to zone out...........

ARIOSRN

6 Posts

ON MY UNIT WE WORK ON A BUDDY SYSTEM. WE COVER OUR BUDDIES PTS. WHEN THEY ARE ON BREAK, SO WE USUALLY AT LEAST GET LUNCH. WE ARE FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE ANY SMOKERS ON NIGHTS EXCEPT ONE ANM. AND BEING THAT WE HAVE TWO ANMS ON MOST NIGHTS THEY COVER FOR EACH OTHER. NEVER HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT SHOVELING GROCERIES THOUGH.

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