system of breaks is for licensed staff in SNF

tewdles, RN · Dec 29, 2009

I think there is great value in having several breaks during the course of your day. I also think that in the absence of adequate support it is very difficult to accomplish several breaks. From a management perspective, a habit of consolidating all breaks into an hour should not be encouraged. This generates "bottle necks" of care delivery/staffing. I believe that management should work to assist the staff in obtaining a morning break, an afternoon break, and a lunch break. It is important to remember that when the breaks are combined with the lunch that the person should not leave the property without specific permission, as they are actually on the clock for 30 minutes of that time. So, the employee who leaves the facility property and sprains their ankle at the McDonalds could actually be on paid time...are they then entitled to workers comp? If an hourly employee is taking one hour of time and is leaving the property they should clock off.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Dec 29, 2009

all comes down to enforcing policies. Breaks should be just that, a break, not time owed to the employee. They are telling mgmt they really don't need a break if they do not work together to find out how to get one.

As for keys, sloppy mgmt again. One of these days there will be a user on staff, or someone will make a huge error, or a surveyor will catch them.

Give someone an inch and they take a mile.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2009

There's no system of formal break times in any of the facilities where I have been employed. I always assign break times to the CNAs, but these assigned meal periods tend to be mere formalities.

The rule of thumb at my current workplace is this: if you can find the time for a break, go ahead and take it, but do not take any breaks during the designated meal times for the residents (7am, 12pm, 5pm).

makes needs known · Dec 30, 2009

I would think that management would be ALOT more upset about the handing over of the keys without doing narcotic count then your breaks.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2009

I'd love to hear everyone else's routine.

I do 3-11 and we are kinda informal about it. Dinner breaks are 30minutes and most employees have to punch out for them. If we have enough staff in the building, then they are premitted to leave for them. (how messed up is that..sometimes you can leave and sometimes you can't?)

We start our lunch breaks after we are done serving and cleaning up from the resident's dinner. We have two halls and one person from each side can go. Normally the CNAs just agree with each other on who can take first break. As a nurse..we just kinda play it by ear and ask each other who wants first lunch.

As far as breaks...I'm very flexible with these too. They don't punch out for them and normally they get one before the dinner and one after dinner. Unless there is a problem with excessive breaks or taking longer than the 15 minutes or residents not getting care etc...I don't care when they do them, just tell me when you are leaving and tell the other CNAs you are going on break.

I like the fact that for the most part the CNAs that I work with are adult about it and can police themselves and plan care accordingly. Once every so often when we get new hires or staff from the other shifts do thing need to get written down.

Now here is another issue..we have assigned smoke breaks for the residents. 3 on our shifts...some of our CNAs will take this as a smoke break in place of their breaks or in addition to their breaks...that makes for a fun time planning care.

Nurse!Nurse!Hello? · Jan 7, 2010

Hello,
I'd love to hear from anyone in a SNF what the system of breaks is for licensed staff & what the expectation is of staff & administration around break times. For example, we are supposed to have a 15 minute coffee break in the 1st part of shift, a 1/2 hour break as "close to the middle of your shift"-per admin.-as possible & another 15 min break. Nurses had gotten into the habit of combining all the time, leaving the building for 1 hour (to go home etc), not doing controlled substance count but just handing the keys to another nurse. Admin. wants to enforce the 3 break periods. What do my fellow nurses think please?
Thanks,
gigimon

Wow! Three breaks?

I get one unpaid 30-minute dinner break, and that's it. Naturally, the administration says we can have an extra 15-minute break, "if there is time." I've been at this facility for 7 years, and there's never been time! :rolleyes:

tiroka03, LPN · Jan 9, 2010

Breaks? What are they? Besides lunch, which most of the time, I punch out for, and return to work, and then run back to the clock and punch in, I don't ever see a break. Would be nice to have one once in a while.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jan 11, 2010

All my staff, the nurses and the CNAs get 3 breaks in an 8.5 hour shift....they get 2 15 minute paid breaks and one 30 minute unpaid. 99.9% of them take all their breaks. The CNAs have scheduled breaks. The nurses go when they can...and really, they always have time to go.

MelissaLPN, ASN, LPN, RN · Mar 15, 2010

My facility has the same policy, however, only the CNA are every allowed to follow it. I have worked at my current facility for almost a year and have only had two 30 min. lunches. They automatically take out 30 min from each shift I work whether I actually ate during my shift or not. Most times I just eat a yogurt and that only takes 3 minutes.

However to you situation, the facility may have a policy on whether employee's can combine breaks but I do believe that legally you must be able to be " fully relieved" for at least 30 when you work greater than 6.5 hour

Now on whether its " right" depends on whether it creates a hardship for the relieving nurse. If that nurse is you, speak up. If it doesnt create a hardship and doesnt interfere with policy than I say, more power to em.

RNMLIS · Mar 17, 2010

Breaks - whats that?

Appparantly I have taken one half hour each shift even when working alone overight

Never punched out - never took a break

Now the cnas... They rush around afterthe resident's dinner putting everyone to bed and ALL sit down and eat their dinner together and there is no moving them

management is not there and DOES NOTHING to enforce staggered breaks.

tewdles, RN · Mar 19, 2010

Breaks - whats that?
Appparantly I have taken one half hour each shift even when working alone overight
Never punched out - never took a break
Now the cnas... They rush around afterthe resident's dinner putting everyone to bed and ALL sit down and eat their dinner together and there is no moving them
management is not there and DOES NOTHING to enforce staggered breaks.

This is a good point...many, many employers automatically put an unpaid lunch break into your shift.

So, if you do not take it you are actually donating 30 minutes of your time to the company! In other words, you clock in @ 0700, do not take a lunch break and clock out at 1530...you will NOT get paid 8.5 hours unless you take some action to insure it. Some require that you actually get approval not to take the break because it automatically puts you over 8 hours for the shift and if you are paid based upon an 8 hour day and 40 hour week that means overtime.