Night shift and Sleeping

Nurses General Nursing

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This is a spinoff thread from the thread about the nurse getting caught sleeping. I have always wondered if everyone stays awake on night shift (RN Wise). I am a CNA (getting my BSN in May) and every NURSING HOME I have worked in, workers have slept between rounds mostly CNAs but some nurses (LPNs). I have a big fear that I will end up falling asleep during night shift in the hospital and was wondering what keeps night shift nurses up at night??? Is it an easy feat or does it require a bunch of coffee and willpower???

Specializes in Hospice Palliative Care.

I work nights and we nap on our breaks (not when we are supposed to be working) We do always know where each other is and go and get each other if needed. Our manager is aware and doesn't care so long as everything gets done. We also work as a team so on each unit there are two staff and we look after all the patients so we take turns on breaks and if needed we can get someone from another unit to come help as well. Sometimes if I have a patient dying or patients who have lots of needs I don't get a break, but most nights I at least get a few minutes to lay down and close my eyes.

I don't work acute care (although when I did we napped on our breaks then as well - same deal teamwork and covering for each other during break time) so we don't disturb our patients during the night if possible -no acuchecks or vitals, and only turning those who really need it and changing those who wake up or are really heavy wetters. We do hourly breathing checks and answer call lights and help those who are awake, and usually there are not many scheduled meds. Our patients need to sleep so that they can have the energy to function during the day when there is things going on and family to visit with, why wake them unnecessarily to do things to them that could be done when they are awake.

What is this "break" that you speak of?

What do you mean what break? I'm talking about the break that they are entitled to per their contract. They get 2 hours worth of breaks. You can take it as 1 hour plus two 30 min breaks or take it all at once like most of the night shifters on that unit did. I don't thinik it's anybody's buisness what one does on their break.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

At one hospital I used to work at, napping was tacitly approved. It was written into the hospital P&P that you could take one 30 minute nap in lieu of your lunch break. However, if it was slow (and it often was, especially for the labor or triage nurses), people would often nap longer than that.

Where I work now, we generally don't have time to do anything more than close our eyes for five minutes (but I've found that even that works wonders). They're much better at cutting staffing if the census is low, so everyone pretty much always has a full assignment.

Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

I am totally in support of what you do on your break is your business.. That said..most posters are talking about sleeping several hours. In USA if you get 30 min break you are lucky. Of course law says you get it but getting to take it is another thing! But if you get it and want to sleep for 30 mins.. go to it!

Just not right while you are being paid to care for patients..

Now a smart place that allows for longer breaks and it is policy.. then by all means.. use it.

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
What do you mean what break? I'm talking about the break that they are entitled to per their contract. They get 2 hours worth of breaks. You can take it as 1 hour plus two 30 min breaks or take it all at once like most of the night shifters on that unit did. I don't thinik it's anybody's buisness what one does on their break.

Well, um, I was joking, but whatever you say. I don't have a "contract" and we don't have 2 hours of breaks. Someone here would laugh in your face if you asked for 2 hours of breaks a night.

Well, um, I was joking, but whatever you say. I don't have a "contract" and we don't have 2 hours of breaks. Someone here would laugh in your face if you asked for 2 hours of breaks a night.

Hmm... guess that's why I prefer the labour laws in Canada.

Specializes in Hospice Palliative Care.
Hmm... guess that's why I prefer the labour laws in Canada.

Actually I think on a 12 hour shift it is two 30 min unpaid meal breaks and 2 15 minute paid coffee breaks and on an 8 hour shift it is 1 30 minute meal break and 2 15 minute coffee breaks - and on nights we do take them together and sleep for 1 1/2 or 2 hours if able and 1 - 1 1/2 on an 8 hour shift. It all depends on your unit and how busy they are if you can sneak in that extra half hour, and how willing your co workers are to cover for you. I think in Canada we have less paper work as well - as we chart by exception usually (tick sheets for normal findings etc) and no extra documentation for billing etc.

Don't know if they do it everywhere in the U.S. but I heard the nurses "clock in and out" their shifts and breaks too. Similar to a factory worker.

Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.
Don't know if they do it everywhere in the U.S. but I heard the nurses "clock in and out" their shifts and breaks too. Similar to a factory worker.

Other then HH I always had to clock out for the 30 min break. HH had to with one company actually call in to a computerized service that documented your time,, was paid hourly. Other HH merely had time sheets.

Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

My very first nursing job was in telemetry and it was nights and we were too busy there also I had the nicest preceptor and she was an older nurse a wonderful smart lady and excellent nurse and one night she fell asleep this was after I had transferred to a SNU day shift job because of my kids that a fellow co-worker reported her for falling asleep and she was terminated after I think being there 25 years.

Sorry to hear about your preceptor.

But why oh why can't some nurses exercise judgement ? An excellent nurse who just fell asleep one night? Goodness me.....wake her up and no need to report her.

It's this knife-in-the-back culture that I detest ....your ex-coworker sounds like a dumb witch

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
Hmm... guess that's why I prefer the labour laws in Canada.

Yeah well, we all live where we live.

I have never once slept on nights, and I don't understand how someone could. I am always busy with something, even if it's just cleaning, or re-stocking, or filing notes. Give me any mundane task! I also drink a ton of tea or coca-cola to keep awake.

If I'm *really* struggling, I blast a loud tune into my head on the iPod.

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