I have the time (to pee)

[Emergent]

I'm a little perturbed that some of my colleagues claim they haven't the time to pee. Let me just say, no matter how busy a shift, I ALWAYS have time to pee. If you can't take 3 minutes out of your shift to pee, YOU need reexamine your priorities.

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

I pee anytime I get the urge now. I'm no longer working. But I do miss the activity.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I also find time to pee AND poop during shift! No shame in TMI here lol. I even have a secret bathroom I go to if I need ultimate privacy. No one will ever find me :)

[T.H.R.N.]

I worked with a nurse whose daughter, also a nurse, died of toxic shock syndrome from not taking a break to tend to necessities. If you do not take care of yourself you cannot take care of anyone else.

That is just awful!!!!

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

its really rare (although I don't work ER or ICU) that I don't get at least 20 minutes to eat and pee when I need to - even with 7 patients and no aide

[mluvsgnc]

"If they claim that, then they are self imposing it upon themselves. And also, perhaps they could benefit from some time management strategies."

THIS!

[vianne]

we have a hydration chart on the back of the toilet doors, it tells you what colour your pee should be and to drink a glass of water if its heading towards a sunshine yellow, can't wait for the stool chart....

[Caffeine_IV]

Even when it is super busy, I just stop, go pee and decompress and jump back in.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I have time for myself now. There have been jobs where I didn't, however. I worked for 8 years in one particular ICU that was just horrible; seemed like every time I went to the bathroom, a doctor would be on the phone, needing you. Or someone would want to place a swan or something RIGHT THEN. I really have never had a job where I got to sit down and take my 30 minute meal break, until now. Years ago, during my first nursing job, two older nurses told me to take care of myself, because I couldn't take care of patients if I was hungry, needing a bathroom break, etc. I took that to heart, and try to take care of ME first.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Vianne, we have to chart what a patient's stool looks like, in intimate detail! Some of the descriptions are hilarious. I will draw the line at my own poop, however!

[Baubo516, RN]

I still work as a CNA, and I used to wait until my break to pee. Sometimes it was downright uncomfortable, as our breaks get pushed back if they need to. I was talking about this to a fellow aide, and he told me, "I NEVER pee on break! Just go pee if you need to pee! Don't waste your break time peeing!" I thought that was hilarious, but I also took his advice.

[klone, MSN, RN]

When I worked floor, there was once in a great while when we were slammed and we didn't have time to take a proper lunch. At those times, our charge nurse would put us in as "no lunch" and we would get paid for that extra 30 minutes. If that were to happen regularly, they would start to look at why your time management was so poor that you weren't getting lunch. I agree with whomever said that the nurses who talk about how they NEVER get a lunch or a break need to examine their own time management skills.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

I started thinking of the little old ladies who stand up to go to the bathroom and leave a trail of pee on the way. I don't want to be like that so I started peeing whenever I felt the need. That and the flank pain coupled with realizing I was peeing for the first time today when I would get home at 8pm made me be more considerate to my kidneys.