My family can't believe nurses don't get breaks

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Hi all, I'm currently in nursing school and had mentioned a few times that on my clinical rotations I noticed that it was true that most of the nurses I was working with were not able to take scheduled breaks or lunches, including myself. There just isn't time to plan time. I explained how difficult it is to leave the floor for breaks or lunches when things happen or change with patients, and you can not just walk away for a break or a lunch without making sure you have coverage and have reported off, or how this is a predominant complaint in the nursing profession. I know I have gone well over 5+ hours without a break or any lunch. They just kept saying "It's a federal law, you HAVE to be allowed breaks." How can I help them understand why it just doesn't work that way?

Would you like my post even more if I told you that when I have to use the restroom, I go and use the restroom! If I'm in the middle of a RAT response or a code, well, I'll wait, but otherwise anything else can wait while I take a couple of minutes to empty the 'ole bladder!

;):anpom:

I would! :D

One paper I am thinking of writing is why nurses put up with being mistreated. I've only been a nurse for 10 years but it has always surprised me.

Not that only nurses do it . ... I hate generalizations.

Why people do it . . period.

steph

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Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.

Most nurses do not get a break because we are short staffed. It has nothing to with organizational skills etc. We are just very busy and as usual we always think of ourselves last. The Managers could step in for a while and let the nurses have a break but they can not even manage the floor much less be expected to give breaks.

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I have worked a a RN for 25 years. I have been a manager, a Charge Nurse and a staff nurse. Nurses are more productive when they take breaks. You are not serving your patients well, or doing yourself any favors when you don't take a break to rekindle your spirit and energ. Nurses need to stop the mauderer behviors and simply tell management, I will be taking my break at noon etc., It is the law in every state. Take a break for your paitents' sake.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych, Addiction/Detox.

I have been a Med-Surg RN for 4 years. I can count on one hand how many times I had lunch AND breaks in a 12 hour shift. As most of us know 12 hours can turn into 13 or 14 hours.

I have even had patients and families that were shocked when they found out nurses are even supposed to get a lunch. They feel as though that is abandonment on some level even knowing another nurse will be keeping an eye on them. Some have outright told me that my job is to do "everything" whether they need it or not. They feel as a "paying" "customer" that nurses should be at their beck and call for the whole shift. :nono:

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This is so true....but in all honesty....what other profession do you know, where basic labour law is not enforced? You need to take your breaks, have time for yourself. You will provide better pt care!

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If we can't take a meal break within 5 hours of beginning a shift, we claim for overtime until a break can be taken. If we are on call during that time eg theatre/recovery on a pm or weekend with one team on to cover acutes, so cannot leave the building,we get paid on call rates for that half hour or a meal is provided by the hospital. This is in our contract.

We make sure we do claim, it is surprising how hitting them in the pocket makes 'them' stick to our working conditions. -New Zealand PACU nurse.

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It is up to you to insist to management that you have regular scheduled breaks, not doing so makes you a fool.

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Specializes in ED, L&D, ICU, Charge.

The only way your family is going to belive it is if they become a nurse themselves. I have had many shifts where breaks just don't happen. All of you out there that want to sit there and say "It's your right to take your break, it's the law" I knw what you're saying, and you aren't wrong, but you must not be working in a po-dunk little hospital in the middle of nowhere either where your 12h shifts often turn to 16h+ because you are understaffed and the staff you have can't take over your position in specialty area you are working in I:E: ER, ICU, OB, and of course no one you have called will come in. Oh, well then you should be calling the Charge nurse, right? Wait a minute, that's me too, and I've already taken over one of the specialty area sick calls. So then we need to be calling in the Nurse Manager. Well, since she already worked the full day shift and probably stayed lated and is coming back tomorrow, good luck with that one. So who's up the line next.....maybe the President of the hospital? By the time ya wake him up, get him there, explain to him that you just need some one to watch your patient so you can A: use the toliet B: take one of your 15 min. breaks or C: Eat Lunch, you patient has probably coded or the next shift has hopefully came in.

Just do what the rest of us do; A: Learn to hold it until you can't remember when you went last, (usually you rememeber you have to go about halfway home), B: Hopefully you aren't a smoker, most places are smoke free now anyway so the 15 min. breaks aren't usually noticed becaused you're too darn busy and if you get a day that you actaully get to go get coffee, DO IT!!!!! & C: Eating is over rated anyway. Most of us have learned to "Eat over the trough," as I call it. Just remember to put down that you did not get your lunch break when you didn't, and TAKE YOUR LUNCH BREAK, ALL 30 MINUTES OF IT when you get it.

Only words O'wisdom I got!

Except maybe the ole' it is ok to say no when they call you and ask you to work on your day off :beer:

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Specializes in Rehab, Neuro, Travel Nurse, Home Care.

On night shift we only have 2 RN and no aide. I asked the supervisor once and she get somebody down here while we take our breaks. She looked at me like I had 5 heads. Of course the answer was no, because night shift has so much down time (according to her), so then I asked if I could leave a 1/2 hour early since I can't get my legal break. I'm such a trouble maker. So now sometimes the supervisor will come to our unit and cover my patients for 5 mins while I go to the store (cafe closed at night).

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How can I help them understand why it just doesn't work that way?

Post their email and let everyone respond, lol!:yeah:

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Specializes in orthopaedics.

as nurses we are entitiled to our breaks. now if we have the time to take them is another story.

our cna or stnas or nas will take their full break times off the floor. i work nights so the nurses on our floor get our food downstairs and eat at the nurses station so we are close by.

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Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.

I am efficient enough. I just can't eat fast enough!! :clown:

On the rare occasion in my overnight 12's, I will always have charting in front of me. Cafe is closed overnight and there's nowhere to go, but I remember the good ole days watchin ER on tv and they'd head to the roof. Any escape would be nice.

I've learned on my 8's to eat before leaving the house because I know I won't be eating til the next morning.

Oh and the best part? No buddy system at my facility for this newbie on orientation. I run my patooty off all night and find my preceptor stuffing herself to gaseous inflation w/ her People magazine in front of her at the breakroom table.

I'm so ready to move on...

Chloe

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