How often do you take a break?

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

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Working Med/Surg floor or charge. No breaks...barely time to use bathroom when absolutely necessary.

Working HH. Break whenever I want to....!

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It is neither legal nor safe for our critically ill patients to leave them for a meal break. Sometimes my patient is on CRRT with an IABP and drips.

When I go I give report and responsibility for my one or two patients to the charge nurse who has no assignment. Sometimes i am charge and relieve my fellow nurses when they take their break.

When the census is up we have a relief nurse.

He or she hears report on all the patients then does the checks, runs errands, picks up patients from the ER, or takes a patient for tests on the monitor with ACLS supplies.

Come time for a break we have relief.

We don't go together but can meet our friends fronm other units. The cafeteria is closed at night where I work so we bring food to share.

After breaks the relief nurse admits patients or helps out on another unit as determined by the supervisor.

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It is neither legal nor safe for our critically ill patients to leave them for a meal break. Sometimes my patient is on CRRT with an IABP and drips.

When I go I give report and responsibility for my one or two patients to the charge nurse who has no assignment. Sometimes i am charge and relieve my fellow nurses when they take their break.

When the census is up we have a relief nurse.

He or she hears report on all the patients then does the checks, runs errands, picks up patients from the ER, or takes a patient for tests on the monitor with ACLS supplies.

Come time for a break we have relief.

We don't go together but can meet our friends fronm other units. The cafeteria is closed at night where I work so we bring food to share.

After breaks the relief nurse admits patients or helps out on another unit as determined by the supervisor.

Well there ya go.. Nurses working together all on their own helping each other.

As another poster said the union makes all units do "it" the same way. She was working every third weekend but because other units couldn't swing that and went to every other she had to go to every other.

That's not fair. Units especially smaller units such as ICU etc should be self governing.

Life isn't fair. And we can't always change that. So one nurse got lucky and has to work every third instead of every other.

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yes the law says we take a break 15 minutes beginning and end of shift with a 30minute lunch in the middle and the policy says no food or drink at the desk.....kind of a catch 22 for me.....:idea: i have learned to eat really really fast!!! ;) just not sure how healthy that is!! :uhoh3:

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There is a reason why the law permits scheduled breaks. A fatigued, overworked and improperly nourished person is more likely to lash out at residents or patients. They're the first ones to be singled out in an abuse case. That is definitely not to say that you hard-working people are abusive.

yes the law says we take a break 15 minutes beginning and end of shift with a 30minute lunch in the middle and the policy says no food or drink at the desk.....kind of a catch 22 for me.....:idea: i have learned to eat really really fast!!! ;) just not sure how healthy that is!! :uhoh3:
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Specializes in L&D, PP, NSY.
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. It depends on the day whether i get a break or meal or not. I've worked several times without either because of not having enough people working.

I Am a smoker and there are plenty of days I go without..however, on those days I do get in a smoke or two I make it my duty to take a non-smoker with me. I don't feel that it's right to go just because I'm a smoker. Smokers make sure we get a break (providing all h*ll isn't breaking loose), so I make it my personal obligation to make sure non-smokers they get theirs.

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i take a break as soon as i get report, i work LTC through agency. i take a break as soon as i finish the med pass, i take a break after the afternoon med pass and i take a break again before i leave. i don't understand how people can not take breaks. i've worked LTC and critical care and L and D, pretty much everything but OR, PACU, etc. I find a way to take a break. and i have NEVER in 6 years of being a nurse, stayed late to chart. i just wouldn't do it.

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Specializes in MED SURG , OB,TELE.

We are lucky if we get lunch, much less breaks!!:uhoh3: We usually do get a lull in the afternoon, so I break then.

I usually eat my lunch in the unit breakroom, as do most of my fellow nurses on 7a-7 p shift. We are constantly jumping up to meet patient needs so we take bites between interventions!!!!

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Do you ALWAYS get your work done on time or do you leave it undone and go home?

i take a break as soon as i get report, i work LTC through agency. i take a break as soon as i finish the med pass, i take a break after the afternoon med pass and i take a break again before i leave. i don't understand how people can not take breaks. i've worked LTC and critical care and L and D, pretty much everything but OR, PACU, etc. I find a way to take a break. and i have NEVER in 6 years of being a nurse, stayed late to chart. i just wouldn't do it.
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Do you ALWAYS get your work done on time or do you leave it undone and go home?

i always get it done, but i will add this. a while ago, i got 2 admissions back to back right before i was supposed to leave. i knew they were coming, so i had already written out the MAR's and wrote their name on all the admission papers, etc. I got the patient, called the dr. to verify orders and left a message with the answering service. i did not hear back from the dr. before i left, so i passed that on in report. in a case like that, then yes, i guess i didn't get my work done, if that's what you want to call it. there are always circumstances beyond your control.

i wouldn't leave work for the next nurse, simply because it was my time to leave. i just get my work done. i can't understand after reading all these posts, how i hear some nurses saying they stay late after work to chart, or they don't have time to take a break throughout their shift. i just don't get it!! I'm not a miracle worker, and i certainly have had bad days where i want to scream and cry, but i STILL MANAGE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE.

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You must be super-efficient then. Maybe you can teach us something.

i always get it done, but i will add this. a while ago, i got 2 admissions back to back right before i was supposed to leave. i knew they were coming, so i had already written out the MAR's and wrote their name on all the admission papers, etc. I got the patient, called the dr. to verify orders and left a message with the answering service. i did not hear back from the dr. before i left, so i passed that on in report. in a case like that, then yes, i guess i didn't get my work done, if that's what you want to call it. there are always circumstances beyond your control.

i wouldn't leave work for the next nurse, simply because it was my time to leave. i just get my work done. i can't understand after reading all these posts, how i hear some nurses saying they stay late after work to chart, or they don't have time to take a break throughout their shift. i just don't get it!! I'm not a miracle worker, and i certainly have had bad days where i want to scream and cry, but i STILL MANAGE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE.

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Lets see....break....trying to remember what those are....I work ICU...:bugeyes::bugeyes:

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