sleeping staff

fergus51 · Oct 2, 2003

Amen sbic! I have no problem with the concept that my break time is my time....

kmrmom42 · Oct 2, 2003

Originally posted by azgirl
Sleeping on company time is theft. So amazing how some can justify this. I once had a fellow worker who helped herself to peoples money from their purses. When she was caught she said "you would have done it too".

I rarely ever slept while at work. Although a few times when I was so fatigued (when I worked nights) I felt I was becoming a danger to myself and others, I did.

Break time, at least in my facility, is NOT company time. It is unpaid time so it is MY time. I agree any idiot who goes to lie down when there is not adequate coverage on the floor deserves what she gets. But if the patients are adequately covered and you are easily available to be roused in an emergency then I don't see the issue. How much better is it if I go up to the cafeteria for a half hour to eat? How available am I then? Less so than if I am resting on a couch in a room right next to the nurses station. You have to look at the whole picture. I do not believe in applying rules just for the sake of the rule. Look at the entire picture to determine if there is a problem or not before you go off slipping anonymous notes under DON's doors (what a cowardly thing to do anyway...)

Karen

magikbear2 · Oct 9, 2003

Many years ago, just out of school I watched the "staff" on nights sleep while my eyes burned. Then one night I kicked back in a gerichair for my break at 3a. Wow such a blessing for my weary feet that lunch hour came and went and so did the morning shift at 7a with state survey in the building. No nurse has ever done the am medpass so wildeyed and frantic saying, "what a busy night, I am so behind now". Older and wiser now, it's visine and coffee for me!

magikbear2 · Oct 9, 2003

Originally posted by magikbear2
Many years ago, just out of school I watched the "staff" on nights sleep while my eyes burned. Then one night I kicked back in a gerichair for my break at 3a. Wow such a blessing for my weary feet that lunch hour came and went and so did the morning shift at 7a with state survey in the building. No nurse has ever done the am medpass so wildeyed and frantic saying, "what a busy night, I am so behind now". Older and wiser now, it's visine and coffee for me!

melbnurse · Oct 12, 2003

Anywhere I have worked , sleeping on nights , is " instant dismissal" material! and the Union backs this to the hilt !

it is totally iresponsible behaviour

magikbear2 · Oct 13, 2003

Do Residents sleep? Umm they even give them beds? after 13 years on nights it comes down to if there is coverage and how sound you sleep. Resting your eyes for 15 minutes while the floor is covered seems alot less illegal than administration that put pts. at risk using overworked , overtired, staff.

CougRN · Oct 13, 2003

Originally posted by azgirl
Sleeping on company time is theft. So amazing how some can justify this. I once had a fellow worker who helped herself to peoples money from their purses. When she was caught she said "you would have done it too".

Your break is not company time. And that is a poor comparison. This is accepted practice in many institutions, especially on the west coast. Like it or not it is not illegal everywhere.

melbnurse · Oct 13, 2003

Well, Majikbear, I must disagree with you! I . too have worked night shift for a long time at one stage , and as far as I am concerned , if you , meaning any N/S staff, have contracted to work nights , you should accept the responsibilty for THAT shift !

Sleeping while on duty , is NOT acceptable , under any circumstances

huckfinn · Oct 13, 2003

I don't condone sleeping at work. I have been told however, in union establishments "shop sterwards" tell you if you are caught sleeping you should raise your eyes skyward and say "AMEN". Apparently you can't be fired or written up for taking time to pray. Either way you get it in the end.

Good_Queen_Bess · Oct 15, 2003

Originally posted by rebelwaclause
^5. Why is this a issue? Because those who aren't doing something bad..."sleeping" for the topic of this discussion, want to feel as though they are better than those who sleep and/or just want to have something to gripe about.

If I asked you to watch my patients while I took a break and went to the other side of the hospital to smoke...Would you be pissed at that? Are you pissed when I take a break?

(Grrrr....Why is this even an issue?)

I agree, I can't understand what the issue is either.

There is no difference between sleeping or going off the ward and being out of contact. In fact, I much prefare it if someone IS sleeping, that way I know where they are and that they are close by.

Yes I confess, I'm HUMAN and need to take a break and have a rest! I am much better for having a sleep break infact, as I am refreshed and rested. For example, a few weeks ago I was on a set of nights. One day I had only 3 hours sleep at home due to our next door neighbours doing some DIY. I went to work feeling sick and tired. Later on in the night, I had my sleep break and woke up feeling much better as I was refreshed.

To those who condemn me as an unprofessional thief: who would you rather work with? Me being grumpy, tired, possibly making an error? Or me refreshed because I took a sleep break?

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Oct 16, 2003

^5 Good_Queen_Bess.

People who have posted saying sleepers are negligent and irresponsible are just trying to be martyrs of some sort. If my eyeball's are to be on each one of my patients the entire shift, then every nurse out there has failed. Why not ban reading,

chatting to a co-worker, going to smoke (NO POSTER has touched that one yet...MAYUN...Going to the other side of the hospital to smoke and me having to find you is waaaaayyy worse than me having to nudge you to wake you up!) and eating too?

What I do on my break is my business.

Break = Time away from work.

I guess I might add that I would not sleep at the nurses station while NOT on break. At least I try not to while occasionally nodding.

Katnip, RN · Oct 16, 2003

I don't think the original post was about sleeping on break time. The entire staff was found sound asleep. That meant no coverage at all.

I agree, your break is your time. But anything beyond that is hospital time, and you're paid to work, not sleep.