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

[mee9mee9]

1 hr? 30 minutes? 90 minutes?

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

The sooner you can condition your body to survive without food for 12-13 hours straight, the closer you will be to true nursehood.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

It depends on the day. Sometimes its 10minutes and sometimes it is 60 minutes.

[USA987, MSN, RN, NP]

30 mins unpaid. I really try to get the whole thing in...even if it means taking my lunch break at 1030 am. Babies are born at the most inconvenient times! Never take 15minute breaks

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I am supposed to get 30 minutes unpaid. This seldom happens. I generally eat at the desk while catching up on charting.

[tonet0908]

We get 1 hour unpaid for lunch and two 30 mins breaks but we normally don't take the last 30 mins. We only take 30 mins for breakfast in the morning and the hour lunch. You can always get paid for the hour lunch break if you were too busy to take it.

I normally take the first 30 mins at 10:30 am and my lunch at 3:00 pm because I work 7 am to 7:30 pm.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

30 minutes but it is interrupted to the point that I have to return to the desk to fix a crisis. In my state, we are supposed to have 3, 10 min breaks and two, 30 min breaks in a 12 hour shift.

Many times I work a full 12 without breaks because I have nobody to relieve me.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

The sooner you can condition your body to survive without food for 12-13 hours straight, the closer you will be to true nursehood.

Sorry, going to disagree. Going 13 hrs without food makes nobody better at anything--especially something like nursing that is so mentally and physically taxing.

[melizerd, ASN, RN]

30 min, we work 12 1/2 hours since it's unpaid. It's rare to skip lunch on my floor.

It's also common for us to have a granola bar or other quick snack at various times.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

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

Have you ever tried grazing???

I snack between my lunch break...I don't just eat for lunch and that's it.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

One 30 minute lunch and 1-2 15 minute breaks, depending on whether it's an 8 or a 12 that I'm working.

[ponymom]

when I was a working nurse, I got 30 minutes unpaid for lunch (and about a 50% chance I could take the whole break); but in the back of my mind, I was always worried about being late with the other tasks that awaited me on the floor, so that meant lunch could never really be fully enjoyed. In a 12hr shift, I got two 10 minute breaks also, but could never take the second one due to poor staffing. For a 16hr shift I got another set of 10s (could not take the second one) and a 30 (could not enjoy it).

Now in my factory job, I get two 20 minute breaks (if someone is relieving me, I'll get 30 minutes for each break) and a 30 minute lunch. Breaks and lunch are all paid, and never ever cut short. So that is a daily total of either 70 minutes or 90 minutes. BTW that is for an 8hr shift. If I work a 12hr shift, I'll get all that time plus another 20 minute break half way through and an extra 30 minutes at the end of the shift. I don't work 16s in the plant. I bring a nice lunch cooler full of healthful goodies and have time to eat and enjoy my meals. I also take my shoes off and give my feet a little break, too, because now....

I have the time:)

[beckyboo1, BSN, RN]

We get a 30 min unpaid lunch and supposedly 2 15 min breaks but the breaks never happen. As far as going a whole 12 hour shift without a lunch break, ain't gonna happen. I refuse to give that up. I need time to refuel and regroup, even if I don't get off the floor and get interrupted. Sometimes around 3 or 4 pm, I'll have a handful of almonds or something just to stave off hunger til I get home.