How often do you take a break?

fergus51 · Mar 2, 2006

We get two thirty minute breaks. We only miss them if we are extremely busy, but even then you can usually get out for 10 minutes to pee and wolf down some food. I can't work well for 12+ hours without eating.

jgwe4e · Mar 4, 2006

We get 30 min for lunch and (in theory) two 15 min breaks in a 12 hr shift. We all take our luch breaks, but almost never the other breaks.

MomNRN, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

What is a break? :)

Seriously - I work in the ED and the only "break" I usually get is to run to the bathroom and/or grab a Diet Pepsi. I work the 3-11pm shift and a dinner break is very rare as well. I usually bring a sandwich and eat it while I chart.

In our department we have a "paid" lunch since we rarely get one. I always get paid for 8, even if I do get a dinner break. We are the only department that allows this.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

It's very rare that i get one, but that's also by my own choosing. I definately get a lunch, even if i practically have to demand it.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

We are so spoiled on our unit. I work 12-hour night shifts. Between 7p-11p we all get a 30 minute break, and from 11p-7a we take a whole hour break. We can't eat in the unit, but we don't go to the cafeteria either - we stay in the unit breakroom.

If it's really really busy, sometimes we don't get our full breaks. But 90% of the time we do. Even on those bad days, though, we force each other to go out for at least 15-20 minutes to recharge, and we'll watch each other's patients. It's a great group to work with - these are some of the reasons we're not burnt out (at least on night shift).

GLORIAmunchkin72 · Mar 4, 2006

I voluntarily don't take my breaks except for my supper (unless I'm feeling really faint or something) but I don't begrudge those who do as long as they don't stay gone a long time.

Doing an assignment, interested in finding out if nurses take a break during their shift? Presuming the majority don't.

pugmum · Mar 5, 2006

I take a break when I'm not busy...unfortunately, that translates to never. I sometimes try to eat lunch, but it ends up being at my desk on the computer, so I never really get a break. Take a bathroom break when my bladder is about to explode, its either that or get out the catheter... ewwww, cannot imagine that. Need a new job! :uhoh3:

leslie :-D · Mar 5, 2006

as op asked, what's a break?

no smoke breaks, nothing.

my feet kill me at the end of the shift(s).

some might consider me a martyr since there are other nurses that take their break.

yet i look at these nurses and wonder how they do it. :confused:

did i tell you how my my feet hurt????? :uhoh3:

Alex3 · Mar 5, 2006

First week over on my second placement. In this ward, it seems common practice to get a coffee break of about 10 mins in a 7.5hr shift. All staff seem to take theirs entitlement and the staff so far, encourage it which is great. If you are busy, or dealing with a crisis....the staff tend to tell you to take a break regardless of your status (student/hca/qualified nurse)...

Despite being short staffed, we all still managed to get a break the other day.I was impressed!

For me personally, I need 10 mins to sit, drink, write notes....and then I can start again, a bit more refreshed. I hope to keep on doing this, but it will be interesting to see whether on different placements breaks are not taken/not encouraged.

nrcnurse · Mar 8, 2006

Smokers take breaks. I'm not a smoker, but if I'm working and a smoker goes on break I'm expected to cover their patients. QUOTE]
Maybe we should just say we're going out to smoke so we can have breaks, too. I'm getting tired of covering for smokers and never getting a break myself!
Allegedly, we get a 15 minute AM and PM break, and 30 minutes for lunch. I usually just get the lunch break, and generally not until 2 or 3 o'clock (12hr day shift.)

Bumashes, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 8, 2006

When I can't hold it any more. Had need to go to an urologist, new to me, and he looked at one of my x-rays and told me "you're either a teacher or a nurse". When I asked him to explain he stated that nurses and teachers tend to have over-sized bladders from "holding it". I was pretty amazed at that! And don't even really know if it could be true, the more you ask it to hold the bigger it gets? Like the stomach? Hmmmmm......

It's true. Before trying nursing school, I went for four years towards a teaching degree. During that time, I was expected to do observations of classrooms, help out every now and then for experience, etc. I also tried substitute teaching. One thing I noticed was the complete lack of a bathroom break. Some schools were worse than others. The worst was like this: As soon as the first student enters school property, you must be in your classroom. Students are to be left alone at no time. Recess must be supervised, no leaving. Lunch must be supervised, no leaving. The only acceptable way to leave your class was to get another teacher with an "off period" to watch your class. The school layout was so funky, however, that you couldn't get another teacher without leaving the classroom. Most teachers exchanged cell phone numbers and off-period times so they could contact one another to ask for help. It's pathetic. If you were lucky enough to get a "planning period" (off period), you were expected to go then. Let me tell you, "off period" does not correctly describe what this time with no students is. You're either in a staff meeting, copying worksheets, grading papers, contacting parents, filling out forms, etc. Nurses and teachers have the largest bladders of any professional fields!

cathy2 · Mar 8, 2006

This is a question I hear often as it varies from place to place,but by law I am sure every worker is entitled to a break after a certain amount of time.:balloons: