Taking a lunch break

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Hello ,

This year I want to leave my school nurse office to have lunch in the teacher's lounge or another room that is not the clinic. Any suggestions on how to make that actually workout? My principal supports me and agrees that I should be able to close the clinic.

Last year , I would eat lunch in my office, I closed the door and had an aide (office) stay in the clinic. This didn't workout too well, most days I would work during my lunch due to high volume of students coming in. I know realistically I will be interrupted from lunch for serious/emergency situations but I would like to be able to have at least 20 min of uninterrupted lunch on the days that there are no serious injuries or emergencies. Even with the aides help we would end up seeing many kids for injuries and vomiting, everything seems to happen during lunch /recess. I see about 25-35 students per day. I forgot to mention , the aide retired and they did away with her position.

What should i do different this year? I am thinking I should start off by letting the staff know that I will have a set time for lunch and not to send any students unless absolutely necessary. But how can I cut down on clinic visits during lunch and recess??

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Lock. The. Door.

Turn. Out. Lights.

;)

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Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

I am planning on addressing this right away this year too. The previous nurse only worked part time and so didn't take a lunch. But as I will be full time, It will be a new challenge. I will be setting my lunch time after all the students have eaten and had their recess. It will be a later lunch, but at least it will be a break. I plan on emailing the staff as soon as we resume school about my new hours, and when my lunch break is. If I have a child waiting for a parent pick up, I can send them to the secretaries office. i am also planning on days where I won't get a lunch at all because the best laid plans.....:)

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Are you salaried or paid hourly? If you are not exempt from overtime, then you have to be paid for all hours you work, which includes having to stay in the office for "emergencies" during your break. You must a completely relieved of all duties not to be considered on the employer's time

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It was my first year last year. I hardly took a lunch break. :( Well, for my Sanity I fully plan on taking a lunch break.

Of course I can't leave the school being a nurse like other staff can but I will be going at least to the Teacher's lounge. I have a walkie talkie so of course I will carry that if an emergency. I plan to take my lunch break from 12:35-1:05. I work in a high school and it tends to get busy between 11am-12:30 because that's when we have our lunch shifts. Since my office is really close to the cafeteria that's when most kids come in for various of things.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

Avoid taking lunch at the busiest time. I usually go when kg has recess around 11am. They seem to need me less than other grades and they usually have aides that are helping out. Plus I get hungry early. Some of our district nurses go around 1pm when all recesses are over.

Secondly, your principal needs to find coverage for you whether it's the principal, secretary, or some designated aide to hold down the nurse's office. You are probably not paid for your lunch so if they don't cover for you and expect you to keep handling "emergencies" they're going to need to pay you for extra duty. Stand firm. Do you think any teachers or aides would put up with that-heck no!

Third, leave your office and go hide. I leave the building. We have emergency plans in place when nurse not there so I'm allowed to leave. If you can't leave explain what they may bug you for. The problem is, everything is an emergency in the school. Bumped head, bloody knee, etc. Say you will only see a child who is unconscious, having a seizure, having trouble breathing, etc and stick with it! Everything else can wait or be treated by someone else while you eat. Once they learn what is really important they won't try and bother you so much at lunch. One school I couldn't leave so I went to teacher's lounge. I did get interrupted at times with questions of what they should do (let me see kid, call home, have kid return later, etc) but only once or twice the whole year did I need to actually leave my lunch. Even then it wasn't a true emergency but it was just easier for me to handle. I've found you really can't stay in your office and work quietly without interruptions because those kids are like a dog sniffing out hamburgers, if they even think you're in there they will knock and knock and even go find someone to unlock the door for them! It's happened too many times!

Finally, start the year out taking a lunch every single day, even the first day, no matter how busy you are so they expect it. If you let them take advantage of you they will! Good luck! Everyone deserves a lunch break-that's why they made it a law!

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Specializes in DD, PD/Agency Peds, School Sites.

I'm also taking lunch breaks this year -- a first for me. I had to microwave my lunch today in the teacher's lounge, but quickly exited when the only 2 people in there starting talking politics (total nonsense at that). I will no doubt be eating in my car frequently in hopes that my district cell phone doesn't start to ring. Thanks for bringing up this question. I was curious to read what others would post.

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If I leave my office I can't catch up with yawl on my lunch...

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Specializes in DD, PD/Agency Peds, School Sites.

This school hasn't had a full-time nurse in quite awhile...and they are already oh-so-enjoying it! I had to schedule my lunch break at a certain time where I had a small window of opportunity. Lots of g-tube feedings throughout the day, lots of back-and-forth. Schedule is posted on my door, along with my district cell phone number. So, for that 30 minutes, buh-bye.

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Specializes in DD, PD/Agency Peds, School Sites.
Are you salaried or paid hourly? If you are not exempt from overtime, then you have to be paid for all hours you work, which includes having to stay in the office for "emergencies" during your break. You must a completely relieved of all duties not to be considered on the employer's time

Thank you so much for this! My district has been trying to tell me that I'm not a credentialed employee, so I have an 8.5 hour day with 30 minutes unpaid for a mandatory lunch break. Um, I don't think so! I can't leave my school site due to the emergency meds here. There is no licensed person to relieve me. Bless your heart for posting this.

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I don't leave for lunch and my Principal yells at me for not sneaking off somewhere and eating.

That being said he has no problem coming on to the office to ask me questions as I shove a salad into my mouth in 2.5 seconds.

One of my goals this year is to take lunch.

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I am lucky and am able to leave campus for lunch. I have tried to just hide and eat in the teachers lounge but they always find me there! And it's never an emergency. I find it is just better to leave the campus. There are first responders and others trained for emergencies there. I make sure and wait until all the elementary students have come in from lunch recess and are breathing and not bleeding before I go :)

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