Nodding off...

[jodyangel]

Ok so a few months ago I was nodding while sitting with a group of nurses at 3am. I had no patient assignment at the time.

I work nightshift. Another employee .. Instead of tapping me, called the coordinator who then called me into her office and scolded me. Asked if I wanted to go home. No I do t want to go home...I'm so sorry!

so I'm more than upset that a fellow coworker would throw me under the bus. I figured out who it was and kept an eye on her.

A few weeks ago it apparently happened again. My head was nodding. The ANM called me into her office and said " don't Do that!! Be careful! If someone sees you they will report you and you could lose your job on the spot!" I was mortified and immediately went out and washed my face and made coffee.

So I come to work weds night and get pulled out of report to the NM office. The big boss is there and she reads me my termination letter. Then asks for my badge.

im beyond devastated. I moved 8 hrs from home for This job. I don't know a soul here and haven't felt a real part of the unit since I started. So here I am. In a house I've only lived in for 9 months so I can't just sell it and move on.

I know have been told that several secretary's and nurses have been found asleep and no ones been fired...just warned.

The secretary sits at the desk with her arms crossed. Several of the ST's have been found back in the empty OR totally asleep.

i feel very unjustly treated. IMO there is a huge difference between head nodding and laying out over the desk or hiding in patient rooms sleeping.

At this facility they also turn all the lights in the hallway and nurses station dim. Yeah crazy!

so this week I will arm myself with my argument and have a meeting with HR. This manager has been horrid to people and caused many to leave for other places.

am I way off base?

[Mn nurse 22]

I'm not giving them a piece of my mind. I'm asking what the exact policy is and why it's enforced at will and not across the board. I wouldn't work there again for a million bucks. And I feel most nurses allow themselves to be treated unfairly and don't feel they should speak up when unjustices are done.

I am moving on..but I won't be going without trying to make things better for the nurses I Did enjoy working with..

This is a time to only think about what is best for you. If it will help your career, go for it, if not then just let it go. They will have to fight their own battles and you can put all your energy into finding a new job.

it is easy to think you could help out your former coworkers but if it could ever make things worse for you why risk it?

The nursing world is too small to think you will never cross paths with any of these people ever again.

do your venting here and let it go.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I once nodded off when I was a sitter on night shift. I was fired on the spot. I take complete responsibility and it has never happened again. Perhaps night shift is not for you. You were lucky they didn't fire you the first time. And stop being concerned of what others are doing. Ofcourse other people can get away with things they you'll never get away with. Its not fair but it is life.

[Paws2people]

It only takes a second for "nodding off" to turn into sleeping.

My facility turns out all the lights at night too. The hallway lights bother the patients, and closing all their doors is a safety hazard (can't hear bed alarms, fall risks, the patients, 1:1's etc).

I guess the warning was the first time the OP was pulled into the office.

[caliotter3]

A logical question would be why didn't you protest about others being allowed to skate at the time, instead of waiting until you got caught not following policy. It is usually true that favoritism is alive and well in most workplaces. You had your chance to beat this when you were let off the first time. Learn from this situation so that something similar does not happen again.

[jodyangel, RN]

...because I was new to the job and was not aware of what was going on.

again, I've worked nightshift x 8 yrs and never had this happen. I moved out of state for this job and settled here thinking it would be my "retirement" job.

I'm not trying to be funny..but you guys aren't very sympathetic to the jam I'm in. It's an hour or more in any direction to get to a hospital. Plus this big hospitals own all the small outlying ones. One of the things I will ask is will I be considered at any of their satellite hospitals.

[msygrnbw]

I'm sorry to hear that you ended up being terminated, but I hope that this ends up opening up another door that you may not have considered when you were starting this job. I would definitely ask if they have written you off as not rehireable, as that will have an effect on whether you will have more luck at a satellite facility or whatnot. Maybe you'll find something else that you like even better - as it sounds like this job may not have been the best fit for you anyway, as your comment said, you never really felt like you fit in there.

I'm not sure how the policy works at my facility as I have only ever worked days or eves, but I can imagine myself getting a bad case of "the blinks" to keep my eyes open (I even sometimes have to do it in the early shift!). I'm not sure I could survive night shift!

[bsartor]

I am in no position to post about hospital policy, but I honestly cannot understand the actions your employer took. I guess that is their business. My issue is your co-workers. Nodding off is too easy to do, but your co-workers should have given you a nudge. What a cut-throat unit! I don't understand this mentality with some nurses and workplaces at all! Something about adult "snitches" erks the crap out of me! I don't even allow my 3yo to snitch on others (aside for safety of course). Good luck to you

[klone, MSN, RN]

DI'm saying the policy is not being enforced equally. Discrimination

Discrimination based on what?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

...because I was new to the job and was not aware of what was going on.

again, I've worked nightshift x 8 yrs and never had this happen. I moved out of state for this job and settled here thinking it would be my "retirement" job.

I'm not trying to be funny..but you guys aren't very sympathetic to the jam I'm in. It's an hour or more in any direction to get to a hospital. Plus this big hospitals own all the small outlying ones. One of the things I will ask is will I be considered at any of their satellite hospitals.

I think most of us who work nights have "nodded off" for a second at one time or another. In my first night shift job, I'd excuse myself and go to the rest room every morning at 0400 or so for a five minute nap. The difference in enforcing the policy about sleeping at work may have very little to do with sleeping.

Sleeping at work -- nodding off, whatever -- is something objective, especially if there are witnesses. If you've been a less than stellar employee in any way, management may be taking this opportunity to get rid of you. My advice to you would be to think long and hard about whether this could be the case, why, and what you might want to do differently next time.

I don't think anyone has been nonsympathetic, but I have to wonder why, if you've previously been warned about "nodding off" at work, you weren't more vigilent about not letting it happen again. I'm suspecting there is more to the story.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

I admit I have done it too. It was worst when I had babies at home and my coworkers knew this and had sympathy for me. They also would laugh at me because I would try so hard to fight it and they would usually relieve me for a few minutes. Someone even said I may have a sleeping disorder. I like working nights but I am just really prone to nodding off. I do it when I am watching T.V. As well. I know it is unsafe. I know I was reported as well but little was said to me. I think because here I was willing to work night shift and no one else wanted too.

I tried pro vigil but I developed a tolerance to it and needed a higher dose. It is SO expensive. Coffee doesn't do much for me even tho I drink several cups a night.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

Another thing I would try if I ever go back to nights ....I saw this in a baby magazine but it is a alarm that you can clamp to your shirt and set it to go off every few minutes to wake you up. It was designed for breast feeding moms (nodding off is a problem for them too). I would use it while charting, ect.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

A warning was issued. It happened again. Your co-workers are pigs, but you must have known that after the first warning.

The punishment was beyond harsh, but the boss makes the rules.

I'm sorry you find yourself in this mess, but trying to exact revenge will not make it any better.