What Are Your Thoughts On This? Guards Sleeping.

[havehope]

I work on a medial-surgical/telemetry floor as a CNA. Friday, I went in to get an inmates blood sugar around 4:30. The guards had just got there at 3, I think. Well, when I walked in one was laid against the wall sleeping and one was even snoring! What would you have done? Is this appropriate? I did get scared a little because it was a 300 lb male that was a sex offender and had no handcuffs, etc. on. Told the charge nurse whom was a man and I got laughed at. I then went to the supervisor and said it was totally unacceptable and called the facility to inform them.

Guess I just needed to vent and would like to get your input on the situation. :-)

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

You could've tapped one of the guards while you were in there if you felt unsafe. Why was it necessary to identify the charge nurse as a man?

[havehope]

You could've tapped one of the guards while you were in there if you felt unsafe. Why was it necessary to identify the charge nurse as a man?

It wasn't necessary, however I believe he didn't think it was a big of a deal as us (the nurse and myself). And, technically we are not allowed to have cell phones on us when on the floor so, I probably would have gotten in trouble.

[AngelicDarkness]

I would treat it the same as a nigjt nurse sleeping. Unacceptable in my opinion.

[schnookimz]

I would call their supervisors myself.

[Stephalump]

Completely unacceptable...but did you wake them up? That would've been a quick way to solve the problem.

I fell asleep sitting with a pt last week. It was dark and rainy, the pt was sleeping the majority of the 12 hours, and I made the mistake of trying to read my med-surg book. Add in my constant lack of sleep and I woke up to find myself drooling in the chair.

Spent the rest of my shift pacing around the room and standing at the door watching everyone else and their freedom.

[wanderlust99]

Unacceptable for the charge nurse to laugh. Geez. Yea I've worked at many hospitals and taken care of quite a few prisoners, I've never found anyone sleeping! A lot of watching TV and laughing/joking with one another in the ICU, but whenever I'd enter the room they'd stand and do their job.

[havehope]

Completely unacceptable...but did you wake them up? That would've been a quick way to solve the problem.

I fell asleep sitting with a pt last week. It was dark and rainy, the pt was sleeping the majority of the 12 hours, and I made the mistake of trying to read my med-surg book. Add in my constant lack of sleep and I woke up to find myself drooling in the chair.

Spent the rest of my shift pacing around the room and standing at the door watching everyone else and their freedom.

When I sat the accucheck box down it made a loud noise and woke both of them up. However, usually we leave the doors closed for privacy, but I left the door open. When I walked by a few minutes later, they were out like a light again..well I know at least one was that time.

At least you weren't watching an inmate :). I couldn't imagine sitting doing nothing for 12 hours. But, again I would pace the room too like you did.

[Fiona59]

The COs that come to guard in my facility are all on OT. They arrive in pairs with DVD players and camp out for the night with their lunchboxes. They've always been alert when I've gone into a room.

My question is how did you know what your prisoner was in for? We aren't told. They just arrive. One we did know what he was in for because he was notorious in our region.

[havehope]

The COs that come to guard in my facility are all on OT. They arrive in pairs with DVD players and camp out for the night with their lunchboxes. They've always been alert when I've gone into a room.

My question is how did you know what your prisoner was in for? We aren't told. They just arrive. One we did know what he was in for because he was notorious in our region.

Yeah, we don't know either (and I like it that away). However, he came from a place that houses only sex offenders.

[CrossCountryRN2008]

It is inappropriate and they could lose their job. Yes report it

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Sitting in a room and just staring at someone for 12 hrs is mind numbingly boring. One could understand if this person nodded off, since the lights in the room were probably off during the night shift. In that case, I'd just make some noise while in the room and if that didn't wake them up, I'd actually poke them or tap them on the shoulder to wake them up. If they were laying down in the corner curled up, that's totally inappropriate. It's unlikely that the hospital has any control over what guards a prison sends though so not sure if complaining about it would even do anything.