I need some advice, please. I know nurses (and I'm sure many other positions) only get 30 minutes for a meal break. I'm still a student and am expected to work when I'm on the floor for a clinical...no malingering to drink Water, take breaks, etc. This is fine with me (I want to learn all I can) and have, in the past, used the one 30 minute break that I AM allowed to rehydrate and eat. However, now that I'm banded and feeling some restriction (4 fills) I want to follow my doc's requirements of no liquid 15 min before (no problem there) during, and 15 min after eating. This leaves me with a dilemma...I can eat, or I can rehydrate. How do you handle this?

Since I'm a visitor in whichever hospital, I don't have a locker or facility to keep, say, a bottle of water.

I'm thinking that maybe I should just have a Protein shake as a meal; that way I can drink 16-24 ounces of water too during my break ...but then come time to go home I am literally STARVING.

Any ideas? Ideally I'd get to stay hydrated during the "shift" but while I'm still a student (and with joint commission rules about no drinks at the nurses' station) I don't see that happening.

Help?

im an rn and i have worked icu and med/surg. u better start to make habits now. u bring a water bottle and put ur name on it and u leave it in the break room and u go drink it when ever u damn well please. u can set ur cell phone to vibrate if u need reminders. u need to eat a lunch but u won't get a full 30 mins. just go in eat and get back to the unit. in nursing if u take a full break they will think ur lazy, if u miss a lunch they will think u r ineffective. just fly below the radar and u will be fine.

I am a cardiac specialty unit RN and work 12 hours shifts. I drink as much as I can throughout the day. It is hard with JACHO rules, but try drink as much as you can before your clinical shift. I do find that I am pretty dehydrated by the end of my 12hrs. Basically that is why I only work 2 days/week. Best of luck to you. Laura

Thanks to you both. As a student I want to pass, and I have certain rules that I must follow, so just drinking anyway won't work. I think I'll try the drink in advance...only other option is to drink with my meal...which I may have to do for the 2 days a week that I have my "acute" clinical. On the bright side as students we take our full 30 minutes! :w00t:

Where I work, not only do you get a 30min lunch break but you also get two 15 min breaks. Find out if that same rule applies to you. Usually a 12 hour shift requires that you get those 3 breaks...Texas law. I was just banded on the 27th and don't return to work until Feb.16 so I'm still deciding on how I will plan my meals. I thought about taking something quick and easy like lunch meat and cheese that will allow me the 30min to eat slowly. As far as staying hydrated, you can do that whenever you feel like it. No one can tell you when you can or cannot get water or use the restroom. There shouldn't be any restrictions on that. Good luck!

Thank goodness my clinical isn't 12 hours...just 245 to 1030PM and lunch from 6-630. And I probably can drink if I HAVE to but as a student and a guest I don't want to be "special" if that makes sense. Of course I could just drink throughout the time but don't want to do that. Frankly I already 'stand out" being the fattest and oldest. I don't want to have to take breaks when the others aren't. That's just a competition I have with myself....I'll just drink a lot before shift, chug some a time or two in between, and go from there. I think I'll be better off it I take the lunch time to eat, not drink, because I get so hungry by time to go home that I eat too much. My doc doesn't want me to snack so I have to figure it all out where I can drink and eat and still be a respectful "student and representative" of my school...It'll work out! :w00t:

THanks for all the tips!

I am an RN as well, and I keep a Water bottle at the actual nsg station and drink when I chart, or just pass through the station. Sometimes I keep a juice box with me in my scrub pants, especially if i am running behind.

My question to other nurses is night shifts...do you find that they totally bugger up what you can eat? I almost have to eat only liquids or mushies during my two nights and usually a day or two after....so suckie, but I hate to keep getting stuck or vomit!