First a bit of background. There are a lot of posts about not having time to take rest and/or meal breaks- about working straight through a shift without even having a chance to use the restroom.
I do believe this happens, and have experienced it myself, where patient care demands are so great, or concern for patient safety is high enough, that the nurse does not feel they can afford to take their break let alone take a few minutes to empty their bladder. It does happen, it is true.
However.
I think there are many instances where the nurse could take their break without compromising patient safety, and yet they choose not to. They perceive themselves as "too busy" and can't break themselves away from the tasks at hand. Or, a break is offered when things are slower but the nurse is not ready to take their break then, so they don't go, then the floodgates open and the opportunity is lost.
I think when I was a newer nurse, I was more prone to this phenomenon. It was like I felt guilty for prioritizing my own needs and making my patients wait. I think it's also possible that nurses who aren't used to working in a high volume environment can be more prone to this too, so that when things get busy, they don't think they can go on a break, when they actually can. There are so many things that can wait. Everything doesn't have to get done *right now*.
I have coworkers that can't seem to peel themselves away, even when I'm telling them "Go, I've got this! Get out of here and go eat!". They are offered the opportunity, then *choose* not to go, and then complain about not getting breaks.
Example: Flood gates opened- everyone and their mother in law decided they needed to be seen in the ER right at that moment. We were full. But, we had nobody critical or unstable- most were clinic type patients, a few full workups but nothing remarkable. Co-worker is hungry and wants to go eat. Okay, great, tell me about your patients. Co-worker is frantic and starts to tell me about the ambulance patient we're expecting. Yes, I know. I took the call, remember? I got it. Tell me about your other patients. They're both stable, no new orders, one is getting fluids, the other waiting for the provider. Great. Go now. See you in a bit!
So I go in to settle the ambulance patient (not critical) and next thing I know, said coworker is in the room "helping" me. "I thought you were going on break", says I. "I'm just helping settle the patient, then I'll go" says she.
This is the slippery slope. "I'm just (fill in the blank), then I'll go". Famous last words.
I've settled dozens of ambulance patients by myself. I don't need help. I've got this. Take your dang break, for heaven's sake, or you might not get one at all!!!!!
I feel like it's a patient safety issue when you have a coworker who is so frazzled and frantic that they can't concentrate, who won't go on their break. I feel like I need to get firm with this coworker and tell them in no uncertain terms to GO ALREADY.
Thank you! This thread is right up there with the "You do have time (to pee)" one If you wait for the work to be done, phone to stop ringing, call lights to stop being pressed, etc. sure you'll have a hard time leaving. But it's a matter of priority. Messages can be taken. Other staff can answer call lights. Scheduled meds have a window of time and can wait for you to nourish yourself. There are nights when the excrement is hitting the fan and I might not take a leisurely 30 minute break, but I'm not going to starve either. In that case I'll take 15, go eat, and document that I didn't take a lunch (since a lunch = 30 uninterrupted minutes)...since I don't work for free. I'm not an anomaly on my unit either, despite our high acuity (surgical/trauma/neuro ICU in a level 1 trauma ctr); not only is our own well-being a priority, but our colleagues' well-being is a priority and we help each other. VERY rarely does one not eat.
I guess I'd put my break on hold if CPR was actually being done (or even seriously contemplated) on my patient, but most things can wait for thirty minutes while you go eat lunch.
THIS would be the only time I would put a break on hold, otherwise, I'm scheduling a break.
Well, I wish I worked with you guys. How do you get others to take their breaks? Or do you not and let them work themselves to death if they want to? What about patient safety?
I agree with everyone else. Other than a code or a brand new admission rolling into the door, there really isn't anything that can't wait 30 seconds while I use the restroom! I don't understand when nurses say they have not had time to urinate the whole shift. It only takes a few seconds! As far as missing lunch goes, it isn't an option for me. I can't go 12 hours without food!
When I was the only nurse for 65 pts in an LTC facility, I didn't get a break for 2 years. Over and over again, I was determined to take one. but someone was always falling, a blood sugar bottoming out, or some darn thing. I was very organized and fast. I was the only nurse on that unit who never had to stay over to chart.
Now, I have a very different job, and get all my breaks.
It's always the same group of people who never have time for a break. They're the same people who expect a spoon fed handover and are unhappy to have any jobs that need to be completed on their shift. It's poor time management. I ask them if they want a break once or twice and then I send someone else. The entire unit doesn't revolve around them. This is talking about a normal, steady shift at work. I've worked shifts where it was so busy and the acuity so high not a single one of us got a break - this is not the same thing. I've seen people looking after one single walking, talking patient waiting for transfer to the warm and they try to tell me they are too busy for a break. Busy doing what?
Whats worse is that on our ward our breaks are divided into set time slots ie 11am,1130am, 3pm, 330pm but if the nurse in the earlier slot is faffing about not taking her break until say 1115 it then means that i, in the 1130 slot, cannot take all of my break as we must be back on the floor for 1200 for meal times/drug rounds so because she has crap time management i lose part of my break.
We are scheduled for breaks, and I know if I am on first, that seconds and thirds are waiting for me to come back.
One thing I find tough is in a 7a-7p shift, going at 830, then 1130 and missing last break because of workload. I find it to be really tough to work the 7 1/2 solid hours without a break and something doesn't seem quite right about it. I end up feeling somewhat frazzled, overtired and hungry towards the end.
We break in pairs, relieving each other, and if my partner is on 1st, I need to help him or her to go and vice versa.
I don't take an actual sit-down break, but every morning I take 10 minutes or so to grab a snack and check on my son via cellphone. I may have some things pending, but once morning med pass is done, and I've gotten everyone's pain under control, there is nothing pending that a few minutes will screw up.
Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN
5,047 Posts
Thank you! This thread is right up there with the "You do have time (to pee)" one
If you wait for the work to be done, phone to stop ringing, call lights to stop being pressed, etc. sure you'll have a hard time leaving. But it's a matter of priority. Messages can be taken. Other staff can answer call lights. Scheduled meds have a window of time and can wait for you to nourish yourself. There are nights when the excrement is hitting the fan and I might not take a leisurely 30 minute break, but I'm not going to starve either. In that case I'll take 15, go eat, and document that I didn't take a lunch (since a lunch = 30 uninterrupted minutes)...since I don't work for free. I'm not an anomaly on my unit either, despite our high acuity (surgical/trauma/neuro ICU in a level 1 trauma ctr); not only is our own well-being a priority, but our colleagues' well-being is a priority and we help each other. VERY rarely does one not eat.