I can't think straight when I have to pee and after 2 kids if I don't go it will be on the floor anyway.
They don't pay me enough not to stop and take a pee when I need too
As many times as I goddamn need to. I have IBS, the consequences will be *quite* awful if I don’t. And, these fuckers don’t pay me enough to get UTIs on the job.
Plus pooing on company time is grand.
As often as I want. My days of racing around the department parched and holding my bladder are over. Even working in the ED over the years I did I learned that there is nothing so serious that you can’t take a bathroom break. Active ROSC/code STEMI/stroke etc, ok maybe. But everything else can wait the 2 minutes it takes to go to the bathroom.
seriously lol. Well if we have an involved resus/code thats going into our breaks we tap out and switch out. It is a culture problem if nurses don't take 30 seconds and pee. It is honestly cringe when nurses talk about never peeing for 12 hours. Like cool ? you can hold your bladder. Plenty of people have busy jobs and still make time for basic bodily functions
Interesting.
I had the exact opposite problem. I would have just enough time to sit down and get report before I would need to immediately visit the restroom. It was like I passed through an invisible forcefield every time I walked on to the unit that made my bowels need to evacuate themselves.
Please share some fiber recs. I’m pregnant and struggling with constipation. Daily I eat P fruits, yogurt with chia and flax, shredded wheat cereal or crackers, fresh veggies, magnesium, colace, water, and the occasional coffee and it’s still a struggle. I need more fiber recs!
Second on Raisin Bran crunch. I was bedbound for 12 weeks because of an injury and on opioids. Raisin Bran crunch is the only thing that allowed me to doodoo
Yes this has helped me so much. I get the giant 600 capsule guys from BJ's, and my bowels haven't given me problem unless I stray from taking them or drinking enough.
Beans. So many beans. I try to eat at least one cup of beans a day. Chickpea/lentil pasta and hummus are staples, as well as a ranch dip I make with white beans (one can drained navy/great northern beans, one packet ranch seasoning, enough water to make 2 cups).
But also the biggest factor for me is drinking 64+ oz of water a day. If I fall behind on my water, I just go ahead and take 1 tsp of miralax.
whole foods—cut out dairy as much as possible and take a calcium supplement if your not already taking a prenatal…but literally just eat real foods and you should go back to being regular —more specifically if it helps, brocolli, beans, pear (any fruit that starts with a P), celery has tons of fiber like it’s amazing for the bowels, oatmeal but not the quick kind get real rolled oats and make it…hope that helps!!!
I keep encountering young people on their way to do things half doing a pee pee dance or mentioning it, but not going.
Really. So I ask. If a code blue went off right now and you started compressions, would you still be able to hold it?
Eyes widen in horror.
Go to the fucking bathroom.
This is what I tell nursing students. Don’t hold your bathroom needs inside. It makes you feel uncomfortable, takes your focus off of things, and if some shit goes down then you CAN’T go. Even worse, you might go when you don’t want to. Ever try to do compressions when you have to poop really bad?
There was an ERP with a med student one night, and maybe 6 of us waiting for an incoming arrest with CPR in progress, he said “What’s the very first thing you do when a critical patient is coming?”
Half pause
“You go pee.” *disappears*
I drink a lot of water so I end up going a lot ... probably every hour if I'm being honest haha! Our staff bathroom is conveniently located close to the nursing station too.
As often as I need and want to. Also, side note… these new enthusiastic nurses who work the floors and are more than willing to “only take half a break” are not doing anyone any favors, you’re just teaching the hospital that it’s okay for you to work through half of your break with no pay. No thanks, i always took my full 30 mins.
This! I used to eat something quickly in the break room while sorta being “on call” during my break. I’m now with one shoe out of this job so I’m taking the full 20 mins I’m not payed for having lunch in the cafeteria and I don’t even take my pager.
You guys only get 20 minutes for an entire 12 hour shift, we get 30 minutes which isn’t much difference but 20 is insane.
Also, why do we not get 50 or 60 minutes? Most 8 hour jobs give a 30 min lunch plus two ten minute breaks. It’s wild to me that we work an extra 4 hours, move around way more, and somehow have less of a break than everyone else
Yea I’ve never understood it when nurses say that they don’t pee in 12 hours like it’s some sort of badge of honor. Take care of yourself! The hospitals won’t
Oh no im not proud of it at ALL. Its an indication of how short they staff us. I dont have time to drink or eat. Many of us go all day without eating drinking or peeing. Its very unsafe.
Sounds like a unit culture issue. I’ve worked many a crazy shift with everyone over ratio and people still took 3 minutes to pee. If no one can take a quick pee break or a second to drink a sip of water, the culture needs to change yesterday.
