Lunch and Break Help

Please describe your hospital (critical access rural hospital, community hospital, urban, Level 1 trauma, etc.).

We are a trauma hospital

Please describe your unit: Medical? Surgical? Specialty? IMC/Stepdown?

I work Med-Surg

What is your nurse to patient ratio?

5:1

Do your charge nurses take patients? If so does that impact how does that impact how you get breaks?

Charge doesn't typically have pts. However Charge sometimes 20% of the time maybe does

What tactics are used so nurses get their lunch breaks and 15 minute breaks?

Um...we get our 30 min lunch all the time. 1st 15 mins 75%of the time. The last 15% is a joke! 5% of the time

Do you verify that nurses get their breaks, and if so, how?

Supppsedly it's recorded by the charge but actually not really

Where do people take their breaks?

Varies...break room, off the unit

Are there any systems in place to minimize work interruptions? If so, can you please describe?

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What, if any, tactics are used to help nurses get their lunch and 15 minute breaks?

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Please describe your hospital (critical access rural hospital, community hospital, urban, Level 1 trauma, etc.).

critical access rural hospital, level 2 trauma center

Please describe your unit: Medical? Surgical? Specialty? IMC/Stepdown?

Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Unit (ages newborn-27 years)

What is your nurse to patient ratio?

1:4

Do your charge nurses take patients? If so does that impact how does that impact how you get breaks?

CNs do not usually take patients.

What tactics are used so nurses get their lunch breaks and 15 minute breaks?

CN watches team or use another RN with a full patient assignment

Do you verify that nurses get their breaks, and if so, how?

Ask and they can claim "no break or no lunch" when they badge out

Where do people take their breaks?

On nights (my shift) at the nurses station, other shifts usually at the nurses station or in the break room

Are there any systems in place to minimize work interruptions? If so, can you please describe?

No

What, if any, tactics are used to help nurses get their lunch and 15 minute breaks?

We are trying to come up with a solution to the "buddy" system at this time. It is very difficult.

Med-surg unit. 5/6 patients to 1 nurse. Charge doesn't take patients. We use the buddy system for 30 minute lunches. We never officially take the 15 minute breaks but can go into the break room or down to the cafeteria anytime we need to (assuming your work is caught up and patients are taken care of) just need to tell the charge we are off the unit.