Why do I work from 7-7:30 (12.5 hours) but only get paid for 12? This happens EVERY shift, not just once in a while. They say it's our responsibility to take a lunch but it's almost never possible. Some shifts I don't even get to pee and do my charting standing up during a spare minute between tasks. If we have 2 RNs for 14 patients on a busy med-surg floor with frequent admits and discharges, when IS there time for a break?!
And how is it ok that you're required to show up for a 5 hour morning class and then come to work for another 13 hours that night? And repeat it the following day as well?
Is this the norm for the industry or do I just have a crappy job?
Our charge has their own team but usually only 2 patients and the rest of us just cover as needed for the half an hour each other are gone. We have 4-5 RNs during the day, and no one has more than 4 on days, plus 2-3 CNAs. Not all med/surg floors are created equal.
Our charge had no patient load and basically was a resource for the floor nurses with admin duties on top. Our nurse/patient ratio was 5:1, tops, and I found there were days when I got my 'breaks' and lunch and days I didn't.
I was not wanting to write a 'variance' for every single break I missed, what a pain in the butt. HOWEVER, how else will management EVER be capable of a realistic appraisal of the work load if we don't take advantage of the tools they provide us?
They are looking at NUMBERS, percentages, and someone out there is collating patient safety events like falls and missed orders/meds. They need these numbers in order to advocate for us at the corporate level. Corporate level admins could care less about specific complaints. They need NUMBERS, facts, reproducible data. It's easy to point fingers at administration for 'ignoring' us, but not so easy to use the 'tools' they give the managers to record variances. Yeah, they take time and I've resented that. I've resented the 'corporate' presence from the moment this became the business model for healthcare. When it hit me that my choices were to seethe with resentment and indulge in protesting, or accept the present reality and do the minimum to work with it, I chose less resentment and complaining. Like *I* know how a hospital should be run (used to think I did ). Whatever.
Besides, life is TOO SHORT (my motto) to indulge myself in a negative attitude when a more positive one is just as realistic.
Our time clock system does the same thing. We are able to fill out No Lunch forms if needed and we'll get credited for the 30 mins.
Even though I usually don't take a specific 30 min break away from work, I don't usually fill out the form because I know I sit around on my phone or talking or going to the cafeteria or going to my car or reading (non-work) email for MORE than 30 minutes.
I know the form is there, and if one day I honestly do not get 30 minutes of break time, I will fill it out.
There have been days when I didn't even get to PEE much less eat. I've frequently gone 13-14 hours without sitting (charted standing up) and have fought hard to get to the bathroom just to sit for 60 seconds. After I report that I am going to pee and get permission, of course. How can employers get away with that?
It's so ridiculous that I'm even sometimes a little jealous of the patients. I spend hours helping people to the bathroom but don't get to go myself. And I find myself staring at the patient's food trays because I haven't eaten in 12hrs or had a drink of water because we're not allowed to have any cups anywhere but the break room. Ha! I didn't realize nurses were NPO too.
Yes, we are told we can have that break but there is pressure never to leave the floor if there is anything that needs to be done. And with management decreasing staffing and demanding higher Press Ganey scores, there is no time. Still, according to management, it's your own fault if you didn't take a lunch.
My question is are they aware and simply don't care? Or are they disconnected from what really goes on in the unit and really believe it's our fault for not getting a lunch?
At least they only take out 30 - my current job takes out an HOUR of pay, so full time is working 12.5 hours and getting paid for 11.5. Sometimes I take less than 15 minutes for lunch. I would really like to take the other 45 unpaid minutes, too, but who's got time for that?
Leekaye - I think they are aware and don't care. I don't think anyone cares about nursing workload except for nurses.
We just started clocking in, and any deviations from our normal schedule are documented in a book. I get a lot of dirty looks from management when I write that I didn't get a break but I document it every time. I have a frustrating job situation as well and there is no way I'm working a second that I'm not getting paid for.
Yall are crazy. Busy or not, I'm going to the bathroom and at least taking a 30 regardless unless someone is literally dying! Period. I am not a martyr for my patients.
We clock in/out for lunch. My unit started a lunch schedule and every day you sign up for when you want to take lunch. This allows you to plan accordingly. If you know you have tons of stuff to do at noon, you can schedule your lunch for 1:30 and have everything done by the time you need to take lunch. Then it isn't such a big deal if another nurse needs to listen out for your patients because he/she likely wont have to worry about meds or anything while you're gone. We usually have 6 nurses and 3 time slots (12, 12:45 and 1:30). Sometimes we switch times if we know we still have work to do. I have heard that other units in our hospital don't do this and it makes life much harder.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
There have been days when I didn't even get to PEE much less eat. I've frequently gone 13-14 hours without sitting (charted standing up) and have fought hard to get to the bathroom just to sit for 60 seconds. After I report that I am going to pee and get permission, of course. How can employers get away with that?
It's so ridiculous that I'm even sometimes a little jealous of the patients. I spend hours helping people to the bathroom but don't get to go myself. And I find myself staring at the patient's food trays because I haven't eaten in 12hrs or had a drink of water because we're not allowed to have any cups anywhere but the break room. Ha! I didn't realize nurses were NPO too.
Yes, we are told we can have that break but there is pressure never to leave the floor if there is anything that needs to be done. And with management decreasing staffing and demanding higher Press Ganey scores, there is no time. Still, according to management, it's your own fault if you didn't take a lunch.
My question is are they aware and simply don't care? Or are they disconnected from what really goes on in the unit and really believe it's our fault for not getting a lunch?
They are aware and simply don't care. They are able to justify it as your problem that you do not manage your time.
My dearest wish would be to take a few hospital CEO's and put them on Undercover Boss.
Most of my jobs they ensure we get a lunch or else they have to pay us our time and extra for it. You have a crappy job.
Me too. Only one place didn't, so I left. It's not only about management enforcing it, but a culture that supports it. Everyone on the unit kind of keeps track of when everyone is planning to eat so we all know who's going to go when so we can ensure coverage. It's nice having a unit culture where people actually ask if you ate yet and practically force you off the floor to go eat while they cover you.
). Whatever.
melizerd, ASN, RN
461 Posts
Our charge has their own team but usually only 2 patients and the rest of us just cover as needed for the half an hour each other are gone. We have 4-5 RNs during the day, and no one has more than 4 on days, plus 2-3 CNAs. Not all med/surg floors are created equal.