Calling in for no sleep

roser13, ASN, RN · May 25, 2016

chloe8100 said:
Do you realize how belittling your comment to Mhays sounded? Most of the people on here are nurses, but some of them are nursing support staff. If what she said reminded you of a Fundamentals of Nursing textbook, and yet you disagree, then perhaps it is time to brush up on the fundamentals of nursing.
Its interesting how we as nurses can have all the compassion in the world for our patients, and yet, for each other, we tend to have very little. I had hoped that allnurses was a place I could come to share experiences and to give and receive encouragement. With most of the responses I have seen on this thread, both to the original poster and just now to Mhays, I fear I may be disappointed.

Thank you for your interest in my education, but you missed the point entirely. I did not disagree with Mhays' understanding of FON. I was simply questioning the need for such lectures in multiple postings, and was wondering if Mhays does indeed understand her audience.

If you consider my post "belittling" then I'm afraid you will have a tough time in nursing. Heck, not just nursing, but life in general. My post was quite carefully worded to avoid that very thing. I go out into the world every day, expecting positive interaction. Those of you who search every day for negative interaction will likely receive it. And yes, you will be disappointed.

Allgood2016, LPN, LVN · May 25, 2016

No sleep = endangerment to your patients and yourself.

Did you try to trade shifts with someone? If not; or no one would trade; then call in. Tell supervisor/scheduler you are concerned about patient safety.

Then, meet with your supervisor; DON; and, notify them that scheduling like that is dangerous.

If you get no results follow chain of command; right up to the medical director and hospital director. Have a copy of the schedule (paper or photo) to show them.

I have a strong feeling you are not the only employee this has happened to.

Firebabe26 · May 25, 2016

Our Board of nursing in the state I work in states that a nurse MUST have 8hrs off between shifts. We can request to do a double or whatever, but we cannot be required to do so. Having had a nurse get killed in an auto accident after being mandated to work extra I would seriously call off if I was "too tired". However I would say it was something else like diarrhea. Keep your mouth shut at work. Gossip will not do you any favors. Then look at your options. Going from nights to days frequently is unsafe. You need to protect your licensure better. And have better sleep hygiene. Best of luck!!!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 25, 2016

CountryMomma said:
The thing is, OP had 2 nights/days to adjust her sleep schedule - she didn't *have to* stay up/ not sleep. Does that change anything for you?

"I had one night to try and totally change my sleep schedule. " OP struggled the entire weekend to prepare for Monday morning. She could not change her circadian rhythm that quickly . She is also so dedicated, she is concerned about how to call off.

Does THAT change anything for YOU?

sarlou · May 25, 2016

Maybe once....but it becomes a "trend" with some employees. Someone always wants more than their share

chloe8100 · May 25, 2016

roser13 said:
If you consider my post "belittling" then I'm afraid you will have a tough time in nursing. Heck, not just nursing, but life in general. My post was quite carefully worded to avoid that very thing. I go out into the world every day, expecting positive interaction. Those of you who search every day for negative interaction will likely receive it. And yes, you will be disappointed.

Haven't had a hard time so far. I make it a point to be as sensitive to others' feelings as possible, whether they are a pt or a work colleague. I'll admit, I am quite tenderhearted, but I do my job, I do it well, and I enjoy it.

I apologize for offending you.

NurseMegP, BSN, RN · May 25, 2016

It is your PTO, your work, your choice. People on here giving you a hard time might not be working swing shifts, keep that in mind. I have done swing shift work, and it is honestly the worst thing. Adjusting my schedule for sleep was nearly impossible with just one night in between shifts. I got through it, and luckily got onto day shift, but those months of rotating between 12 hour days for 3 weeks and 12 hour nights for 3 weeks was hell. If you call off because you did not get sleep it is for the safety of your patients. If you have to call off, speak afterwords with your scheduler and let them know that you are requesting to have at least 2 nights, if possible, 3, in between switching shifts. I hate that hospitals even still do this. It's such an unsafe practice and yet all we hear from management is safety this and policy that. Ugh. Best of luck to you.

Footballnut · May 25, 2016

I only did this once; I asked for a couple of hours to get a nap. I honestly could not sleep the night before. I talked to the night shift nurse, apologized and made sure she was ok with it. She stayed over 2 hours and I gave her a couple of free movie tickets just for letting me get enough sleep to be safe. I really appreciated her doing it.

DWelly14 · May 25, 2016

If you cannot safely care for your patients you should call in. However, you need to plan ahead for the future. Did you make a trade that put your schedule like this? Probably should make trades like that again. Does your schedule require you to switch back and forth like this often? You may need to talk to your scheduler to see if you can change it. Or perhaps using a sleep aid to help get your required hours of sleep between shifts. Calling in once is one thing but making a pattern of it spells trouble. You need to take care of yourself. I work with a brand new nurse who was hired for night shift. She had a hard time switching to night shift schedule to the ring of just not sleeping at all for the days she was on (sometimes 3-4 days in a row) but she refused to try any medication stronger than melatonin, not even a glass of wine. While I appreciate not wanting to become dependent on medication, no sleep for that long is also dangerous. She ended up going into SVT related to sleep deprivation. They put her back on day shift for the time being but many other nurses are now upset because there is a long waiting list based on senority to go to days and Many feel that she shouldn't be allowed to jump ahead because she refuses to take care of herself. Just food for thought, OP.

greener22, BSN, MSN, RN · May 25, 2016

Not appropriate to call in due to lack of sleep. If we all did that, there would be noone left. Parents often are up most of the night with sick kids, on call job responsibilites or personal issues. You should think about the staff your are leaving short handed, which itself could be unsafe. The better option is go in, assess the situation with the charge nurse and MAYBE get to go home early.

Heartful · May 26, 2016

Ok. No sympathy here. As they say, suck it up, buttercup! You are an adult, with adult responsibilities. You knew you had to work Monday morning. No excuses. Gather up your gear and get moving!

tyvin, BSN, RN · May 26, 2016

I had kids and an innate ability to "not" be able to sleep during the day. I would be on day 3 of no sleep and would actually start dreaming standing up. I functioned fine. I would shake my head and think "I got to get out of this noc shift fast' (I know not same shift but same thing).

Anyway, I would sleep 2 or three hours maybe. I was super alert though. I would actually get like a runner's high. I think it was a survival thing. The animals are circling (management) and the hunter (me) must protect the family (other staff and patients). Some people can pull it off, and others can't. I pulled it off long enough to get experience and move on...zzzzzzzzzzzz:sleep: