Introduction

There will be occasions where nursing staff miss their breaks, but it must never be the norm.
Making sure staff get their breaks isn't just a nice thing to do, it's the law. Anyone a working more than six hours is given an uninterrupted 20-minute break.
That's just the bare minimum. Nursing is a physically and emotionally demanding profession and we need to make sure that everyone has breaks, stays well hydrated and has access to nutritional food. If nursing staff are not enabled to self-care and have a poor working environment, they are more likely to become unwell, burn out or want to leave the job.
We know that low staffing levels can make it feel impossible to take breaks, but we hope this resource can create a space for discussion and offer practical suggestions to make changes in your workplace, starting with you and your team.