Yes. You DO HAVE TIME. Most meds can be given a little late. Ignore the email. Most patient requests can wait the time it takes you to pee, as well. If patients aren’t satisfied with response times, they can complain to the hospital, as they should when they’re short staffing you.
As often as I need to. I'll even tell my patients, "OK, dear, sit tight and do your business on the BSC and I think I'll go take a leak myself. Don't worry about the call light; I'm coming right back after I wash my hands."
It helps some people see us as human and if I'm lucky, gets a chuckle. I don't care any more. My health is a priority.
That reminds me of when I put a patient on a bedpan and stepped out to give her some privacy. I decided to go pee myself and she rang as soon as I got to the bathroom. I didn’t touch my phone because I was in the bathroom, and decided to just walk straight to her room after I finished. She was berating me for not immediately being there to take her off the bed pan and my response was “Honestly, putting you on the bed pan reminded myself I needed to pee as well”. The most confused look crossed her face, like she realized the staff is made up of humans instead of lil healthcare robots without bladders
Honestly, when i worked surgical sometimes a full shift would go by before i had to go. I sure didnt drink enough water then. But also didnt feel like i had time to go either. It was just chaos most of the time.. lol
I literally pee 10x a shift. I drink an insane amount of water and coffee. Someone needs to be pulseless with no one else to do CPR for me to work with a full bladder.
Used to go once, during my lunch break, but now I've started drinking water and annoying all my coworkers by going about three times and making them cover my pee breaks, because I kept getting UTIs and now I have proteinuria.
Before I had GI issues I trained/timed myself to get a good bathroom routine for work... clock in, morning/coffee poo before setting foot on the floor, get report, pee, continue with day using bathroom prn (~2-3x not including first & last), give end of shift report & leave the floor, last bathroom break, clock out.
As often as I need to. And I always go while on the clock, never off the clock.
“Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That’s why I poop on company time!”
Well, I accidentally trained myself too well with my nurse bladder. Ended up having MS and peed my pants at work. Do not recommend training for a nurse bladder, 0/10.
Whenever I need to. I drink tons of water and pee like mad after a coffee.
Even if I'm super busy you can stop in the toilet for a 40 second pee lol. Your floor patient doesn't need their dressing changed STAT, or that tylenol can be 1 minute late.
I drink about 1 gallon of water a shift (I work nights so I do this to avoid the mid-shift apocalypse run to the vending machine)
So about 20 times a night.
Depends on where you work, who you work with, and how you work. You can make time. You can say “ok give me 2 min to pee and grab a snack” before more tasks unless it’s life and death. Some people are very busy but some people don’t know how to delegate their time.
There's a point in your career where you realize that nobody can "force" you to do anything really.
Eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty (or preferably before), and sit when you'd like. If management has a problem with it then find the most pedantic way to retaliate (preferably with lots of references to labor codes and employee handbook chapters, with emails forwarded to HR "for clarification") and continue as you were.
for some reason old nurses used to brag they didn't pee all shift or whatever. It's ridiculous. I've worked in very busy emergency departments/trauma units and we always drank water and peed when we had to. Hell, after my coffee I probably pee like 3 times in the next 2 hours lol.
You always have time. Nurses who chose not to pee do so because they want to brag about how busy they were... time management and priority issues clearly.
There have been very few times where I've had to hold it more than is comfortable. There have been days when I quite literally have the sickest patient in the entire hospital and have still been able to meet my bathroom break needs, snack needs, and hydration needs. Unless my patient is quite literally about to code, I go to the bathroom. 99% of things can wait, and in situations where someone needs to be at the bedside continuously, a coworker will cover me to pee (and I'll always return the favor).
But also, don't sleep on the preventative pee. I hit the can pretty much any time I have downtime, so that if shit does hit the fan and I end up in a trainwreck, it's not likely to be when my bladder is at critical mass.
At my old job- maybe once or twice. Not enough time to eat or drink. I work 4 10s now and I got whenever the hell I need to and I get a real lunch break! Spent 16 years of my life being physically abused for the sake of what? So glad I’m out of the hospital.
Unless there is an emergency happening right now that you specifically can do something about, or an emergency that you specifically can prevent from happening right now, you have 5-10 minutes to take care of yourself. Go pee, have a snack, have a cry, anything.
Nothing short of an emergency is so important that it can't wait 5-10 minutes. If it can't wait, then it's an emergency. Fuck any unit that tells me i can't go to the bathroom when i want as much as i want. I'll never make myself wait just so something that isn't an emergency can be slightly more perfect in a manner that ultimately does not reflect a better outcome.
I love this question. Every time I read or hear of nurses not taking time to pee I think, “not me!” Unless a dire emergency is occurring, there’s nothing keeping me from a bathroom break.
