topic Re: A Break! in Community Chat

A Break!

lynnzzz — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 22:59:58 GMT

How long and how many breaks would you expect your nurse to get on a 12 hour shift, including lunch? How about 14 hours? Is it a "right" or a "privilege"? It is NOT a law. Your thoughts please?

Re: A Break!

JaneMarple — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:04:17 GMT

If a nurse was responsible for my care, I would want her/him to take at an hour lunch/dinner and a couple of 15 minute breaks. I would want them to have a bit of a rest because a twelve hour shift is a long one.

Re: A Break!

brii — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:07:14 GMT

The nurses at our hospital work 12 hour shifts. I asked them how long they get for lunch. They get a half an hour, which seems kind of short. I don't know about breaks. When they go to lunch, someone else covers for them so this patients are not left unattended. I don't think lunch is a privilege.

Re: A Break!

MamaWick — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:24:40 GMT

Half hour for lunch, 15 minute breaks for every 4 hours.

Re: A Break!

NoelSeven — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:38:38 GMT

Breaks are law around here.

15 minutes for every four hours worked, and that does not include time to use the bathroom. If a worker has to use the bathroom, the employer cannot say that's part of the break time.

Re: A Break!

Lion — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:58:53 GMT

15 min. breaks every 4 hrs. seem to be the norm in many places.

I think a 1 hr. lunch should be given on a 12 hr. shift.

1/2 hr. is OK for an 8 hr. shift, but that's not enough rest time for a 12 hr. shift, IMO.

Re: A Break!

missy1 — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:03:38 GMT

12 hours--30 minute lunch, three 15 minute breaks.... 14 hours--+an hour lunch. Etc

Re: A Break!

terrier3 — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:07:56 GMT

On 3/10/2014 JaneMarple said:
If a nurse was responsible for my care, I would want her/him to take at an hour lunch/dinner and a couple of 15 minute breaks. I would want them to have a bit of a rest because a twelve hour shift is a long one.

I agree.

A lot of hospitals have union employees and the breaks and lunchtimes are negotiated. Even if the nurses aren't unionized, the aides may belong to SEIU and places of employment tend to make the breaks and lunches uniform for all employees.

I wouldn't want to be cared for by someone who was physically and mentally exhausted.

In NY, the interns and residents are now restricted in the number of hours they can be on call. That is a state law. Again, they were making a lot of mistakes due to fatigue.

Locally, a lot of nurses have to work mandatory double shifts. The hospitals prefer paying overtime to hiring extra employees. The workers are fried...

Re: A Break!

chumlee_ — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:15:44 GMT

On 3/10/2014 Lion said:
15 min. breaks every 4 hrs. seem to be the norm in many places.

I think a 1 hr. lunch should be given on a 12 hr. shift.

1/2 hr. is OK for an 8 hr. shift, but that's not enough rest time for a 12 hr. shift, IMO.

This would be an ideal - however, probably not the norm. The hospital nurses I know are so overworked and stretched on their shifts, they rarely get to go to the bathroom. UTI's are very common.

Re: A Break!

biancardi — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:28:54 GMT

12 hour shift - 1 hr lunch, 4 15 minute breaks

14 hour shift - 1 hr lunch, 5 15 minute breaks

nurses are on their feet all day long, going from one room to another. An hour lunch break gives them time to recharge and if they need to run errands, they can. Those are some long hours.

Re: A Break!

hckynut — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:31:01 GMT

Since I have never been a nurse? I will leave the answers to those that have been. I can tell you that there are times when a nurse has patients that are pretty self-sufficient and easier for them than others. I would guess a lot of this would depend on the number of nurses on staff at a given time and the nature and condition of their patients.

Re: A Break!

Marienkaefer2 — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:38:09 GMT

This is a job where people's lives are in your hands. Situations that seem ok could quickly turn. I want my medical personnel to be rested and alert.

Whatever they need to maintain their alertness is ok with me.

Re: A Break!

occasionalrain — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:42:35 GMT

Nurses shouldn't be working 12 or 14 hour shifts. No wonder there are so many mistakes in hospitals.

Re: A Break!

Melania — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:49:07 GMT

But then they get 4 or 5 days off after they do 4 12 hour shifts.

The nurses I had loved it because they knew they got such a long time off at the end of working those long days.

Re: A Break!

LilacTree — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:51:04 GMT

Those breaks are very dangerous. I don't care how many days off they get after that. No one can be on top of things for that many hours without a break. Bad practice, IMO. Not patient friendly at all.

Re: A Break!

occasionalrain — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:51:52 GMT

On 3/11/2014 Melania2 said:
But then they get 4 or 5 days off after they do 4 12 hour shifts.

The nurses I had loved it because they knew they got such a long time off at the end of working those long days.

I'm more interested in what the patients love than what the nurses love. I'm guessing patients love well rested efficient nurses who haven't been working 12 hours.

Re: A Break!

biancardi — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:53:09 GMT

On 3/11/2014 Ford1224 said:
Those breaks are very dangerous. I don't care how many days off they get after that. No one can be on top of things for that many hours without a break. Bad practice, IMO. Not patient friendly at all.

I agree. I never understood this practice that nurses & doctors had- staying on the job for very long shifts. I want my health care professionals to be alert, not drinking coffee or trying to stay awake.

I don't know why this practice is so commonplace in hospitals - it should change.

Re: A Break!

QueenDanceALot — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:03:08 GMT

15 Minutes for every 4 hours isn't sufficient, IMO.

And a half hour for lunch definitely isn't.

Re: A Break!

loveschocolate — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:14:50 GMT

When I worked 12 hour shifts...really more like 13-14 hours, we got 1/2 for lunch. Sometimes you actually got that but more often than not you were lucky to wolf down some food in 10 minutes. Doctors making rounds wanted to talk to the nurse, families, etc. Patient's needs do not have a schedule. Breaks??? Pretty much nonexistent.

Re: A Break!

Melania — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 20:33:17 GMT

On 3/11/2014 occasional rain said:
On 3/11/2014 Melania2 said:
But then they get 4 or 5 days off after they do 4 12 hour shifts.

The nurses I had loved it because they knew they got such a long time off at the end of working those long days.

I'm more interested in what the patients love than what the nurses love. I'm guessing patients love well rested efficient nurses who haven't been working 12 hours.

Sheesh...get a cocktail.