No Lunch Break

Im a nursing student and also a health nut. I really like to treat my body well by eating healthy meals every 4 hours or so. I have heard some stories about nurses going an entire shift with no lunch break. How common is this?

Signed,

The perpetual snacker http://images.allnurses.com/smilies/specs.gif

Very, at least at my facility.

I worked from 1900-0830 Friday night. My phone never stopped ringing. My "break" consisted of using the BRx3 and eating rice krispies while I charted. And I still got out late.

This exact topic has been discussed in:

NO LUNCH??? NO BREAKS??? Is that common in nursing?????

by CleveRN2008

and there are many, many responses.

it happens but its not like you can't eat a few carrot snacks while you chart...... but most times you get at least one of your breaks and at the hospital i am at that is 20 minutes about 3 hours after you get there and another 30 minute break about 3 hours later. Im a nursing student too, but we do precepted clinicals so we follow an rn and their schedule. on some floors i never missed a break at all........on the med surg floor i missed at least one of our breaks fairly often..

I've been in the ER for 1 1/2 years. The only time I have ever gotten a meal break is when I was on orientation. My preceptor at the time would tell me "go to lunch now because when you are off orientation you will never get a break" Well she was right, I havent had a meal break since. I do have to say I work with an IA who will grab me something when she goes to cafateria, but I never get to sit down and it. It is more like take a bite..patient care...take a bite...patient care..

It really depends on how your unit is run, thankfully where I work it seems to be the excepion instead of the rule to miss a break because everyone understands that we all need down time to reload so everyone bnds over backwards to make that happen.

I'm in the ER and the way our schedules are set up with staggered staffing we always have a nurse that comes in at noon (or midnight) and does nothing for 2 hours but take over of care so each of us can have our lunchbreaks

Most places I have worked lunch breaks were not a reality. You do get to eat, but it is a bite here and there. Finger foods/sandwiches are nice for when charting. I use the bathroom whenever I have to. I used to just hold it, but I found that too distracting and I could actually get more done if I would just go and get it over with. Then I could concentrate and work faster.

I never get a full 30 min break. However I do make it a point to sit down and eat a sandwich and some fruit during my shift. If I skip eating altogether I could not concentrate. I keep a protein bar in my locker in case I am having a really bad day and have to eat on the go.

I regards to the OP: Do not hold your urine. I use to do this when I was a new grad and I got several bad UTIs. I was getting them so frequently that my PCP was going to send me to a specialist. I started to make sure I used the restroom more often and I do not get nearly the same amount of UTIs. Just want to save you from some possible difficulties.

check out lawsuit - But don't most RN's work through breaks/lunch w/out pay all the time? under "News". Interesting that it's against Federal Law for employers to automatically deduct lunch breaks, esp when nurses do not take one or have to work through them. We really need to make a stand about how wrong this is.

its only happened to me once in seven months

I am a new grad and have been working on a medsurge floor for 8 months. The only time I got a lunch was when I was precepting. I could technically take a lunch off of the floor but I would be at work a half hour later. I eat when I chart that way I do not have to stay any later than I already do. It is a common practice on the unit where I am at. It is just too busy and the charting takes forever.

Its very common unfortunately. And as far as munching while charting...we were not allowed to have food/drinks at the nurses station so that was not an option for us and we could not leave the nurses station with paperwork. But we all finally got together and took turns going to the cafeteria and actually sat and ate. We would watch each other's patients and take turns so that we all got a decent lunch.

And I do agree, we do need to take a stand. We take care of others, but we do HAVE to take care of ourselves to be able to do that.