Sleeping during nightshift!!

[helpinghands]

This is not my first night shift position and I am shocked at how many people at this hospital sleep during their shift. I'm not talking about nodding off for a couple minutes either. They are slumped over in chair, head on the desk drooling all over themselves (at the nurses station!). Their little slumber lasts 1-2 hours, some even sneak off and sleep in their vehicles for this amount time. During this time almost everybody is busy, and even busier because they're pick up their slack.

I have mentioned this to several of the CN's, and don't get much of a response. It just some how seems accepted?!? This just can't be normal?

It's so frustrating, I run my butt off and barely manage to get breaks, eat while chart etc... and there they are: snoozing in the corner.

Please tell me this is far from the norm where you work!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Actually Garden Dove I did read that (it came in the mail today). However, I still say that sleeping at work is ridiculous. I work days so I should take a nap too? Please, this is a bunch of hogwash. You can make statistics say anything you want them to say.

[GardenDove]

I know from personal experience that it is beneficial to me and some of my co-workers. Everyone is different, as one poster said. For me, it works well. Some of my co-workers aren't able to do it, but I will automatically wake up and be refreshed.

[RNKPCE]

Napping during breaks is the norm on my floor on the noc shift. They combine all their breaks to equal one hour and sleep. If it is their break I see nothing wrong. Those nights when they can't combine their breaks they feel shorted and have frequently complained it was too busy to take their breaks and charge overtime.

However, though not the norm, I have seen and heard about staff sleeping while they are on duty. I worked over one night and a float was sleeping in a far corner of the nurses station. I was shocked, naive me. I checked on all her patients and reported her to my manager the next day. She wasn't fired but written up.

Now I know working nocs can't be easy with the rest of the world operating on a 9-5, but most of the staff on my unit have had opportunities to switch shifts, they work nocs by choice. Also some with young children/babies try to get away without daycare and that is why they need to sleep at night. I couldn't imagine coming home from a night shift and sleeping during the day only when my child napped and when my spouse got home in the evening.

[swatch007]

That's a risky business!

If they would just sleep at work, they might

as well bring pillows with them.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

See, its not a matter of whether its refreshing or not, its WORK, not SLEEP. Therefore, when at WORK, one WORKS! And if its so okay to sleep at WORK, then why doesn't day shift do it? Answer....its not okay and is not sanctioned by managment.

And...what happens if your patient codes during nap time? When I was a staff nurse, I just gave a quick report to the nurse watching my patients while I took my break. So...she/he didn't have a complete picture, just enough to get by for the time I was at lunch. However, if there is a problem, they come and get you.

As to the folks with kids who must be up during the day - this isn't realistic. I worked nights when my kids were small, but used daycare when school wasn't in session or their father was at work. However, I know how exhausting this can be and I do sympathize. Maybe these folks could change to evening shift? Or...work prn?

[Cattitude]

when i did noc's in the hospital, it was accepted and routine to nap during your break. also, after i left that hospital, i did agency at 3-4 other hospitals in nyc and at every one they did the same thing. pt's were covered and the nurse on break did not leave the unit, but went into the break room or another empty room. supervisors knew exactly what went on during breaks. it is unpaid time after all.

sometimes i was able to nap, sometime not. for me, i never fell into a deep sleep, just a light snooze. and yes, when i worked days, on occasion i have seen nurses put their heads down on the table and close their eyes (while on break).

no pt's were ever left compromised or unattended.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Trauma-

If you're not getting paid, you're not working. Not everyone wants to be a martyr and donate their free time to their job. What's the problem if people sleep on their breaks? What . . . that they're not getting paid do do it? Guess what, they're not getting paid at all for the unpaid lunch. People should not be obligated to be at the hospital's beck and call during their own time. If you worked in any other field and were told to come back and work unpaid during your lunch, would you? No. In any other field, they wouldn't even ask. Why are we nurses expected to sacrifice ourselves in the name of patient care?

Now, on the other hand, people sleeping when they're on the job is unacceptable. At that point, they are responsible for their patients and are being paid to do thier jobs. People like that need to go.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

no pt's were ever left compromised or unattended.

:yeahthat:

thank you!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i used to work with one charge nurse (in a ccu) who spent most of her shift in the chair at the desk, sleeping. she'd wake up to take and give report, and she'd wake up to go take her lunch break, but other than that, she'd spend most of the time sleeping, her head cocked to one side, and a long stream of drool hanging.

we used to make bets on how long the stream of drool would get before l. would wake up. we had a yard stick and would measure the drool . . . and once l. woke up while someone was measuring it! didn't stop her from going back to sleep as soon as she had eaten her lunch.

no one else in that unit slept at work. i think everyone was too afraid of the yard stick!

[angel's RN]

Dear helpinghands,

So sorry that this has happened to you. It has actually happened in my facility, too, and that person still works there, even after the boss was notified (but the boss is looking hard!). It is a firing offence, and also one that will get your licence if that person's name is sent to your state's Nursing Board. Go up your hospital's ladder, and if you don't get results, and it still happens, go further. I would hate to work with someone who cares so little!!!!!!!!!! 's RN

[paradisemakai]

When I worked nights in ICU, we would each take our 1/2 hour break, getting someone to cover us, and sometimes we would go in a small room and set our alarms on our watches for 1/2 hour, take a cat-nap, then wake up, go back out to work, and cover for the other person to nap or not as she/he pleased. Worked great.

[dbihl, BSN, RN]

Trauma-

If you're not getting paid, you're not working. Not everyone wants to be a martyr and donate their free time to their job. What's the problem if people sleep on their breaks? What . . . that they're not getting paid do do it? Guess what, they're not getting paid at all for the unpaid lunch. People should not be obligated to be at the hospital's beck and call during their own time. If you worked in any other field and were told to come back and work unpaid during your lunch, would you? No. In any other field, they wouldn't even ask. Why are we nurses expected to sacrifice ourselves in the name of patient care?

Now, on the other hand, people sleeping when they're on the job is unacceptable. At that point, they are responsible for their patients and are being paid to do thier jobs. People like that need to go.

Amen....