The Nurses BreakRoom: Going, going ... been gone?

[Joe V]

Nurses, have you ever tried explaining to newly licensed Nurses how it used to be when YOU were a brand new Nurse? I mean, really. Do they roll their eyes, think you are just a crusty old-timer who lives in the past and are out of touch with reality? I bet they laugh their heads off when you try to explain the concept of a Nurses BreakRoom, right? " ... A whaat?" ... "You were able to take an actual BREAK during your shift?" ... "I heard about that once and thought my Nursing instructor was making it all up."

Does your hospital have an active BreakRoom and if so, how often do you actually get to use it?

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Posts like this spread the idea that not getting a break is the accepted norm. The more we normalize it the more we accept it when it isn't acceptable.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Yes, we have a break room, and it's used by pretty much everyone, every day. Everyone is required by law to receive a 30-minute lunch break as well as paid 15-minute breaks. We take that very seriously.

[AceOfHearts<3]

My unit has a very nice break room with plenty of seating and nice big windows. I don't use it very often thought, because we are highly encouraged to leave the unit. Many of us sit in the cafeteria or outside seating area (when it's nice) together as a big group.

[elkpark]

All the units in the hospital in which I work have breakroooms that are frequently in use.

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

We have a break room behind the nurses station. It's small but we normally all get our breaks. Some of us eat in the break room and some prefer to eat off the unit in the cafeteria.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

Yes...we have a a large table with seating, a fridge with milk, cheese, butter and pantry items such as bread and jam as well as tea and coffee.

The only times the staff don't get breaks is when it has been a horrible, horrible day....otherwise they get a morning teabreak and lunch or afternoon tea and dinner break.

[NurseCard, ADN]

We have a breakroom back behind the nurses station with lockers, a

table and chairs, and refridgerator, but no one ever sits back there.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Lovely, large break room and it gets plenty of use. We also have a locker room (ditto) and a "team room." The team room, being right behind the nurse's station, gets the most use on the night shift, but we do use the break room, too.

I think the premise of your OP is flawed.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

When I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was "OMG, did the mods find one Russian troll too many on the blue side and finally decide to just shut it down???" lol.

I have never worked a nursing job where I didn't get to regularly take my break. I read threads here about it being the norm and just feel horrified for those nurses. If you work at a job like that and your life circumstances are such that you can possibly leave and find a better job, get out of there! Being treated like crap does not have to be inevitable in nursing.

[NurseCard, ADN]

My first nursing job... if I tried to take a break, I still heard "NC! Your

patient needs you! So and so called out!" over and over again. We really

weren't encouraged to take actual breaks, and no one hardly did.

Every other job that I've had... and I've had many :).. I've gotten

regular, adequate breaks.

[cleback]

Our break rooms are locker rooms so no seating really. Most go to the cafeteria. There is a trend for the hospital to have staff meditation rooms on each unit. I have yet to see them used.