deedee57

I'm afraid I too have the dreaded nicotine addiction and am the only smoker in our small dialysis clinic. I work 12 hr shifts instead of the normal 10 for our unit and we (supposedly) are allowed a 30 min lunch and 2-15 min breaks. The staff usually take their breaks as one 30 min breakfast break because morning is our slowest time of the day. The techs are the only ones who always get their breaks. As for me, because I close the unit, I come in 3 hours later than the rest of the staff. I do not get breakfast break, smoke through my lunch break, and by the time things slow down again, everyone else is ready to leave, so I never get another break. By 8pm I am ready to chain smoke. I can't begrudge the people who are ready to leave but I wish there were some way to make it fair for all in this situation. Maybe we should take lessons from the non-nursing staff.