Nurse Lunch Break Survey

ponderingDNP · Feb 16

I have worked acute care, primary care, and geriatric care and lunch breaks have been extremely few and far between. In acute care, the whole team is drowning for most of the shift between multiple q2h PRN meds and q6h scheduled IV antibiotics, admissions that come up on the elevator with you at the beginning of your shift, and the end of shift admissions. This does not include emergencies.

In primary care, the lack of management that works to enforce policies and procedures affords some nurses to call out, schedule leave, and walk the halls all on a regular doesn't leave much time for the loyal professional to take breaks.

In geriatric care, the lack of restraints with poor staffing and constant crawlers (out of bed) prevents lunch breaks unless you're will to stay later to complete incident reports, notify families, or complete transfer papers for the EMTs to transport to the nearest emergency department to rule out fractures. I once had 4 of our 1:1 residents sitting at the nurses desk with me because there never was enough staff for more than ONE 1:1....and even that was questionable.

So, I wonder how I managed to pack on the pounds over the year since I don't get to eat at work, a place where I spend at lead a third of my life.? The second third is spent resting in bed for the first third. The final third is just a blur.

esrun2015, MSN, RN · Feb 17

Yes, I have been a nurse for 30+ years. When I started, it was expected for you to work through lunch, eat at the desk, and on the run. It is just ridiculous. I believe nursing is one of the only professions where most of the staff on a given day does not get a lunch. But I do think leadership gets their lunches. I plan on going to admin at my facility and bringing it up. We have to answer a question when we clock out why we didn't take lunch, so they are aware that we are not. I want to hear from them why they haven't addressed the issue.

The reason for survey was to hear if other nurses across the world have this issue also.

Amanda Haish · Feb 18

I rarely had my full 30 mins when I worked on Peds/ Adolescent Pulmonary floor in the early 90s . It was gulp down lunch as soon as possible before something came up. The only times I got real lunch breaks were when I worked in physician offices. This was as recently as 2015.

DallasRN · Feb 21

No longer working so I won't contribute to the survey. However, I will say that in my MANY years of hospital nursing I only received consistent lunch breaks in one location. A state up North, busy ER, 3-11 shift. Charge nurse insisted staff took their break "OFF THE FLOOR" (go sit in the cafeteria, outside, in the main lobby - anywhere else) and would threaten to "write you up" if you did not take your break. She covered us each and every shift. Great charge nurse. Otherwise? No. Rarely got a break and if we did it would invariably be interrupted. Always unpaid, tho'.

Mrsexylegs · Feb 21

I currently work (at this rate not for long) a facility where the ratio is a unsafe 1:30-1:40 (rehab/Long term) depending on the unit. If in the rare cases I can get a second nurse sure I'll get a break. Otherwise I try to scarf down a sandwich in the breakroom like some sort of feral badger who has been starved. But according to your state don't be afraid to document and report. Try to call your super first and request your break. If they don't send someone note it to cya

Journey_On, BSN, RN · Feb 21

Area of employment: Staff Nurse in Mother Baby (Postpartum)

In the last five shifts at work of more than 5 hours, how many of them did you take a lunch break of 30 minutes, uninterrupted: 5 (but I do occasionally get calls/texts on my work phone during them)

Reason for not taking a lunch break: NA

What do you think needs to change for nurses to be able to consistently take a lunch break: Pass off your phone to a coworker; let someone (unit secretary or charge nurse) know that you're going to lunch; use a break buddy system so you can cover each others' assignments while each of you are break

SnickRN BSN RN CCRN · Feb 22

I have been a night shift staff RN for 13 years, the last 9 in a mixed med ICU, the last 4 as charge/staff. My last 5 shifts I was staffing once & was able to take a break. The other 4 were a Charge & I took one lunch. We don't have an open cafeteria at nights so our staff lounge is our "safe space". But as Charge, I rarely get a moment to myself as a break. I eat at the desk if I'm able or outside a 1:1 room so staff can break. But some nights, I get to have a diet pop & a few pieces of candy. I couldn't get 30 minutes of alone time to pump when I had my baby as staff were always needing help ( I had to stop at 9 months postpartum because I wasn't making enough for the baby).