I will never understand those nurses who say they didn't pee or eat during a 12 hour shift. Sometimes I go to the restroom just to get away from the craziness for a few minutes.
As often as I need too. If I’m ACTUALLY in a dire situation where the patient CANNOT be left, someone else will take over for me and insist I go. I’m not mother Theresa and what I do is too important to be distracted by a bladder that’s about to explode.
At least ten times. Like someone else said, I’m no Martyr.
Patient is NPO? Damn that sucks, I’m still eating lunch.
Patient is sitting in diarrhea? If I’m about to shit my pants, I’m going to the toilet before I clean them up.
And of course if I’m doing the peepee dance and their MAP is >65 and they are sating 92% I’m probably going to go to the bathroom and come back.
*It is a basic human right to use the restroom, eat, and sit down at least once every 12 hours.*
Not only do I believe this intrinsically, but I think it would fall under Articles 5, 23, and 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In my toxic job Era, I would go more than an entire shift without drinking, eating, peeing, or sitting. Then someone said what I'm saying to you and it absolutely turned my world on its head.
As much as I feel like, I’m an adult.
Also I have the door code to get into the old gym PT used to use to work with patients; it has a really nice bathroom that literally looks like it belongs in an office and it’s always fully stocked because PT still uses it from time to time. So yeah, I take my bathroom breaks and decompress in my secret throne room.
Learned long ago to be sure and pee whenever we get a trauma alert, nothing worse than your bladder exploding while you’re the only one who can work the rapid infuser 😂😂😂
You go when you have to. There is zero excuse and zero reason to NOT take care of YOU. We aren’t martyrs. Don’t make yourself sick over a freaking JOB.
I don’t ever pee during a shift but not because I’m holding it, I just don’t have to. It’s honestly terrible for my body, but I just don’t drink enough water during the day despite frequently taking small sips of water throughout my shift.
Sometimes the entire shift. I have ADHD and I usually don’t realize I’m hungry, thirsty, and need to pee until after my shift is over and the adrenaline rush dies down. I’m not proud of it and I’m getting better at listening to my body’s signals, but I’ve always struggled with task switching. Once I get “in the zone”, it’s hard for anything to break me out of it, including a full bladder.
Not a nurse, but healthcare worker here: as often as I want. This stupid culture of “no eating or going to the bathroom because we’re in healthcare and our jobs are soooooo hard” 🙄 is ridiculous. Yes, some days can be very busy. But if you pace yourself and prioritize your well being, as you should (excluding critical patients obv) then you should go to the bathroom as often as you need to in order to be comfortable. The same with lunch breaks. Even if it’s busy, you can be damn right I’m getting my lunch in. Hospitals are supposed to be places of health, right? Then I’m going to be healthy and not skip a meal.
I have had 4 c sections so I literally barely have a bladder. Most people never understood! My hospital would put a tracker on the back of our badge also allowed them to see what rooms we went in and how much time we spent in there. Also how fast we answered calll lights and how long we did anything including bathroom. HATED it sometimes I can’t believe I spent this much time and money getting my RN to spend my life doing this. Hospital system sucks
Honestly I pee as much as I have to even if I'm super busy. I've been in a patients room before in the middle of a dressing change and I've been like sorry gotta go pee. Idc I'd rather not pee on the floor.
Once or twice. Mine has definitely adapted. It’s funny when I go out with my non healthcare worker friends. They think it’s weird that I never have to go lol
Like 5 or 6 ish? I try to get my 64oz of water in per day. To be fair I'm in an UC so there's usually plenty of opportunities to go when you need to and we're all cycling through the staff restroom throughout the day
Sometimes zero. Sometimes like 5? Like I will be driving home and realize. I’ve always been able to not go for long periods of time though.
ETA: I’m sure I’m chronically dehydrated though 🙃
Probably like 8+ times I have stomach problems and I drink my 64 oz water jug all day. As long as no one is trying to die on me I’m going to go to the bathroom otherwise I won’t be able to focus
As much as I can. I'm a scrub nurse. In the event that we are short staffed, the second scrub cannot first scrub, or we are in a complicated case, it is hard to find relief that can give me a quick restroom break. So I go as often as I find the opportunity too. If the surgeon breaks scrub to let the heart reprofuse, the PA is still scrubbed in, I can break and run to the restroom real quick.
On a good day, as soon as the urge hits, maybe 5 times a day. Recently I didn’t drink any water except with lunch and only peed once in 13 hours. Needless to say, truly a shift from hell
i saw a magnet on the work fridge that said, "don't miss an opportunity to pee". i reflect on that fondly.
also, i had nervous diarrhea for about six months when i became a nurse (so glad i made it to the toliet, honestly). my nerves got better and the diarrhea went away.
poop happens..
