Accused of sleeping

[cdthorste]

I'm a private duty peds nurse who primarily does night shifts. While I've managed to stay awake at work, I occasionally feel a need to just close my eyes for about 5 seconds at a time when they get tired. No longer than that. When I do, I'm always sitting up, reading or looking at my iPhone when I do.

my question is, if a patient sees me with my eyes closed, and if they report me to my agency and/or nursing board, how is the investigation handled? It seems like in these cases, it's he said/she said, so how do any nurses ever found guilty of this? I can always argue that I'm immediately responsive, that I'm always holding my book in a way that only a wakeful person could, but it's still my word against theirs.

any thoughts?

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

It varies greatly from place to place. I have worked places that allowed naps as long as you were off the clock. If I am not being paid then I should be able to do as I please within reason. I have heard of a rule used by nurses who NEVER get caught sleeping. They only fall asleep behind a locked door that no one else has the key to. That makes it impossible for anyone to catch you. Best of luck.

[elkpark]

As for me, when I worked nocs in SNFs and in the acute hospital, naps were fine on your own time. Just don't fall asleep for longer than your allotted breaks.

(That's been my experience, too.)

[xxdiscoxxheaven]

Well yes I would. I was just wondering what the rules were. On my floor, it's relatively common for night nurses to take turns taking a break, whatever that means is up to you. Similiar, if its slow on days and someone isnt feeling well. We don't have a supervisor who rounds regularly or a real charge nurse. I just didn't know what was common on nights

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I just wanted to add another tip for staying awake. When I did 1:1 care, over night, it was hard to not fall asleep! And I knew that I would be fired if caught sleeping!

I used to do yoga poses! They helped me to feel more awake! Instantly!

I did them in the pts room while the pt was asleep! Or while the pt was restrained.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I do PDN work, and I wear contact lenses. When my eyes are just that dry that they *need* some moisture, I take a pee break and close my eyes while on the toilet.

This way I'm in a fully lit room AND doing another activity AND not visible to anyone who might misinterpret seeing me remoisturizing my eyeballs.

[target98765]

Don't do it. Keep yourself up, stand up, stretch, if I read or do stuff on my phone I would probably fall asleep. Do you draw, knit, or do any hobby with your hands? Do that. I had a regular night shift Co worker who took photos of several staff who rotated to night shift and feel asleep during the night shift. She used these pics to bribe, harass, and basically blackmail staff with threats to submit the photos to management. I don't know if this is reportable to the BON.

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

I have to say, of course no one should be sleeping on the job, but that seems crazy for someone to get in trouble for sleeping on their break (assuming there is another RN covering their patients)!! A half hour catnap can clear your head and help you stay sharp for the rest of your shift. I think sleep breaks should be encouraged, when unit conditions allow it.

Also. Maybe I will get flamed for this, but if you are a PD caregiver on nights with a stable patient who is sleeping without PDAs, I don't see anything wrong with napping at the bedside, assuming you aren't an exceptionally heavy sleeper and your patient does not require direct observation. I think most patients who require RN care through the night don't fall into that category (although I've cared for more than a few kids who I could not, for the life of me, figure out why medicaid was paying for round the clock RN care) but probably many patients with HHA do.

I'm sure I'll be thoroughly schooled for that statement, lol. And I could be way off base, so school away.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

When one of my night-vent patients doesn't have coverage, his dad sleeps on the floor of his room and sets an alarm for Q2H turns and Q4H caths. The patient wears a pulse-ox alarm at night, plus the Trilogy's vent alarms, and dad can hear it all.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Nurses sleeping on private duty cases is grounds for termination for each of the 3 agencies I work for. CHHA that are live in are paid 16hrs & sleep the other 8 as they are there 24/7

[mago8388]

I did private duty for 5 years and thank God all the families I've had were OK with me resting my eyes for a few min. One family even told me to sit on the recliner and take a nap which I out of my concern for my patient I didn't do. I always made sure all my patient's alarms were conected, Pulse Ox, Vent alarm on high, apnea monitor etc. And would set my phone alarm to alert me when the patient needed meds, a feeding etc. Private duty can be hard to do at night because there are long down time periods and for that reason I switched to day time as soon as a case opened up.

[NewNP620]

Just a side note: I work DAYS and we had a problem with a CNA that was always falling asleep during 1:1s. Once a patient fell out of bed! Took management FOREVER to let her go. In fact she still works per diem. I guess it depends on where you work. We also have CNA that lies about vital signs (i.e. doesn't take them and makes up numbers). She's been reported several times and still works there. SMH.

[elkpark]

I did private duty for 5 years and thank God all the families I've had were OK with me resting my eyes for a few min. One family even told me to sit on the recliner and take a nap which I out of my concern for my patient I didn't do.

Sure, they might say that up front, but if anything ever went wrong while you were "resting your eyes," they'd be singing a different tune and you would have no defense.