for those who work 12 hour shifts, how long is your lunch break?

[mee9mee9]

1 hr? 30 minutes? 90 minutes?

[FineAgain]

Lunch Break? What is this "break" thing of which you speak?

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

An hour, 30 minutes unpaid, the other 30 minutes paid because they combine our 15 breaks with it on an 8 hour shift. If i do a 12 I get an additional paid 15 minute break. My last job we got only the hour break half of it unpaid on a 12 hour shift and no extra breaks if I did a 16. Sometimes with short staffing they ordered pizza and we all got no break and just ate the pizza. (It was paid tho)

If you work at a place where you don't get your breaks and they take money from you, consider a lawsuit with your fellow nurses, it is not your responsibility to ensure adequate staffing and you should be compensated for anytime you work. I worked at a hospital where the nurses had that and in addition to them all getting a nice check they suddenly had break relief nurses. Things dont change unless you speak up as a group.

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

On a good day, 20 mins.

On a busy day, 15.

On a bad day, 0.

We're supposed to have 30 mins unpaid, but that's a joke. We can't leave the campus and can't turn off our floor phones.

The only person I know that takes 15s is a pumping mom. Even the smokers don't get breaks. A lot of us chew nicotine gum.

[Bbett, MSN, NP]

We get a 25 minute break in the morning and an hour for lunch. both paid. Always take your lunch no matter what!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

We're supposed to have 30 mins unpaid, but that's a joke. We can't leave the campus and can't turn off our floor phones.

^^^ bolding added by me

Then this is supposed to be paid. Fact Sheet - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

Meal BreaksBona-fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) are not work time, and an employer does not have to pay for them. However, the employees must be completely relieved from duty. When choosing to automatically deduct 30-minutes per shift, the employer must ensure that the employees are receiving the full meal break. See Regulations 29 CFR 785.19.

Example #9:

A skilled nursing facility automatically deducts one-half hour for meal breaks each shift. Upon hiring, the employer notifies employees of the policy and of their responsibility to take a meal break. Does this practice comply with the FLSA? Yes, but the employer is still responsible for ensuring that the employees take the 30-minute meal break without interruption.

Example #10:

An hourly paid registered nurse works at a nursing home which allows a 30-minute meal break. Residents frequently interrupt her meal break with requests for assistance. Must she be paid for these frequently interrupted meal breaks? Yes, if employees' meals are interrupted to the extent that meal period is predominately for the benefit of the employer, the employees should be paid for the full 30-minutes.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

^^^ Or else, give your floor phone to whoever is covering for you. Hey, it's not turned off!

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

30 min unpaid. We do not have a very structured system-fit it in where you can. Some abuse it, some don't use it. We are working on a schedule/system so that nurses can get an uninterrupted 30 min lunch break.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

One hour unpaid. Sometimes we roll in the two 15 min breaks to make it a full 90 min break. Best to leave the floor to avoid getting tagged for work or favors.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

[lovetosleep]

It's supposed to be 30 minutes unpaid. I usually get 15 if I'm lucky before I get interrupted or have to get up to do something.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

Ours is 30 minutes, unpaid, and two ten minute breaks. I almost always take a lunch, but I do willingly stay available for big issues with my patients. The smaller breaks may not happen at all, or may turn into extended breaks, depending on how the night's going.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

30 minutes unpaid with two 15 minute breaks paid. I always take my 30 minutes, I ask the secretary to put off any outside calls, I give a brief report to another nurse, tell the charge who is covering for me, and I don't answer my phone for 30 minutes. I once had the manager ask me why I didn't answer my phone. I told her I was on break, and she said I always need to answer my phone. I told her it was illegal to require me to do so. Never had problems after that.

seriously, if you are a conscientious nurse who isn't going to break when a patient is concerning you, 30 minutes being unavailable isn't the end of the world, but people act like it is. It's ridiculous.

lets not forget that those same people will get on your case when you can't carve out 30 minutes for an inservice on a piece of equipment that you won't remember how to use anyway until it hits the floor. "It's only 30 minutes! Can't you find time?"

[NightBloomCereus]

30 mins unpaid. Which means I'm starving like half the day.