Community Chat

[lynnzzz]

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?

[JaneMarple]

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.

[brii]

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.

[MamaWick]

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

[NoelSeven]

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.

[Lion]

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.

[missy1]

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

[terrier3]

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...

[chumlee_]

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.

[biancardi]

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.