Space Nurse, No I do not think it is safe to leave your patients with a nurse who has a full team already. Neither do I think it is good for nurses to not get a break from the floor they are working on. Sometimes the stress level is enough to make you go crazy. I would be more likely to make a mistake if I don't have a break than if I do. I really don't know what the answer is to this dilemma. I know that our manager when she is at work does not come around and make sure that anyone gets a break so it makes it a difficult place to work at times. I know that it is the law for minimum breaks. but we certainly don't get them in our hospital and some nurses will go day after day with no break and then they become burnt out. WE NEED OUR BREAKS!!!:)