ZZZZ's - Time to be honest!

[abbaking]

Have you ever fallen asleep at work or dozed off (even briefly)?

Yes - once i feel asleep in the staff bathroom - head resting on the wall, I was out for 10 minutes.

A few times I dozed off (microsleep) for a few seconds while giving report - the useless info (i.e.- Nursing dignosis/interventions).

[86toronado, BSN, RN]

I fell asleep once or twice when I was a PCT during nursing school. It was always while I was doing a 1:1 sit with a suicidal patient who was sleeping. I would just find my eyes drifting closed, then my chin would hit my chest and I'd startle myself awake again. Never happened for more than a minute or two though. And I have never fallen asleep as a nurse, there's just too much to do!

[RNMom2010]

I had 7p-7a precepting at the end of nursing school. I did not fall asleep while working, however I am pretty sure I fell asleep briefly behind the wheel each morning I drove home!

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I've written it up twice. Once was a nurse sleeping while feeding a baby...

Well that's just mean, it's physically impossible to stay awake feeding a baby!

People laugh at me because even if the baby needs a pole and an O2 tank to come out of a room, I'll always bring them out to feed them. I have to have someone talking to me when I'm feeding a baby or I will fall asleep. If the baby is on some sort of isolation that I can't bring them out, I have someone I trust come check on my regularly to make sure I haven't fallen asleep. Ambien, Lunesta, benadryl, chloral hydrate.... None of them come close to the sleep producing power of feeding a baby!

[Nccity2002, MSN, RN]

Never undestood why facilities have such a big issue with night shift employees sleeping during their break (as long as their patient assignments are covered). If anyone has a good rationale, I would appraciate an answer. As someone mentioned before, study show the benefit of taking power naps. Personally I used to work nights and was never able to sleep during my breaks (used to wake up more tired , cold , and crabby )...but in my facility, everyone else used to take a sleeping break.

[RN/Mom]

I can only speak for sleeping on night shift, as I have never worked day shift as a nurse...

At my facility, it is the norm for those of us who work nights to sleep on our breaks (during which time our patients are endorsed to and cared for by other licensed staff). I don't understand the rationale of people who think it's a problem for night shift staff to sleep on their breaks -- is this not our own time to do with as we please?

As others have already pointed out, it goes against human nature to be up all night. My coworkers and I find that the one hour nap we take at night helps us stay alert for the remainder of the shift (which is a good thing for our pts, I'm sure!)

Sleeping while "on the clock," (as a sitter, NICU nurse feeding a baby, etc.) is obviously a pt safety issue, however!