Not taking a break

MICUSarah · Aug 31, 2016

I work in a unit where the culture is that everyone takes their breaks unless patients are literally coding all day. We are 2:1, which sometimes helps, but when you have two critical patients, and so do each of your team mates it can be scary to leave some times. But 98% of the time, we all take a 1 hour break (30 min paid and 30 min unpaid). Its so important. Interestingly, the culture on night shift is somewhat different and they often don't get their breaks. Morale is lower and their staffing suffers as a result.

BSN16 · Aug 31, 2016

I never take my breaks. I will eat my lunch on the floor. I simple don't feel comfortable ever leaving my critical patients alone and having another nurse "watch them" for me just doesn't really cut it. Also it never fails that by the time i get to a place where i can kind of relax for a second, the doc decides to put in an art line or something that needs the assistance of that patient's nurse.

***Edit: I do take multiple pee breaks if thats any compensation!

MassED, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2016

Nurses take your breaks! I know some of you are thinking "easier said than done". I am well aware of that. I work on a very busy PCU / Tele floor where 1 patient is going to CT, one has to go surgery, and one of the doctors wants to round with you all at the same time. When I first started I always missed my breakfast break. Now I make it a priority.I have had those days when I have taken my breakfast break at 11:30am and lunch at 4:00pm, that is super late. I very rarely miss my breakfast break, but I will always take my lunch. Once taken, I am a happier me!
If someone has not ate, you have a short-temper and low tolerance for problems. Even if not, your tummy is not happy and neither are you. This makes our job ten times harder, but this is a situation we have some control over. Once you take your break, take your full break. We will always have something to do and never have enough time to do everything. Prioritize patient care and yourself in the mix. Not taking a break will put you at higher risk for burnout syndrome.
TIPS:
Charting--> Don't wait till the end of the day to do all your charting. Chart as you go and as it happens.
Find your break buddy at the start of shift. Yes I live in California, but my facility does not have a special break nurse.
getting water for your patient ---> drink a glass of water also (that's something I have to remember also) :)
Before you think you might take your break --> check all your patient's and give all the PRN if needed --> that way you have a some piece of mind, then run and take your break
It is your responsibility to take your breaks and to take care of yourself. We give all day, so give back to yourself. You are also a priority.
Everyone please provide your tips!!!!
Rest Breaks Matter for Patient Safety
The Long- Term Effects of Nurses Not taking their breaks

?!?!!?oh my god, you get TWO breaks??!?!! I barely get 10 minutes in a 12 hour shift, and even then it is sitting at the nurse's station shoving food down my face.

MassED, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2016

i work 12s. On days we get 15 minutes x 2 for coffee and 45 minutes for lunch. They are scheduled and enforced.it doesn't matter what you are doing. You go to break. On nights we take 2 hours all at once.

what?? 2 hours? Are you kidding?

OnceMorewithFeeling · Aug 31, 2016

Breakfast break?

Is this a thing? Where do nurses get this?

OnceMorewithFeeling · Sep 1, 2016

Seriously though,

I get real twitchy about the whole "lunch" break thing and what it is.

If you get a free, totally uninterrupted thirty minute break from your duties, that is an unpaid lunch break. You are able to do whatever you wish during that time: Tai Chi in the parking lot, driving to and from Walgreens to fill a prescription, stuffing your mouth in the cafeteria--doesn't matter what you want to do, this is _your_ time.

If you take your zone phone with you and it rings and you answer it, and the call is related to your patient, you did not get a thirty minute lunch break. You get paid for the whole thirty minutes.

If your patients are unstable and you run back for ten minutes ten times to nibble during your shift, that is paid time.

If you are working through your lunch break and you are not getting paid for that, you are contributing your time to your employer. Here is the math for what you are contributing:

36 hours per week, 1.5 hours per week unpaid lunch equals 78 hours for one year. You are contributing over an extra two weeks per year to your employer by taking unpaid lunch breaks. You could have gone on a fabulous vacation with this time. Instead, you are at work, unpaid. You are essentially gifting your employer two weeks of your time every year.

On a unit that employs 30 RNs, that 1.5 hours each day for one year becomes 2,340 hours. Gosh, it's almost as though the facility could afford to hire a break RN, right? Wonder why they don't?

For all of those RNs pressured by their managers to work off the clock either during their "lunch breaks" or after their shift has ended, your State Department of Labor in your state is a great no-cost resource. Most DOLs will take anonymous complaints.

OnceMorewithFeeling · Sep 1, 2016

I don't always get a 30 minute uninterrupted lunch break, but I always eat and stay hydrated and use the facilities when needed.

So, when you don't get an uninterrupted break are you paid for that time?

30 minutes unpaid three times per week = 1.5 hours.

1.5 hours times 52 weeks per year = 78 unpaid hours

martymoose, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

So, when you don't get an uninterrupted break are you paid for that time?
30 minutes unpaid three times per week = 1.5 hours.
1.5 hours times 52 weeks per year = 78 unpaid hours

Nope. you know why? Cause they had to sign off on this situation years ago , saying that no one would ever be able to claim this again ( everyone got some excuse for a payment ).

Also, if it does come up, the manager just tells you that its YOUR fault for not finding someone to cover your patients. :facepalm:

RNBSN1000 · Sep 1, 2016

I get interrupted most "lunch breaks". If it's a short call from PT, I let it slide. Anything greater than that I clock out "no lunch". The RN "watching" my patients really can't watch 4 ICU patients, so lunch is usually shorter than 30 min anyways. Some floors are able to roll their phones to voicemail during lunch. If that were the case, I wouldn't mind unpaid lunch.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

So, when you don't get an uninterrupted break are you paid for that time?
30 minutes unpaid three times per week = 1.5 hours.
1.5 hours times 52 weeks per year = 78 unpaid hours

We're on the honor system whether we sign that we got a lunch or not. Even if it's not when I eat, if I had a solid thirty minutes I could veg in peace at some point in my shift, I'll take the 30 minutes unpaid. Of my three shifts a week, probably one of them I sign out "no lunch."

martymoose, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

whats interesting , is that people who work in specialties, like dosa, cath lab, OR, GI, etc. have a person to relieve for lunches/ breaks. Why management allows for that I dont know.

All I do know is that us floor nurses get punished every chance we get. We dont have enough staff, much less have someone watch our peeps to take a break. But Oh No, that would NEVER happen in the OR.

Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

I have come across a few nurses who do not take their breaks. I try to insist for them to go, but they don't.

While I appreciate your attempts to advocate for your coworkers, remember that they are adults and professionals and ultimately responsible for the decisions they choose to make with their time. I had a coworker once *insist* that I go take a lunch break while my patient was acutely deteriorating and I was in the middle of starting antibiotics, putting up inotropes, giving fluid boluses, etc. I finally had to be quite sharp with her that I was choosing not to go on a break and it was not her place to tell me that I had to.

Not taking a break

Do you miss your lunch?