Anyone allowed to nap on their breaks?

Nurses Safety

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When I did 7a-7p on a Tele floor and all was well, the staff would use their breaks to REM for about half in hour in the visitors lounge. We used that room because it was difficult for anyone to see in it if they walked by (our supervisor). We would get written up if we napped on our own time.

Is anyone allowed to nap? Many companies encourage it in the corporate world. Fire stations have beds for the firefighters.Why can't we use our own time to rest our brains? Doesn't it promote patient safety?

You mean she changes your time card when you worked some overtime? That is illegal. I don't work for free. I wouldn't work for anyone like that anyhow.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm sure to be booted from this group for this reply but here goes:

I can't believe anyone would sleep while at work!!! If you want nursing to be viewed as a profession, well professionals stay awake. If you work night shift (and I do), you sleep during the day. If you can't or don't, then don't work nights!!

This just blows my mind!! Its no wonder nurses have no respect. And, just for the record, I have worked extensively in military, VA, private and public hospitals all over the US, Korea, Spain, Japan and Alaska and you would be written up for sleeping, even on your breaks. And, you should be.

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Originally posted by traumaRUs

I'm sure to be booted from this group for this reply but here goes:

I can't believe anyone would sleep while at work!!! If you want nursing to be viewed as a profession, well professionals stay awake. If you work night shift (and I do), you sleep during the day. If you can't or don't, then don't work nights!!

This just blows my mind!! Its no wonder nurses have no respect. And, just for the record, I have worked extensively in military, VA, private and public hospitals all over the US, Korea, Spain, Japan and Alaska and you would be written up for sleeping, even on your breaks. And, you should be.

I have also worked at many hospitals in the U.S. where I have had to wake up residents and ER attendings who were actually provided a room with a bed to sleep in while the nurses where told they could not take a nap even on their breaks.

These physicians were viewed as professionals, but some how you suggest that a nurse who takes a nap on their own time is not?

These physicians were even on the clock and housekeeping cleaned and changed the linens for them.

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Hey traumaRUs,

You worked VA and had no one sleep??? Now I know it wasn't at the one I work at! They're much better than what they used to be, but we have a few on 12-8 that like their "nap time" and it just makes me p.o.'ed when they do. The supervisors know they nap, but only one is willing to do something about it. The other two close their eyes to the fact...They're sticklers about being late, but don't care if you're alert once you're there...senseless thinking. Most of all, if I have to be awake darn it, you better be also :( I save my sleeping for my bed where I can do the most damage!!! :D I have a girl right now who's giving me the cold shoulder because I ratted her out. I'm SICK of her! Never checks her residents when she comes in, just sleeps then does her rounds when it's time to get them OOB at 5am. Oh well...You better believe she's checking them now and only takes a 30 minute nap. The cold shoulder? I make sure I don't lose any sleep over it...trust me ;)

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Tashiee-

Yes she changes the times. She varifies it by saying there is no overtime. Even when there are patients still to see. oh well. It does not affect me as much because I took another job and cut my hours so I don't work 30 hours anymore more like 25-30 now. It affects everyone else though. If I were everyone else though I would totally speak up. They work around MY schedule though so I cannot complain myself.

I know it is totally illegal and I know she knows it too that is why she had to go back to penmanship as opposed to the punch clock.

traumaRUs-

I think that most of us are talking about sleeping ON breaks. I do not work the night shift so I really have no need for a break. If I had a hour break though I personally would not want to sleep, but I believe that the employer should not be able to tell you what to do with your time as long as you are where you are supposed to be at that particular time. I thin that if anyone else wanted to it should be their choice as long as they are responsible about it. I understand you represent the hospital, but technically personal time is as it sounds- PERSONAL. The hospital has no right in inquire what you do on personal time. Unless of course it is in a signed contract at time of hire.

I am sure what you speak of has made you a great nurse. I just think some people function better than others...some people need more sleep than others to function normally.

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I totally agree with you in the sense that NO ONE should be napping while "on the clock."

That is unprofessional!

It does not take a degree to become a personal napper, but it does take one to become a good nurse. I would say work on being a good nurse and leave the naps at home, or for break on your own time. The employer pays you to be a nurse, which is only done by being awake.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I had to come back to this thread and see if anyone would agree with me. It's not that I'm such a hardnose, but sleeping while at work shouldn't be tolerated.

Maybe too, I'm jealous that everyone gets breaks - a lot of times we don't!

My experience at the VA in Indianapolis was that no one slept, ever. This was a very busy MICCU and we didn't have time to sleep!

As to the military hospitals, well, there's something called a court martial which is quite a deterrent!!

Now, I work in the private sector, in a large urban ER in central Illinois. Sleeping at work, whether on break or not, wouldn't be tolerated!

Where do you guys work?

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I work for a doctor's office which is an annex outside of a hospital, but the doctor I work for is chief of staff of the hospital.

no napping or sleeping we are too busy. I never get a break and hardly anyone does there. I work in research so we are always busy.

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I am astonished that so many people are actually able to take their official breaks at work, never mind take breaks long enough for naps. I used to work 3-11 on an oncology unit and had trouble finding enough time to cram down a few bites of dinner. I now work 7p-7a on a tele unit. This is not as crazy: I occasionally have nights where I can spend 30-60 minutes wasting time talking or surfing the internet. We are paid for a straight 12 hours, so we don't have an official dinner break, although we all do take a dinner break without a problem. I can't imagine napping, even if I had an hour. I couldn't relax like that during a shift! Even when I'm not busy, I usually am doing something like keeping an eye on a confused patient. I wouldn't feel comfortable making my coworkers watch my patients and their monitors that long. Anyway, it's usually too busy to be an issue.

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I guess my feelings on napping depend on the context: on the clock vs. off the clock, habitual vs. maybe an occasional nap for someone who is not feeling well, and, if it's on the clock, have you just done the basics, or have you really done every part of your job you could do, including helping coworkers who need it? We do have a nurse's aide who catnaps in the visitor's lounge at night. I don't mind this because 1) I know he works full-time at night and attends school during the day, 2) He is otherwise an excellent worker with a good attitude, and 3) If I need him, and I wake him up, he'll jump right up and help me. I don't think that this guy, economically, has alot of other options to get through school.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Definitely NOT!!! I work straight night shift in a level three CICU and categorically we do not nap on the job, neither would the thought of such even enter our minds as professional critical care nurses. This is called being asleep on our watch--very unprofessional and unethical and potentially LETHAL for the patient. I have worked in other institutions, and NEVER was this allowed nor even toyed with. In fact, in my state, the BON will take away your license for sleeping on the job!!! Even if other nurses are covering for your nap "break, " when you wake up you will be fuzzy, take awhile to get back in sync, not sharp and vigilant as we ever should be.:eek: :eek: :eek:

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Do you realize that by the unit "being too busy" and the nurses not taking breaks it violates labor laws? I always insist on my break unless my pt is actively delivering the baby. I don't get paid for working through breaks, and it doesn't improve my work performance either! I don't sleep on the job either, but I believe your own time is exactly that - YOUR OWN. You should be able to go to the moon and back on your break without repercussion. Those that can take a 15 min. power nap - more power to you if that is what you need to do to be the best professional you can be!

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