As a Charge on nights, I work with a lot of new staff that do need help & guidance so I understand the need as a resource. And the ICU can go from 0-100 in a few seconds. But sometimes, even a Charge needs to be able to step away for a break too.

delrionurse · Feb 22

ponderingDNP said:

the lack of management that works to enforce policies and procedures

This is the single most reason why nurses don't get breaks. The policies are there, they are just not enforced. It is the administration and managers responsibility to ensure nurses get breaks, they just pass it on to the nurses to make them responsible (this is state specific, California from what I know many facilities ensure their nurses get breaks). How can that be? They're drowned in admissions, dealing with beeping pumps, broken equipment, q 2 hr pain meds, q 4hr neuro checks, new post op needs to get up, all staff is busy, (and there's so much more), who's responsible?

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Feb 22

delrionurse said:

This is the single most reason why nurses don't get breaks. The policies are there, they are just not enforced. It is the administration and managers responsibility to ensure nurses get breaks, they just pass it on to the nurses to make them responsible (this is state specific, California from what I know many facilities ensure their nurses get breaks). How can that be? They're drowned in admissions, dealing with beeping pumps, broken equipment, q 2 hr pain meds, q 4hr neuro checks, new post op needs to get up, all staff is busy, (and there's so much more), who's responsible?

CA has break staff that take their place that is how they get lunches. The rest of the country doesn't.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Feb 23

ponderingDNP said:

I have worked acute care, primary care, and geriatric care and lunch breaks have been extremely few and far between. In acute care, the whole team is drowning for most of the shift between multiple q2h PRN meds and q6h scheduled IV antibiotics, admissions that come up on the elevator with you at the beginning of your shift, and the end of shift admissions. This does not include emergencies.

In primary care, the lack of management that works to enforce policies and procedures affords some nurses to call out, schedule leave, and walk the halls all on a regular doesn't leave much time for the loyal professional to take breaks.

In geriatric care, the lack of restraints with poor staffing and constant crawlers (out of bed) prevents lunch breaks unless you're will to stay later to complete incident reports, notify families, or complete transfer papers for the EMTs to transport to the nearest emergency department to rule out fractures. I once had 4 of our 1:1 residents sitting at the nurses desk with me because there never was enough staff for more than ONE 1:1....and even that was questionable.

So, I wonder how I managed to pack on the pounds over the year since I don't get to eat at work, a place where I spend at lead a third of my life.? The second third is spent resting in bed for the first third. The final third is just a blur.

Stress raises cortisol which helps pack the weight on. I lost 30 pounds after I quit my job and took early retirement just from destressing. Not dieting or exercise, just no more constant stress and endless alarms! And I was like you I rarely ate at work because I would lose my appetite when I was stressed, even if I had time to eat. Only thing I did do was drink pepsi which I was able to quit with topamax. It made it taste terrible thick and gross. They use it for migraines so that was the only other thing that helped me lose weight. It's been 3 years since I last had a pepsi and I was addicted since I was a teen! I used to get in trouble in HS for going across the street to the grocery store to get a pepsi. I think quitting bedside also helped. I went from 100% stress to maybe 5% everyday stress now and enjoy my life so much more.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 23

I work as a staff nurse in an ortho/trauma SD unit at a teaching hosp. I don't usually take a 30 min uninterrupted lunch break-I tend to take a few 10 min or so breaks as needed.

I have had weight loss surgery, so I cannot eat a lot at any one time, so it is better for me to take 10 min or so to eat a snack a few times a day. My one steady "me" thing that I do is that around 1400-1430, I have Starbuck's. I get my hot chai latte and that is my charting time. I sit off in a computer area away from others and finish up charting or do some audits or other work correspondence during that time.

If I am in charge, I use the same time frame to work on making assignment for the night shift or other charge nurse paperwork that needs to be completed.

I have been doing this for 8ish years (I am also a weekend option nurse) and it works really well for me.