Midwifery student - do breaks count?

Sorry to have to ask, but I've been advised by a number of people that during a 12.5 hour shift whereby the student gets their 1 hour break, this break should still be counted in your total hours for the shift. Is this correct? We don't do this at my university and have to work a 4th shift every 4 weeks on placement but other students and midwives have been surprised by this and said that it should be classed as a 12.5hr shift and not 11.5 hours (therefore including our lunch break in our worked hours).
Does anyone know if this is true? and if so, know of anywhere that this is documented with the NMC?

Thanks

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 1

Tracey_W

17

Original post by Miss_Chic

Sorry to have to ask, but I've been advised by a number of people that during a 12.5 hour shift whereby the student gets their 1 hour break, this break should still be counted in your total hours for the shift. Is this correct? We don't do this at my university and have to work a 4th shift every 4 weeks on placement but other students and midwives have been surprised by this and said that it should be classed as a 12.5hr shift and not 11.5 hours (therefore including our lunch break in our worked hours).
Does anyone know if this is true? and if so, know of anywhere that this is documented with the NMC?

Thanks

Hi

Your maximum hours per week is 37.5.

Your break time is not usually counted as part of your daily shift - they are usually unpaid for full time qualified staff.
So in theory you should be doing the same thing as you said about working 4 days every fourth week to make the hours up for the month.
They shouldn't be including hours during breaks as if so you'll be left short.....?

When I was doing my student midwife degree I worked three days per week doing 37.5 hours but had to come in for a extra day every so often to make the hours up. i work a 11.55 hours day after breaks are taken off as entitled to 2 x 20 minutes break.
It's still the same thing now as a registered midwife that staff has to work the extra day.

If anyone working a 4 on 4 off 12.5/13 hours shift then they won't as they are covering the time with the working days they do.

rcn.org.uk
https://www.rcn.org.uk › RCN-advice
Working time and breaks | Advice guides | Royal College of Nursing

@Emily_B

NHS registered midwife

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 2

Emily_B

15

Original post by Miss_Chic

Sorry to have to ask, but I've been advised by a number of people that during a 12.5 hour shift whereby the student gets their 1 hour break, this break should still be counted in your total hours for the shift. Is this correct? We don't do this at my university and have to work a 4th shift every 4 weeks on placement but other students and midwives have been surprised by this and said that it should be classed as a 12.5hr shift and not 11.5 hours (therefore including our lunch break in our worked hours).
Does anyone know if this is true? and if so, know of anywhere that this is documented with the NMC?

Thanks

Some places will include your break in your timesheet, others won't- so it's all down to the university.
If the university says you include your break in placement time, that is correct at that university.
If the university says you don't include your break in placement time, that's also correct... for that university.

So, you go by what the university tells you, not by hearsay of others.

Reply 3

moonkatt

19

Original post by Emily_B

Some places will include your break in your timesheet, others won't- so it's all down to the university.
If the university says you include your break in placement time, that is correct at that university.
If the university says you don't include your break in placement time, that's also correct... for that university.

So, you go by what the university tells you, not by hearsay of others.

This.

Get the policy from your university and go by that. If you encounter problems take it up with your practice placement managers/facilitators/whatever name is used locally for them

Midwifery student - do breaks count?

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