So do you actually take your breaks?

RescueNinja · Apr 5, 2011

I actualy called the US Department of Labor and was told by a rather sarcastic representative that according to law, employers are not required to give breaks, even if you work 24 hours.

Yikes! In Canada they are required to give breaks, but it just means that the opportunity is granted so it doesn't make much of a difference. There's a minimum amount of time for each hour worked that they have to give us (I want to say 5 min per hour??) If workers aren't getting their breaks, they can report it to the labour board and the facility can actually get into big poopoo if they aren't making sure their employees are getting their breaks.

They were even forced to give us breaks in nursing school based on how long our class was.

LPNnowRN · Apr 6, 2011

I work in LTC and last week the other RN went off campus for her break (she was picking up our pizza, LOL!) and we had a FIRE DRILL on evening shift and I had to run around the whole building!! We had a good laugh about what a great break she had and how good her timing was! And I enjoyed my pizza. On a typical night I can only stand to sit clocked out for 15-20 minutes because I have so much to do and I want to go home at a decent hour.

DF-LPN · Apr 7, 2011

A cena and I smoke, so on my unit we all get our breaks in. We don't have a set schedule, thats the beauty of 3rd shift. If we are down an aid I have no problem covering their breaks as long as I don't have some emergency to deal with. These past few months we have had problems with staff being rude to res and blameing it on being stressed out cause they have missed a break. The majority of these ppl are new to the nursing profession. I always tell them, 1:You never take it out on the res. And 2: (my turn to be rude) "Your new, you haven't EARNED the right to be stressed out yet!!!" My 3 cenas and I all have been doing this work for 10 yrs or more. We have all missed our fair share of breaks or got pulled back from breaks early so we know the importance of getting in a break whenever you can....even if it is only a 5 min one. Nursing can be stressful at times.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2011

In a 12 hour shift, we are entitled to an hour and 40 mins. No one ever takes all this. You are one nurse for 30 people. I might get 40 mins. I would rather not take longer, and get all my work finished so I can leave on time every day.

NocturneNrse · Apr 8, 2011

I can probably count ON ONE HAND the times I've taken a lunch break while in the nursing profession. Pretty pathetic when the caretakers are so "uncared about". It is lack of staffing, and more and more work being added to the pile. Burn out after 2 years.. OH yeah... it's coming. :confused:

hoodiern · Apr 11, 2011

I try to take a break once a day but it is very hard. Luckily I can sneak texts every once in a while to my "friend" (one of the MDs that I'm real close to at my hospital), and this sorta helps make me feel like I'm taking a break even though I'm still on the floor. I try never to skip lunch since I feel dizzy when I don't eat.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2011

Sometimes at the end of my 12 hour shift, I realize that I hadn't even peed since I left the house...so no, I don't take my breaks. Wish I could!

elprup, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2011

At my job, we work 8 1/2 hr shifts.. so were suppose to get 2 15 min and a 30 min lunch. The 2 15 min are paid, but the 30 minute isnt.. none of my other coworkers take breaks at all... And when i ask to take my 30 miunte unpaid lunch they make me feel guitly about it! Why would I work when Im not getting paid!!?? Is this unreasonable?? Im wondering how many other people take their breaks? Also, Im the only PCA on the floor, so while im on lunch noone else is there to 'cover' my break, so the PCA on the other floor would have to watch over it while still watching her floor...

I never got covered for a break until i took another allnurses idea. Of course i tried talking to my manager, executive director, and putting no break on my time card to no avail. Finally i got tired of not getting my breaks, hey it is the law! So I found the idea to email my executive director stating this was my documentation that i did not get my break and i wanted to let her know. Of course my email did not go over vey well, but i am happy to say thay that within 2 hours after i sent my email i got my break.

And i get my AM, lunch, and PM break every day...and so does everybody else now.

merrywhiterose · Oct 9, 2011

We are told that we are required to take our breaks, but aren't allowed the time to do it! Thirty min. are taken out of our pay each day for lunch breaks that we can't even take! We are also supposed to get 15 min. breaks, but don't. If we had to punch out for our lunch break, we would get those breaks.