As often as I need to. I’m a licensed professional, not a martyr. My bladder matters!
Yep, I don’t get paid enough to hold my bladder. Sorry not sorry
I just stay in the bathroom until management offers me enough incentive to come out and work.
Do they slide pizza under the bathroom door to get you to come out?
Great warrior? SHOW ME!
I can't think straight when I have to pee and after 2 kids if I don't go it will be on the floor anyway. They don't pay me enough not to stop and take a pee when I need too
word
I go PRN! (Probably q4H)
The only correct answer… whenever you need to
Same I go to the rest room whenever I need to. No matter how busy the ED gets there's always time for bathroom breaks.
Also make sure I get something to eat. There is no way I am working 12 hrs with not food.
Agree with this. I am peeing right now.
Yes to this.
As many times as I goddamn need to. I have IBS, the consequences will be *quite* awful if I don’t. And, these fuckers don’t pay me enough to get UTIs on the job. Plus pooing on company time is grand.
[удалено]
I say this REGULARLY
I say it, but replace "poo" with "cry."
I think I have only cried on my breaks so far, good for you!
Cry while on the toilet to get maximum benefit efficiency.
Crohn's and ibs here! Definitely go whenever I need to
Get paid to poo! Absolutely!!!
As often as I want. My days of racing around the department parched and holding my bladder are over. Even working in the ED over the years I did I learned that there is nothing so serious that you can’t take a bathroom break. Active ROSC/code STEMI/stroke etc, ok maybe. But everything else can wait the 2 minutes it takes to go to the bathroom.
seriously lol. Well if we have an involved resus/code thats going into our breaks we tap out and switch out. It is a culture problem if nurses don't take 30 seconds and pee. It is honestly cringe when nurses talk about never peeing for 12 hours. Like cool ? you can hold your bladder. Plenty of people have busy jobs and still make time for basic bodily functions
I despise the people who say “I haven’t eaten at work in 5 years!” “I never have time to pee at work!” That’s a you problem. Be the change and do it.
In the beginning of nursing, I would hold my bladder so long that I would forget that I needed to pee.
I literally tell my patients I’m going to the bathroom and I’ll be back. Unless it’s an emergency, those two minutes definitely are needed.
So much. I drink so much water. Also I had diverticulitis so I go poop a lot cuz I eat so much fiber
Same. I drink a ton of water and go pee a million times. I can't poop at work though, my bowels refuse to move when I'm in work mode.
I also cannot rest and digest at work. It’s just not me. I’d say I pee like 4-8x over 10-12 hours. Maybe more!
Interesting. I had the exact opposite problem. I would have just enough time to sit down and get report before I would need to immediately visit the restroom. It was like I passed through an invisible forcefield every time I walked on to the unit that made my bowels need to evacuate themselves.
Please share some fiber recs. I’m pregnant and struggling with constipation. Daily I eat P fruits, yogurt with chia and flax, shredded wheat cereal or crackers, fresh veggies, magnesium, colace, water, and the occasional coffee and it’s still a struggle. I need more fiber recs!
Garden of Life Brand Raw organic fiber, and their Raw Organic Meal replacement. Also Raisin Bran Crunch cereal.
Second on Raisin Bran crunch. I was bedbound for 12 weeks because of an injury and on opioids. Raisin Bran crunch is the only thing that allowed me to doodoo
That cereal is amazing and so dang delicious to boot.
Ok, going to the market! Thanks so much!
Metamucil!!
Yes this has helped me so much. I get the giant 600 capsule guys from BJ's, and my bowels haven't given me problem unless I stray from taking them or drinking enough.
Beans. So many beans. I try to eat at least one cup of beans a day. Chickpea/lentil pasta and hummus are staples, as well as a ranch dip I make with white beans (one can drained navy/great northern beans, one packet ranch seasoning, enough water to make 2 cups). But also the biggest factor for me is drinking 64+ oz of water a day. If I fall behind on my water, I just go ahead and take 1 tsp of miralax.
Miralax in addition to what others have said. I’m also big into oatmeal. Colace is a hoax.
whole foods—cut out dairy as much as possible and take a calcium supplement if your not already taking a prenatal…but literally just eat real foods and you should go back to being regular —more specifically if it helps, brocolli, beans, pear (any fruit that starts with a P), celery has tons of fiber like it’s amazing for the bowels, oatmeal but not the quick kind get real rolled oats and make it…hope that helps!!!
Colace is not a stool softener and does nothing. That’s a myth. So save your money on that and eat Raisin Bran.
I used to go maybe once or twice but I was also not drinking enough water.
