Thinking about my next assignment and would like to go someplace that respects nurses who like to take an actual lunch break. Scarfing down food at my workstation and being interrupted constantly is not my idea of an actual break. I only have around 3 years of experience as an RN, but one thing I have found is that if I am able to take an actual lunch break, meaning stepping away from the floor and not answering call lights for 30 min. I come back refreshed and it makes my 13 hour shift much better. I think I am a better nurse when I am able to do this. The problem I have found is that when I say to my co workers, "hey, do you all mind if I take my lunch break"? I get a bunch of people looking at me cross eyed like I am somehow abandoning my patients. I always offer my fellow workers the time for them to go on lunch, and I encourage them to do so, but for some reason they think or prefer to just eat their food at the work stations. I personally find this nuts, since I know the benefits I get from taking a break from work. I think some of it has to do with the culture of nursing, which I find disappointing.
I know California is probably right up my ally, and I am working on that license right now, but I would like to hear about other facilities or states that would meet this criteria. I have looked at labor laws in a few other states, only a cursory search so far but it appears Washington might be a candidate. I looked at Oregon but professions such as teachers and nurses are exempt from the mandatory lunch breaks employees are guaranteed to receive. It's the same where I am currently at, Colorado. I am sure heavy union states are probably what I should be looking at.
I don't know much about the state laws, but I am currently at Wesley in Wichita Kansas. And for the first time in over ten years of nursing I have mandatory lunch breaks, it is glorious! My first few weeks I kept coming back from lunch early and they would send me back. That's all I have to offer on that.
NedRN
1 Article; 5,785 Posts
Well, have you been enabling your employer? Have you been documenting missed breaks? Have to talked to the labor board or a lawyer?