What about breaks?

In my 20 years of nursing, it has seemed to me that breaks are almost always a management issue. If the manager plans, supports and encourages breaks, they happen. If no one makes them a priority, they don't get taken.

For 5 years I was the night charge/handyperson/you name it on a small rehab unit. I couldn't leave the unit or not answer the phone because I was the only nurse. I demanded and received back the meal break time as overtime since I couldn't leave. They fussed but they paid, mostly because they couldn't find anyone to do the nights solo.

I work 12 hour shifts and we are "supposed" to get a 30 minute break. It is deducted automatically from you pay whether you take it or not. Usually, the same few nurses get their breaks every shift, when I ask to take a break the answer is usually "there is no one to cover you." :angryfire

I absolutely loathe this excuse. That's what it is, too....a lame excuse. Where I use to work, I told them, if there isn't anyone to cover us so we can take our breaks, then that means we are under-staffed and we need to hire another nurse. Let's just say they didn't like that at all. :chuckle

In our OR we get 20min tea in the morning, half hour lunch and 15min tea in the afternoon that is for an 8hour day. On a 12hour shift we get 1 hour for lunch and the same tea times.

I work 12 hour shifts and we are "supposed" to get a 30 minute break. It is deducted automatically from you pay whether you take it or not. Usually, the same few nurses get their breaks every shift, when I ask to take a break the answer is usually "there is no one to cover you." :angryfire

I know that feeling. Our non-shift workers and agency staff get their lunch deducted off their time, but as we work 42hours including lunch we don't. If the staff who have their lunch time deducted (non shift) work their luch in due to a staff shortage they get their lunch at time and a half and the shift workers get time for time NOT FAIR.

I can eat , chart and pass pill all at the same time. There are no breaks.......:rotfl:

Truthfully, my position in my LTC is a Med aide. I am a licensed nurse though and they let me do this job to fill in when nurses call in and to help on the floors. What I do is offer to cover any nurse who wants to go to lunch or needs a break. Maybe, you can make a deal with a nurse on another hall to cover each other. :)

I can eat , chart and pass pill all at the same time. There are no breaks.......:rotfl:

I can eat , chart and pass pill all at the same time. There are no breaks.......:rotfl:

Not if you worked in OR.:rotfl: No eating while you are scrubbed Ha Ha. You will become unsterile. "Sorry sir we did not leave a swab in your wound only my sandwich."

MMmm boy. Crumbs in the surgical wound. :chuckle

Wow I guess I am pretty lucky. Where I work now we get a 1/2 morning break, 1 hour lunch break and sometimes even a 30 minute supper break. This is for a 12 hour shift in Quebec.

Wow I guess I am pretty lucky. Where I work now we get a 1/2 morning break, 1 hour lunch break and sometimes even a 30 minute supper break. This is for a 12 hour shift in Quebec.

This must be a union job! Is it?

Ummm... my job is union. I can count on one hand the times I have taken a "lunch" away from the floor. And I can count on no hands the amount of time I have taken a full half hour.

A half hour is deducted from pay though.