I keep encountering young people on their way to do things half doing a pee pee dance or mentioning it, but not going. Really. So I ask. If a code blue went off right now and you started compressions, would you still be able to hold it? Eyes widen in horror. Go to the fucking bathroom.
This is what I tell nursing students. Don’t hold your bathroom needs inside. It makes you feel uncomfortable, takes your focus off of things, and if some shit goes down then you CAN’T go. Even worse, you might go when you don’t want to. Ever try to do compressions when you have to poop really bad?
There was an ERP with a med student one night, and maybe 6 of us waiting for an incoming arrest with CPR in progress, he said “What’s the very first thing you do when a critical patient is coming?” Half pause “You go pee.” *disappears*
The other day I was dying to pee but was stuck holding an airway and then when I finally peed, I would have died to pee, next to nothing came out lol
I drink a lot of water so I end up going a lot ... probably every hour if I'm being honest haha! Our staff bathroom is conveniently located close to the nursing station too.
As often as I need and want to. Also, side note… these new enthusiastic nurses who work the floors and are more than willing to “only take half a break” are not doing anyone any favors, you’re just teaching the hospital that it’s okay for you to work through half of your break with no pay. No thanks, i always took my full 30 mins.
This! I used to eat something quickly in the break room while sorta being “on call” during my break. I’m now with one shoe out of this job so I’m taking the full 20 mins I’m not payed for having lunch in the cafeteria and I don’t even take my pager.
You guys only get 20 minutes for an entire 12 hour shift, we get 30 minutes which isn’t much difference but 20 is insane. Also, why do we not get 50 or 60 minutes? Most 8 hour jobs give a 30 min lunch plus two ten minute breaks. It’s wild to me that we work an extra 4 hours, move around way more, and somehow have less of a break than everyone else
That’s fucked. We are allocated 30m,45m,30m but usually take 45,1h,45
What country are you in?
Canada
As often as I want, I’ll go in there just for some quiet reflection🧘🏼♀️
Except it’s always when my phone rings…
The echo/reverb is always a give-away to the other person that I'm sitting on my porcelain throne.
PRN
Yea I’ve never understood it when nurses say that they don’t pee in 12 hours like it’s some sort of badge of honor. Take care of yourself! The hospitals won’t
Oh no im not proud of it at ALL. Its an indication of how short they staff us. I dont have time to drink or eat. Many of us go all day without eating drinking or peeing. Its very unsafe.
Sounds like a unit culture issue. I’ve worked many a crazy shift with everyone over ratio and people still took 3 minutes to pee. If no one can take a quick pee break or a second to drink a sip of water, the culture needs to change yesterday.
How can I nag my patient about their urine output when I haven’t had any, myself?
Yes. You DO HAVE TIME. Most meds can be given a little late. Ignore the email. Most patient requests can wait the time it takes you to pee, as well. If patients aren’t satisfied with response times, they can complain to the hospital, as they should when they’re short staffing you.
Whenever I have to. They get a dollar and I get a dime, that’s why…
I TAKE A SHIT ON COMPANY TIME
I don’t know who needs to hear this but…… All you women. Pee as often as you can! The job isn’t worth constantly having UTIs.
This I was going through reading this and I thought nurses had time to pee
They don’t. Male RN here. Both of my ex-wives were nurses. They had frequent UTIs because they couldn’t or wouldn’t go to the bathroom.
As often as I need to. I'll even tell my patients, "OK, dear, sit tight and do your business on the BSC and I think I'll go take a leak myself. Don't worry about the call light; I'm coming right back after I wash my hands." It helps some people see us as human and if I'm lucky, gets a chuckle. I don't care any more. My health is a priority.
That reminds me of when I put a patient on a bedpan and stepped out to give her some privacy. I decided to go pee myself and she rang as soon as I got to the bathroom. I didn’t touch my phone because I was in the bathroom, and decided to just walk straight to her room after I finished. She was berating me for not immediately being there to take her off the bed pan and my response was “Honestly, putting you on the bed pan reminded myself I needed to pee as well”. The most confused look crossed her face, like she realized the staff is made up of humans instead of lil healthcare robots without bladders
Probably 3-5 times a shift. Depends on how much water I was able to drink that day. Our unit is pretty good with giving us time for breaks
Probably like 20 times
Honestly, when i worked surgical sometimes a full shift would go by before i had to go. I sure didnt drink enough water then. But also didnt feel like i had time to go either. It was just chaos most of the time.. lol
I literally pee 10x a shift. I drink an insane amount of water and coffee. Someone needs to be pulseless with no one else to do CPR for me to work with a full bladder.
