We have no regulations at all... I've worked 28 hour shifts. We usually end up with some downtime (I slept about three hours on the last one I worked), but no official breaks. However, we don't have portable radios, so we can ask dispatch to let us both go into a restaurant to pick up food, and they will sometimes say yes. I've worked 16 (+2 overtime) without enough time to stop for food (even in the hospital caf).
Do you get breaks?
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DrParasite
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Interesting responses. In response to people who say use the facilities at the hospital, I would agree with you, but it is our agency policy that you have 10 minutes from the time you arrive at the hospital until the time you are automatically available for a job. units can request extra time if the ER is busy, or go OOS for cleanup, narcotics, etc but I would guess 90% of the BLS calls and 80% of the ALS calls all they get is 10 minutes.
that's 10 minutes to walk into the ER, find the charge/intake/triage nurse, give report, have nurse find a bed, put patient in bed, finished chart, change linen, and be back out the door for the next one. Not defending the policy, not saying it's right or wrong, only that it is what it is, and and that rule was made by people above my pay grade. And we definitely don't get breaks for food, I can't tell you how many times meals have gotten interrupted, or meals have been ordered and then pulled because the crew gets an assignment
and Brown, I think in the US it is illegal to drive for more than 16 hours straight, and that's a DOT rule taken from truckers. But if you drive for 8, and then your partner driver for 8, you are ok.
that's 10 minutes to walk into the ER, find the charge/intake/triage nurse, give report, have nurse find a bed, put patient in bed, finished chart, change linen, and be back out the door for the next one. Not defending the policy, not saying it's right or wrong, only that it is what it is, and and that rule was made by people above my pay grade. And we definitely don't get breaks for food, I can't tell you how many times meals have gotten interrupted, or meals have been ordered and then pulled because the crew gets an assignment
and Brown, I think in the US it is illegal to drive for more than 16 hours straight, and that's a DOT rule taken from truckers. But if you drive for 8, and then your partner driver for 8, you are ok.
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WolfmanHarris
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For us 16 hours in the maximum allowed work length period unless given a sleep period (ala FD and their 24 hr shifts). If the shift goes really bad and I hit the 16hr mark, I not only have to be taken out of service (irregardless of the other policies) but won't be allowed to work the next day due to less than 8 hrs between shifts. I'll also be paid for that time.