"If you sit down and chart for more than 15 minutes, that's considered a break"

Nurses General Nursing

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We just had another wonderful meeting with management that usually points out our flaws, our low scores, introduces another document to sign during our shifts, and generally are a drag. ESPECIALLY our most recent one! Management has informed us that if we sit down and chart for more than 15 minutes, THAT'S considered one of our breaks because we've been sitting for a "prolonged period of time." Not only that, but management also said that if we take bathroom break that's "too long" (they didn't specify a time), that that too is considered one of our breaks. I laughed internally and thanked God I'm a night shifter that doesn't have to deal with management enforcing such crap. Do these people really except us to stand and walk around (apparently this is how we're supposed to chart?) for 11 hours of our shift? NO ONE DOES THAT - IN ANY JOB.

Specializes in Med Surg, Specialty.

Someone should have told the manager that that means that she was taking breaks all day then when she sits down for meetings. Does that mean that the unit clerk is considered to be taking one long giant break too?

The absurdity of it all just amazes me. But I guess it shouldn't anymore after seeing so much of it. I guess I should come to expect it by now.

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I dont know if you are from a union state, but if not I would have a group of the staff nurses get together and have another meeting, you could simply point out to management that as a staff nurse, you must be able to sit down and chart to avoid any errors in charting, I am sure, that Joint Commission would have a rule against this, actually the Joint Commission has a rule against everything, and they may even have a rule against your break room. You could always give them a call and find out.

I am sure that the mention of the Joint Commission would change there mind, you could even put it something like this " I ran into a friend the other day and she is a nurse at xyz (cant mention the hospital) well they implemented the same no sitting while charting rule and because of the errors found while forcing the staff to charting while standing I believe the Joint Commission came down on them pretty hard. I just wanted to bring this up, because I hate to see us go through the same thing, what do you think we should do to improve this?

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Charting is part of your job - a very important part. To characterize the performance of this necessary and vital aspect of your job as a "break" is just plain silly.

Does this mean that when the managers and administrators are sitting in their offices all day, they are not working but are considered to be on one very long break? Or does the "sitting" rule not apply to them because they are special? Your managers are completely and totally out of touch with reality.

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Specializes in Acute care, Community Med, SANE, ASC.

Did they manage to say it with a straight face? I would have thought I was on candid camera.

My other thought is this--since you apparently can't sit down to chart and we stand all day as it is, maybe you could lie on the floor to chart.

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Specializes in PCU.

I haven't laughed so hard in a long time until I read this. It is so ridiculous yet something I can imagine management saying.

What a bunch of comedians! :yeah:

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Wow, then the managers themselves should draw no salary as their whole workday consists of nothing more than one long break.

To the person who mentioned the charting room...wow, that would be nice! I work on a rehab floor in LTC. The other day I worked 7am-7pm. I hadn't been able to chart all shift. I finally sat down at the nurses' station after counting and giving report. The PM nurses were off doing their med passes and the unit secretary was long gone. It took me forever to get charting done because of the constant interruptions from patients/residents (many come up to the desk to ask for things like their tea heated up, two Tylenol, etc.), family members and the phone ringing. I would LOVE to have a room to go to (with comfy chairs, no less!) to chart.

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My take on this, is that management is flexing its' muscles, and they are DARING any one to challenge them. I too, would call an Employement Attorney, and then the Labor Board, and confront management with what you were told.

If anyone is brave enough, I would also contact the local paper and TV stations, and get it out in public, about what they are expecting you to do, after working a 12 hour shift. Impress on them that nurses who are fatigued, make more mistakes, and now the public is at risk do to the ridulous policies that they have enacted.

Hospitals HATE bad publicity! JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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First, check your policy and procedure manual (they are usually online or in a binder on the unit) regarding breaks. If it does not spell out in English language that you MUST take breaks in the break room (or off the unit), then they are blowing smoke out their patootie. Be careful though to begin a ******* match because you may win the battle but lose the war. You may make an enemy of management, and they can make life very hard for you. Sometimes you have to tread professionally and courteously, or be ready to look for work elsewhere.

The break issue, however seems illegal (rather than an interpretation of policy). That could be taken to the Labor Board, and probably anonymously as far as the employer is concerned.

Basically, I have found you have to pick your battles...

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Seriously...contact the labor department. Or at least threaten to contact them.

Unbelievable.

Absolutely right. You and all the other nurses should ban together on this. They are bullying all of you because they think they can and don't think any of you have the backbome to defend yourselves. What they are doing isn't even legal and this can cost them big time.

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The logic behind this is astounding! Good grief! That is the most asinine thing I've ever heard of. Instead of treating the nurses like children they should be doing whatever they can to make their work environment workable. Is the turnover rate high there? If it is, I can only imagine why. That just sucks!:smackingf

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My take on this, is that management is flexing its' muscles, and they are DARING any one to challenge them. I too, would call an Employement Attorney, and then the Labor Board, and confront management with what you were told.

If anyone is brave enough, I would also contact the local paper and TV stations, and get it out in public, about what they are expecting you to do, after working a 12 hour shift. Impress on them that nurses who are fatigued, make more mistakes, and now the public is at risk do to the ridulous policies that they have enacted.

Hospitals HATE bad publicity! JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Again, absolutely right. The only way to take on people who behave in this way is to stand up for yourselves and fight fire with fire. I would be on the horn with all mentioned Monday morning and tell the nurses you work with to follow suit. How dare they think they can get away with this. Nurses really need to come together and speak up and protect themselves. Shame on them and any nurse who would take this behavior without a fight. It won't get better until we all do our part. They won't like it but they will respect you more.

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Did they put their new policy in writing? If not then I would just ignore it and play dumb if it was brought to my attention. My job tried to enforce clocking in and out for lunch and our 15 minute breaks. The thing is that it was an informal policy. They had a meeting about it and typed "Don't forget to clock in and out for all scheduled breaks and lunch" onto our pay stubs but they didn't add it to the employee handbook or go through the union. We spread the word around to ignore this policy and it was never mentioned again.

I would test the waters first to see just how far they think they can go with this nonsense.

First, I would check to see if they actually add this new policy to the employee handbook which I can bet you cash money that they will not because it's beyond ridiculous. It's like their saying that charting is not part of your job description and doesn't count as work.

Next, if I didn't see anything in writing I would continue to chart while sitting at the nurses station for however long it took and I would not allow my break to be taken from me.

Finally, if management tried to discipline me about it I would say "What policy? I don't recall all the details of the meeting I need to see something in writing" Once I had something in writing I would take it straight to the labor board and stick it to them.

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