[Drifternurse]

That sucks. I'm sorry they are not listening to your suggestions. I don't have any idea on laws or regulations; like you said there SHOULD be. We, on nocs, at our hospital are "invited" to attend nursing mtgs(and OT will be paid if we do) but not required...the minutes of the meetings are sufficient.

For some time I've felt that there should be a rotating schedule at our hospital so that the other shifts would know what it's like to work nights...with a drastic cut in staff yet the same number of pts to care for...of course that would never fly and I honestly wouldn't like a rotating schedule any more than the next person.

[Jolie]

So many managers (and family members) are clueless as to the sleep needs and schedule of night shift workers. They just think it's no big deal for a night shifter to come in at 3pm for an inservice (or teacher conference). If your manager refuses to make alternative arrangements for your meetings, I would suggest calling her at 3:00 am and asking her to conduct the meeting by phone. Perhaps that would get the message across.

[BlueHenRN]

Originally Posted by kayla123

When I worked nights, our NM would come in and have a staff meeting at 1 AM. She always said better one tired person then a whole floor.

She sounds like a keeper, Kayla! We used to joke on nights that our monthly staff meetings should be held at 1930 and 0200 instead of 0730 and 1400. The number of "quick meetings" that ended at 0900 ...yet I know if one 1930 meeting stretched to 2100, it would be the last!
Jess

[Alibaba]

As a night shifter, I so feel your pain. It seems everyweek we have been getting phone calls during the day telling us there is a mandatory meeting the day after tomorrow at 2pm. If you do not attend you will be taken off the schedule.
I have become sooo frustrated I just keep telling them to take me off the schedule. I mean, why do I have to wake up in the peak of my sleep to come and listen to another inservice on why I should do my monthly education stuff??? A nice memo at the time clock will be more effective and much more appreciated.
It bites even more because our nurse manager was just promoted from night supervisor and you would think she would still remember our pain.

[carebearRN08]

Yea I have to go to mandatory staff meetings about every 2 months. They have them on 2 different days so everyone can try and make it, but unfortunately this time they have it at 12:30p-3p, which is right in the middle of my sleep time!! Fortunately I don't have to work the night before, but I do work the night of the meeting, so I'm a little peeved right now.

As for an actual law, I believe there is a law that says they have to give you at least 8 uninterrupted hours off between shifts. *Ok I just looked on the Dept. of Labor website and can't find it right now. I think its a CA state law, I'd look at your state laws and see what it says.

[wjf00]

We have mandatory meetings.... I think they are mandatory, but I wouldn't know. I haven't ever gone to one. I suppose my manager might come around at night and tell me about it someday, but I doubt it. Management never shows up on night shift...

[RN Power Ohio]

I worked nights for years! Ditto all the above. It seemed like there were so many more educational opportunities for day shift nurses. Then they would get perks that go with them. It takes a different breed to work nights. You cannot be focused on "clinbing the ladder".

One big bone of contention I had was that day shift could call in sick without penalty until 5 am but nights had to call in by 3pm.. I would rant about this constantly. No change ever "that's just the way it has to be" I was told.

Maybe you could show some of the studies that support dangers night shift workers have - sleepy driving, errors, physical health problems and depression to substantiate why you should be allowed uninterrupted sleep.

There are many sleep studies that show interrupted sleep is not effective.

I also like the suggestion of calling your manager at 0300! I used to fantasize about having 1 day a year where night workers went out at 03 and mowed the lawn, called friends, telemarketed, sold magazines at the front door...you get my drift!

[mdfog10]

I would write a letter requesting that the meeting times are varied . Get a majority of your nurses to sign it and present it to your manager. It may be manditory but that should not stop them from trying to work with you . My night shift will stay for the 8am meeting but half of them fall asleep. What good is that?

[Evil Consultant]

Are you the only person from the night shift required to be at the mandatory meetings? If so, don't hold your breath for management to change just for you.

However, why can't the person holding the meetings get up and come in at 0600, or come back 30 minutes or so before your shift officially starts? If they have to pay you to be at a 20 minute mandatory meeting anyway, I'm sure you'd much rather come in a few minutes early or stay a few minutes past shift change to hear what they have to say.

It's funny how sometimes management has these huge blind spots, and everybody else is thinking, "How hard can it be?"

[BizzieRN]

Just an update for all you who viewed and commented on my post. I went ahead and wrote a professional letter to my floor supervisor and all the managers below his rank. Starting tommorrow there will be two meetings. One at 1400 and one at 2030! I have to come into work an hour and a half early, but at least I am getting 8 hours of sustained sleep. Thank you too all of you who posted comments. You all gave me the strength and encouragement to write that letter and hand it to them. With all the research I've done, maybe I'll write a professional journal article on night nurses and the issues management fails to comprehend.