So do you actually take your breaks?

[purse]

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...

[rnlately]

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.

Insanity for sure; especially if your patients have mental issues concurrent with the medical/physical issues. Makes for very difficult shifts; to say the least. Best I can do most nights is slap food in my mouth while I chart...never a dull moment.

[loriangel14, RN]

I get 2 30 min. breaks and 45 min. for lunch. Unless we are really busy everyone gets their breaks.

[msjellybean]

In theory, we're entitled to two 15 minute breaks in addition to our 30 minutes unpaid for lunch. The only time I've ever been in a position to take one is when census is low and it's just me and one other RN on the floor. So I can't leave. And getting the house officer to send us someone to cover a 15 minute break is laughable.

[mazy]

Sometimes I get to go to the bathroom.....Does that count?

[melsch]

Take your breaks people - if you are not getting paid for them don't give your employer 30 minutes of free labor. It just encourages them to add more to your workload and then question why you can't handle it. If you don't have time to take a break don't clock out and if you are made to clock out leave the floor. You also need to support your co workers in this as well. Cover for each other to make sure that they get a break - we always work in teams so I cover for your lunch break and you cover for mine, and the charge nurse assigns breaks at the start of shift so you know when to go on your breaks.

I work in a union environment though so our breaks are our right and if we claim them because we are too busy, we are paid for them - so if it happens too often management looks at the workload and adjusts it as they don't want to be paying out that much overtime.

[smily nurse, BSN, RN]

I have been doing this a long time. YES, I take my breaks. It is managment's responsiblity to arrange that you take one. If you do not get lunch you are suppose to be paid for it. What state are you in? I have been known to have NYS dept of labor on speed dial. good luck!!! :heartbeat

[FancypantsRN]

I guess it depends on where you work. My last floor job, yeah right - a break? My break was scarfing down food while catching up on charting and doing 24 hour chart checks. Now for the CNA's, the charge nurse always made sure they got a break - and that's fine bc we would of been up the creek without them.

[RNKPCE]

Take your breaks people - if you are not getting paid for them don't give your employer 30 minutes of free labor. It just encourages them to add more to your workload and then question why you can't handle it. If you don't have time to take a break don't clock out and if you are made to clock out leave the floor. You also need to support your co workers in this as well. Cover for each other to make sure that they get a break - we always work in teams so I cover for your lunch break and you cover for mine, and the charge nurse assigns breaks at the start of shift so you know when to go on your breaks.

I work in a union environment though so our breaks are our right and if we claim them because we are too busy, we are paid for them - so if it happens too often management looks at the workload and adjusts it as they don't want to be paying out that much overtime.

I wish I could give you 100 kudos. You said it well.

If your work makes you clock out or deducts the 30 minutes of unpaid time and you didn't get a break, they are breaking the law.

[sharpeimom]

a what?

as close as i got to a break was eating my pb&j (or half of it on a really hectic night) on the john, while i multitasked.

[Patchouli]

we cover each other on my floor by giving mini reports on our patients to each other so we get our breaks. on nights when it's impossible, i will fill out a time adjustment form for missed lunch as i am not giving them 30 minutes of free labor. as for other breaks, sometimes when we are slow i'll take a ten to snack or whatever. what i hate is when i take my lunch break and the person covering me is nowhere to be found so whoever answered my call lights comes to me in the break room and ultimately, i'm breaking my lunch apart to deal with whatever. yet another reason to take your lunch break off your unit.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Never. But I filled out an exception form every single day so i always got paid for it. Kept a stack of them in my locker, filled it out and dropped it NMs box on my way out the door, every.single.day. She never said a word about it and always paid me for 1 extra half hour, every shift. It wasn't the money, I was the principle. No one can take advantage of you unless you let them.

[canigraduate]

I always take my breaks. I only work for the hospital. They don't own me. If something doesn't get done, then I pass it to the next shift. They're always passing stuff on to me, so no biggie.