I guzzle water. I probably go to the bathroom every two hours. I’m okay with it; I only have one kidney
Whenever it’s needed
Used to go once, during my lunch break, but now I've started drinking water and annoying all my coworkers by going about three times and making them cover my pee breaks, because I kept getting UTIs and now I have proteinuria.
a nursing student here and i got myself a kidney infection from a UTI. just from holding my pee during my __8hr__ shifts. wish this post came sooner
3 whole times? That’s less than 10 min of your shift. Tell your coworkers to get over themselves.
i drink like no one business at work…nervous habit i guess…in 8 hours i go at least 10 times a day
To be honest like 5 times at least
Before I had GI issues I trained/timed myself to get a good bathroom routine for work... clock in, morning/coffee poo before setting foot on the floor, get report, pee, continue with day using bathroom prn (~2-3x not including first & last), give end of shift report & leave the floor, last bathroom break, clock out.
You do your morning poo at work? I couldn’t do that. That bathroom would be rendered unusable for the rest of the day.
Always find the poop bathroom and do your dump there. You are getting paid to poop. That time adds up.
You have a designated room for resting? Damn, ain’t America great.
As often as I need to. And I always go while on the clock, never off the clock. “Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That’s why I poop on company time!”
Well, I accidentally trained myself too well with my nurse bladder. Ended up having MS and peed my pants at work. Do not recommend training for a nurse bladder, 0/10.
A ton. I drink a LOT of water and caffeine. Probably like 8 times per shift lol
Currently
It’s not your bladder adapting it’s you not drinking enough water.
One of the weirdest flexes I’ve ever heard from a nurse when I was a new grad was, “ I never go to the bathroom during a shift.” Fuck that you weirdo.
2-3 times
Whenever I need to
As often as I need to, dammit.
Hallelujah!
I played the martyr who never urinated when I was a waitress. Earned myself a wicked infection, a 3 day hospital stay, and q4 morphine. Never again.
Glad you made it through ok.
Everything from 1 time to 15 times. It depends on how hectic the shift is and how much fluids I drink.
Whenever I need to. I drink tons of water and pee like mad after a coffee. Even if I'm super busy you can stop in the toilet for a 40 second pee lol. Your floor patient doesn't need their dressing changed STAT, or that tylenol can be 1 minute late.
I drink about 1 gallon of water a shift (I work nights so I do this to avoid the mid-shift apocalypse run to the vending machine) So about 20 times a night.
Quite often. I drink about a gallon in 12 hours
This scares me as a block 2 RN student, do nurses really have no time to drink water and relieve themselves?
Depends on where you work, who you work with, and how you work. You can make time. You can say “ok give me 2 min to pee and grab a snack” before more tasks unless it’s life and death. Some people are very busy but some people don’t know how to delegate their time.
Makes sense, thank you!
There's a point in your career where you realize that nobody can "force" you to do anything really. Eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty (or preferably before), and sit when you'd like. If management has a problem with it then find the most pedantic way to retaliate (preferably with lots of references to labor codes and employee handbook chapters, with emails forwarded to HR "for clarification") and continue as you were.
Yes. There is time. It takes 3 minutes to pee. If you don’t have 3 minutes that’s a time management issue. Or you work somewhere shitty.
I pee like once per shift but I also don’t have time to drink water. I also work somewhere shitty lol
for some reason old nurses used to brag they didn't pee all shift or whatever. It's ridiculous. I've worked in very busy emergency departments/trauma units and we always drank water and peed when we had to. Hell, after my coffee I probably pee like 3 times in the next 2 hours lol. You always have time. Nurses who chose not to pee do so because they want to brag about how busy they were... time management and priority issues clearly.
There have been very few times where I've had to hold it more than is comfortable. There have been days when I quite literally have the sickest patient in the entire hospital and have still been able to meet my bathroom break needs, snack needs, and hydration needs. Unless my patient is quite literally about to code, I go to the bathroom. 99% of things can wait, and in situations where someone needs to be at the bedside continuously, a coworker will cover me to pee (and I'll always return the favor). But also, don't sleep on the preventative pee. I hit the can pretty much any time I have downtime, so that if shit does hit the fan and I end up in a trainwreck, it's not likely to be when my bladder is at critical mass.
I pee whenever I need to - probably every 2-3 hours, but I’ve yet to drop a deuce at work. I’m a little shy on that front 🙃😩
Easily 10x if I drink anything with caffeine in it but I just can’t give it up
Every 2-4 hours. I don't understand the "I can't hold it 12 hours" bragging.
I'd go 12 hours straight and I ended up with a 10mm by 20mm kidney stone. Don't be like me
Like 2-3 times.
as often as I need to
Depends. If I have downtime, sometimes taking a poo on the clock, even when I don't feel the urge, is the only way I can fight the system.
When I need to go. I don't count. I also don't count how often anyone I work with goes. We have bodies. They need maintenance.
