So do you actually take your breaks?

droider · Mar 25, 2011

yikes.. you should take your lunch break for sure. I couldn't imagine working all day and not getting any kind of a break.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2011

Breaks...a nice concept... I seldom got one in a whole 15 minute segment where I wasn't needed to do something during the time. I did get spatterings of minutes for my own use--to go to the bathroom, get a drink, grab a snack, and sometimes I'd talk about non-work things with co-workers. I bet all of that time added up to more than 2 fifteen minute time periods. "Official breaks"....hmmm... I never saw it happen.

Meal times were sometimes difficult to arrange, but most places I worked had a plan to see that everyone got a half hour away from the hubbub each shift. We'd sign up for a time slot and someone would cover for us. Then we'd repay the favor. On other jobs, good luck having a half hour away from work. If there's no one to cover, you're stuck. That's an administrative problem, if it's impossible for a person to get legally required time away.

But, I think to a big extent, it's the responsibility of the worker to make sure he or she gets breaks, for however minutes are supposed to be allotted. Otherwise we burn out and get feisty. It's our responsibility to stand up for our rights, isn't it? If everyone did, administration might get the message and do things to ensure breaks ARE possible.

Bobbkat · Mar 25, 2011

I nearly always take my breaks. The nice thing about my unit is that we have up to 12 patients per room, and usually 4-5 nurses. We take turns watching each others patients while we take our breaks. of course there are exceptions if we get really, really slammed, but breaks are the norm on my unit.

makes needs known · Mar 25, 2011

Some facilities put so much pressure on staff to get everything done. I have seen this in my facility. It is not healthy to not take breaks. Not taking care of yourself leads to exhaustion, and more errors. I know it is hard but try to be an advocate for people to take their breaks. We all need a break.

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2011

I do take my 30 min break. Sometimes its not the whole 30 minutes, like I just eat and go back to work.

If its a slow night and the other nurse I'm working with already went to dinner before me, I'll take an extra 5-10 minutes take more time to eat. I find myself wolfing down food in the 30 minutes and then an hour later I'm hungry again.

I don't take the 15 minute break. Unless I desperately need a cup of coffee.

prinsessa · Mar 25, 2011

We don't have time to take breaks unless census is really low. If I took a break some of my patients wouldn't get their meds. I have complained to management about this but they don't seem to care. And then they are surprised that the nurse turnover rate is so high :rolleyes: I ususally bring a protein bar so I don't pass out from hypoglycemia.

DaisyMountain · Mar 25, 2011

Sometimes I can get off the floor to sit in the break room and basically inhale my meal, but I rarely have time. Working in acute care can be insanity and there is barely time to breathe.

naturalome · Mar 25, 2011

Im in the exact situation ( except Im a RN), Ive never seen any1 take their 2-15min breaks( except a pcas on 2nd/3rd shift-when its slower). At my job, you have to swipe in out for your 30min break...Ive seen all pcas take their break. Some Rns take their break, some dont and some do what I do--eat lunch for 10min. and go back on the floor and work...and remember to punch back in. I know about legal issues and such---but some people make you feel guilty while they have to cover for you while your gone. Plus, I only need to fuel up and I use those extra min to work so I can leave somewhat on time at the end of the day( which still never happens). My advise to a PCA, is take your break,you need to at least eat---I know I get really crabby and cant work without food. & i always keep a protein bar handy for emergiences.

DarkBluePhoenix · Mar 25, 2011

Well I am not a nurse (yet). I work as a server at a small restaurant in a hotel. Well, business is, can we say, unpredictable? We could be at 30% occupancy and the restaurant is full, or a 100% occupancy and the restaurant be dead.

So one of us runs the restaurant and the other does room service/back of the house stuff.

Well we have no hosts, busser, no one to answer the phone (besides who ever is nearest). So basically its us 2, a cook, a dishwasher, and a supervisor. I work 6-8 hour shifts. Do we get to take our breaks? NO

Technically we have to but I know what you mean by being 'looked at as funny/weak' if you were to take your break!

What is so funny is that we are so understaffed and they expect us to lie to HR when we "say" we took our breaks, when everyone knows we didnt!

purse · Mar 25, 2011

Another problem is that if i were to take all my breaks, I wouldnt get everything done, then id get crap from the next pca saying "oh this wasnt done" ...blah blah.. and when i do get a rare chance to eat i have to eat on the floor in the med room...! but i havent been taking any breaks lately because i feel bad about the other pca getting ****** with me or have a feeling i wont get something done!! :eek:

RescueNinja · Mar 25, 2011

When I work nights in LTC, I am the only RN with 6 HCAs for over 130 residents. If I'm lucky, I have a RPN with me. So there is no one to cover my breaks.

I try to take my breaks every chance I get, but more often than not I get called away and since I'm alone, I have to go whether I'm on break or not.