Sleeping on job?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I need to vent...where I work (LTC) the nurses and aides sleep (deep sleep) for HOURS (this is an ongoing issue that has been addressed to the DON and NOTHING has changed. A few aides/nurses were on their toes for about a week and quickly fell back to their old habits. I know 12-8am is a tough shift but come on it's not fair to the residents who are pressing the call light, yelling help, need their brief changed, medication, drink, etc. it's abuse plain and simple. If you can't handle third shift, don't do it or get more sleep prior to your shift. The nurses will sleep at the nurses station (with their mouth open) the aides sleep right in the hall with a blanket and feet up. And I feel like I'm responsible for all the residents. We have about 5 residents who are up at night and two are high fall risk. How would they feel if their loved one needed help and they couldn't get help because the aides/nurses were sleeping? I've tried to be the "wake up patrol" and they get angry as if im disturbing them. Call lights go off and they don't move an inch. Huge safety issue! I've reported Nursing staff now I'm deemed as a "trouble maker" I care for the residents and I stand for what is right! Last night we had a constant observation and the aide had the curtain pulled as he was snoring. I am currently looking for another job. This (aides/nurses sleeping) every night. I do have a lot that has occurred documented.

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It is frustrating and lonely to be the only one awake at work.

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Specializes in OB.

Good lord, how awful! As I'm sure you already know, since you've mentioned that you're looking for another job, if you've reported this to management numerous times and nothing has been done, then nothing will ever be done (unless brand new management comes in or something). I'm glad at least you stay awake to help those poor residents and I wish you the best in your search for a better position. I would also continue to wake up these employees every single time the call bells are ringing, no matter how angry they get at you.

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Wake them up, write counseling statements for assistants and statements for nurses until your last day. That is about the only thing you can do. It makes no sense to be working the facility by yourself.

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I have worked several LTC facilities as a new nurse and was subject to sleeping staff many nights; some in empty beds, some curled up in chairs with blankets in patient rooms - DON didn't care, management didn't care, administrator didn't care, Social worker pissed but had difficulty speaking up to bully DON. I quickly realized this was a battle I would never win. I am sure there are LTC facilities out there that have great staff, but in my experience, it was 'same script, different cast' at most. I felt that my license was in trouble every day for a parade of reasons. I gained enough experience and left LTC altogether. I wish you the best in finding a new job.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

A call to your ombudsman is in order. Someone needs to take action against this NEGLECT, and clearly your management lacks vertebrae. Shame on them.

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Specializes in tele, ICU, CVICU.

The part about curling up with a blanket, feet up is just mind-blowing to me...

You've made management aware and they apparently don't mind sweeping the dirt under the rug. I wonder how management & other staff would be if their loved were the resident.

And of course with HIPAA, video recorders would be away from nursing station, not into patients rooms, bathrooms etc..

Hope you're able to find something that holds employees to a higher work ethic.

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Specializes in tele, ICU, CVICU.

The part about curling up with a blanket, feet up is just mind-blowing to me...

You've made management aware and they apparently don't mind sweeping the dirt under the rug. I wonder how management & other staff would be if their loved were the resident.

And of course with HIPAA, video recorders would be away from nursing station, not into patients rooms, bathrooms etc..

This sounds sort of like neglect of the resident and needs to be brought to somebodies attention, higher than your management.

Too bad DOH (or whatever appropriate agency/organization) doesn't make a surprise visit to your facility during a night shift.

I used to constantly remind colleagues that it could just as easy be their loved one. Is the care they're providing acceptable, if that were their family member?

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It's funny because when I reported staff to the DON he seemed angry and was going to actually do SOMETHING. He told me a few days later they were being investigated. I worked in a hostile work environment for approxmatelty two months (because I reported several types of abuse). Word got around. The DON had the nerve to ask me "do you think it's because your white". Idk if that was suppose to be a tricky question? I reached my breaking point when a resident fell out of bed when the aide was sitting right outside of his bedroom door sleeping with earbuds in her ears. Two weeks ago we had a resident who was dying and there was an aide outside of her room SLEEPING (so disrespectful) and yes the family saw the aide sleeping and who knows if they actually reported her because the DON would most likely brush that off too. I'm so happy other people can relate to me! Not that I thought it was impossible, it just feels good to not be alone. Thank you all for your responses

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Absolutely!! I'm doing this for the residents! Not because I'm some "troublemaker". ABUSE is unacceptable and also illegal

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Too bad DOH (or whatever appropriate agency/organization) doesn't make a surprise visit to your facility during a night shift.

I used to constantly remind colleagues that it could just as easy be their loved one. Is the care they're providing acceptable, if that were their family member?

Not important to them to care!

And state DOH inspectors can and do make spot checks on facilities at different off duty hours. Only problem is that they must ring the doorbell and that wakes up everyone on NOC. So that amount of activity has just negated the possible 'sneak attack' approach.

What could work would be for the DON to come to the facility and let herself in the side door/back door using her own facilty door key. Then she'd catch the sleepers sleeping! (But then again, if her car's headlights had to shine in into the front window's view of the parking lot, it wouldn't work. I know - been there, done that!).

But unless disciplinary action will be undertaken, ho hum ...

Any chance some staff might be union? Sleeping on the job would be a BIG violation in the employee conduct protocol. Writing up a discipline notice in that vein sometime might work better.

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All union at my employment. Any little thing someone does or says to any staff member, their reply is "I'm going to the union"

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