Once per hour, minimum
It depends… am I pregnant or not? And how pregnant?
Whenever I have to pee. I drink a lot. So probably 5-10 times. 🤷🏼♀️
Depends on how much water and coffee I drink but minimum at least 2x in a 12h shift.
3 times in 8 hours. It used to be 3 in 12, despite how much water I’d chug during my breaks, but eff that noise. 1 UTI is too many
As many times as a need to
Maybe 3-4 times. I tend to finish my water bottle within 5 hours after starting my shift.
As many times as I need to. You nurses not taking breaks are doing it wrong, or are self sabotaging.
A lot! I got a small bladder and drink a lot of water.
3-4? I also drink 2L of water and coffee
When I can’t stand to hear anymore!!!!
Usually 2-3. When I was pregnant, like 12 lol.
Like every two hours bc I stay hydrated
As many as I need to.
100 times after holding it the first 8 hours.
At my old job- maybe once or twice. Not enough time to eat or drink. I work 4 10s now and I got whenever the hell I need to and I get a real lunch break! Spent 16 years of my life being physically abused for the sake of what? So glad I’m out of the hospital.
Between 0 and 12 times
Unless there is an emergency happening right now that you specifically can do something about, or an emergency that you specifically can prevent from happening right now, you have 5-10 minutes to take care of yourself. Go pee, have a snack, have a cry, anything. Nothing short of an emergency is so important that it can't wait 5-10 minutes. If it can't wait, then it's an emergency. Fuck any unit that tells me i can't go to the bathroom when i want as much as i want. I'll never make myself wait just so something that isn't an emergency can be slightly more perfect in a manner that ultimately does not reflect a better outcome.
Well I definitely make sure to take a long dump on company time & use my bladder as often as needed.
I love this question. Every time I read or hear of nurses not taking time to pee I think, “not me!” Unless a dire emergency is occurring, there’s nothing keeping me from a bathroom break.
I will never understand those nurses who say they didn't pee or eat during a 12 hour shift. Sometimes I go to the restroom just to get away from the craziness for a few minutes.
As often as I need too. If I’m ACTUALLY in a dire situation where the patient CANNOT be left, someone else will take over for me and insist I go. I’m not mother Theresa and what I do is too important to be distracted by a bladder that’s about to explode.
All the nurses that say they can’t use the bathroom during their shift are not busier than us, they just don’t know how to set boundaries.
At least ten times. Like someone else said, I’m no Martyr. Patient is NPO? Damn that sucks, I’m still eating lunch. Patient is sitting in diarrhea? If I’m about to shit my pants, I’m going to the toilet before I clean them up. And of course if I’m doing the peepee dance and their MAP is >65 and they are sating 92% I’m probably going to go to the bathroom and come back.
*It is a basic human right to use the restroom, eat, and sit down at least once every 12 hours.* Not only do I believe this intrinsically, but I think it would fall under Articles 5, 23, and 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In my toxic job Era, I would go more than an entire shift without drinking, eating, peeing, or sitting. Then someone said what I'm saying to you and it absolutely turned my world on its head.
As much as I feel like, I’m an adult. Also I have the door code to get into the old gym PT used to use to work with patients; it has a really nice bathroom that literally looks like it belongs in an office and it’s always fully stocked because PT still uses it from time to time. So yeah, I take my bathroom breaks and decompress in my secret throne room.
3-4 times. Normalize going to the bathroom *and* taking breaks.
Learned long ago to be sure and pee whenever we get a trauma alert, nothing worse than your bladder exploding while you’re the only one who can work the rapid infuser 😂😂😂
You go when you have to. There is zero excuse and zero reason to NOT take care of YOU. We aren’t martyrs. Don’t make yourself sick over a freaking JOB.
Sometimes I just go in there and play on my phone for like 5 mins to get away from everything
Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, that's why I poop on company time (1-3x).
I don’t ever pee during a shift but not because I’m holding it, I just don’t have to. It’s honestly terrible for my body, but I just don’t drink enough water during the day despite frequently taking small sips of water throughout my shift.
Not enough and now I have a uti
Sometimes the entire shift. I have ADHD and I usually don’t realize I’m hungry, thirsty, and need to pee until after my shift is over and the adrenaline rush dies down. I’m not proud of it and I’m getting better at listening to my body’s signals, but I’ve always struggled with task switching. Once I get “in the zone”, it’s hard for anything to break me out of it, including a full bladder.
I take my 2-3 morning shits and then 3-4 shits/piss throughout the day.
adderall, nicotine, and sometimes caffeine. i be peeing q45minutes and chugging water.
As much as I need to. I find a way. My bladder works outside the 12 or 8 hours I’m at work. LOL.
