Getting a meal break

CodeteamB · Jan 1, 2014

How do other floors in hospitals ensure staff get their meal break? I work on a busy Mother Baby unit and don't want to hold anyone else's phone and watch their 4 couplets and mine too for someone to take their meal break. Meal time assignments seem impossible to make because admissions and discharges are constant on our floor. I also want to eat with my co-workers I enjoy being with-not someone I am assigned to eat with. Our Unit Practice Council is trying very hard to come up with a workable solution to getting an uninterrupted meal break. Any ideas out there?? Thanks!

I think you can't have it both ways... Either you can pass on your assignment to another nurse for meal time and accept their assignment in return when it is their turn, or you can have interruptions in your break. I understand that you don't want to take care of double patients for 15 mins to an hour (not sure of your breaks), but if you aren't willing to do so then I don't see how you could be guaranteed an uninterrupted down time.

As for needing to go on break with your friends... You are at work, not a social club. Sure it's nice to go on break with your work bestie, I love the days when this works out for me, but more often it doesn't and I eat my food with one of my many other co-workers, who all have their nice points too.

Getting an uninterrupted break is fairly simple, I have never worked anywhere where it was an issue, but in order to do it some concessions must be made and everyone needs to be will to work together and get each other's backs.

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2014

In my previous ED, we had a float RN who would do lunch relief. Everybody would sign up for a time, then the float RN would go down the list and relieve each one in turn. On shifts where we didn't have enough staffing for that, we'd cover each others' assignments. At my current place, we break each other.

loriangel14, RN · Jan 1, 2014

On my floor half the staff does while the other half covers and we switch. We have 45 minutes for luch. We never miss our breaks.

bankssarn · Jan 1, 2014

No offense, but this seems trivial. You don't want to eat with someone you're assigned a break time with? At least you're getting a break...

I have never worked L&D or postpartum, but when I worked med-surg, we covered our co-worker's 4-6 patients so they could take a lunch break. I think that's usually the way it works.

adamRn79, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2014

Of all the complaints to have....

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2014

I agree with those who say, "just be glad you get to eat!" I don't think I have ever had an uninterrupted lunch break in my 25 year career. I guess I am just used to it by now! I also agree, this is your job, not your social club. That said, do take time to relax and eat, and quit worrying about who you end up lunching with.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jan 1, 2014

If we had a charge that did not have a patient assignment, then that person would cover meals. If you are getting an unpaid meal break, and you are not taking it, you lose a half hour pay for nothing.

Is there any per diem nurses who would come in from 11-3 (or a part time nurse) to cover meals? Now that would be my ideal part time nursing job! Or a float nurse specific to covering lunches for your unit.

brithoover · Jan 1, 2014

We sometimes will have a break nurse to come in and cover breaks which works really well. At other times we cover each other or the CSN will cover breaks

OC_An Khe · Jan 1, 2014

First off if you are being paid hourly then you must be paid if you don't take your meal break.

It is common practice to cover co workers for breaks. I let my patients know I am going on break and who is covering, and ask them to to be mind full when asking for assistance. Previous posters suggestions are all workable depending on your facility. I assume you are not in a state that has mandatory nurse patient ratios which require adequate staff availability to cover breaks.

sistrmoon, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2014

I'm night shift. We don't get scheduled meal breaks. I'm always kind of amazed when I see the meal breaks on the schedule for day shift. We just cover each other as we have time. But busy nights a lot of us just eat on the run.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2014

We cover each other for breaks. No assigned break partners, but we generally pair ourselves w/ the person whose pt rooms are adjacent to ours. That way it's easier to watch them and get to them.

I work in an ICU (and overnight to boot) so don't generally do discharges...we transfer people to the floor or to an LTACH, but I have worked in med-surg and sub-acute where we had a lot. I knew from the start of my shift who was d/c'ing that day and planned accordingly. If I was anticipating a narrow window when I could possibly take a break, I did my d/c teaching early--just let the pt know that they don't have to leave now, but that I want to make sure they get this information in a relaxed manner with time for questions.

One place I worked, we carried walkie-talkies. I turned the volume down; even if I didn't protect my UNPAID break time, we ate in the same community area as pt's families, so it was a confidentiality issue. The sub-acute floor issued each RN a cell phone. I always kept it on my cart, never in my pocket, so it stayed on the cart over break. If someone called for me specifically (e.g. family wanting an update and other RN didn't know the pt), they left a voice mail which I responded to after my break.

At the risk of sounding harsh, it really doesn't matter if you WANT to cover your break partner's couplets. We are legally entitled to 30 minutes of UNPAID break time. Granted there are extreme circumstances like if one of your moms develops eclampsia or a baby respiratory arrests...but no one should be obligated to stop her unpaid lunch break to give a Percocet or fresh ice. Nor does it matter if you are able to coordinate your break time w/ your friend's break time. We are at WORK. If you don't get to have lunch w/ them, invite them for coffee after your shift.