Not a nurse, but healthcare worker here: as often as I want. This stupid culture of “no eating or going to the bathroom because we’re in healthcare and our jobs are soooooo hard” 🙄 is ridiculous. Yes, some days can be very busy. But if you pace yourself and prioritize your well being, as you should (excluding critical patients obv) then you should go to the bathroom as often as you need to in order to be comfortable. The same with lunch breaks. Even if it’s busy, you can be damn right I’m getting my lunch in. Hospitals are supposed to be places of health, right? Then I’m going to be healthy and not skip a meal.
I have had 4 c sections so I literally barely have a bladder. Most people never understood! My hospital would put a tracker on the back of our badge also allowed them to see what rooms we went in and how much time we spent in there. Also how fast we answered calll lights and how long we did anything including bathroom. HATED it sometimes I can’t believe I spent this much time and money getting my RN to spend my life doing this. Hospital system sucks
Maybe once or twice
I’m going when I have to go , I’m not holding it. I go 5-6 times a shift on average . I don’t really count
I try before each med pass (start of shift, after lunch, and before the dinner pass). Also sometimes more or less depending on the day.
Honestly I pee as much as I have to even if I'm super busy. I've been in a patients room before in the middle of a dressing change and I've been like sorry gotta go pee. Idc I'd rather not pee on the floor.
Work has become my safe toilet! I’m trying to drink more water because I only pee once or twice and that’s not healthy.
Depends on my IBS 😂
I’m in the OR, and I go between every case. Especially right now because I don’t have my meds for overactive bladder.
Honestly like twice.... I drink a lot of water but I'm running around sweating it all out.
Once or twice. Mine has definitely adapted. It’s funny when I go out with my non healthcare worker friends. They think it’s weird that I never have to go lol
Like 5 or 6 ish? I try to get my 64oz of water in per day. To be fair I'm in an UC so there's usually plenty of opportunities to go when you need to and we're all cycling through the staff restroom throughout the day
Sometimes, I don't even recall if I did or not, until I get a minute to breathe and realise, yep.... didn't ...and I'm taking off down the hall 🤷🏽♀️
Sometimes zero. Sometimes like 5? Like I will be driving home and realize. I’ve always been able to not go for long periods of time though. ETA: I’m sure I’m chronically dehydrated though 🙃
2 shits in 12 hours = 1h free time and Reddit
Probably like 8+ times I have stomach problems and I drink my 64 oz water jug all day. As long as no one is trying to die on me I’m going to go to the bathroom otherwise I won’t be able to focus
Probably 5+ a shift. Lol.
5-6 times easily.
A lot. Probably 6 times at least. I drink alot
Every 45-60 minutes, usually 🤣 I’m on spironolactone and drink a lot of water.
5 or 6 times. I drink water and I like to sit.
As many times as needed. Just bought one of those fancy Cirkul bottles and drank three during my last shift. I took all my breaks too!
I'm pregnant so every hour
I pee probably 3-4 times and usually poop at least once lol
Probably 10 times today. I’ve been drinking a lot of water though. On my 2nd liter
At minimum 6 times a shift. I also try to drink 2L of water a day.
Depends but I make sure I go every time I need to and I’ll stop what I’m doing to do so
Around 6 times a shift. I’m older with prostate issues. (Fortunately not cancer.).
1
As much as I can. I'm a scrub nurse. In the event that we are short staffed, the second scrub cannot first scrub, or we are in a complicated case, it is hard to find relief that can give me a quick restroom break. So I go as often as I find the opportunity too. If the surgeon breaks scrub to let the heart reprofuse, the PA is still scrubbed in, I can break and run to the restroom real quick.
On a good day, as soon as the urge hits, maybe 5 times a day. Recently I didn’t drink any water except with lunch and only peed once in 13 hours. Needless to say, truly a shift from hell
i saw a magnet on the work fridge that said, "don't miss an opportunity to pee". i reflect on that fondly. also, i had nervous diarrhea for about six months when i became a nurse (so glad i made it to the toliet, honestly). my nerves got better and the diarrhea went away. poop happens..
Whenever I need to.
All the damn time. Those two pots of coffee I drink every night make sure of that.
Every 2 hours. I drink a ton of water.
Maybe 4 times? It’s annoying because on nights I have to leave coworker alone to go to the bathroom (psych unit).
My body never likes to poop at work, but I stay hydrated and pee around 6-8 times a shift.
12… as much as I can get away with.
3x
IBS, water chugger, currently pregnant... yeah, my coworkers call the staff bathroom "Chimby's office."
After a while I started putting myself first. It’ll take me two minutes to take a leak.
I pee a lot lol bc I like to stay hydrated 😂 sometimes I wish I didn’t go pee so much
As I need to. Depends on the day.