Dont want to get anyone in trouble

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey everyone, I am a Cna/nursing student and I currently work night shift on alzheimer's/dementia units. By me being part time I rotate on all the units in the facility I work. Everytime I work on this one particular unit the LPN who usually is the charge nurse is always sleep. I am talking bout head back, mouth wide open, snoring sleep. It really bothers me because the unit has fall risks, elopement risks, u name it , its here. She doesnt do anything to help. She doesnt seem like the type of person who would want to hear what I have to say about her sleeping. So what am I suppose to do. I dont think its fair for her to sleep while we have to do rounds every two hours, vital signs, and everything else during the shift while she sleeps. I dont want her to lose her job but at the same time I am tired of her being knocked out sleep everytime I work on this unit. Any suggestions.

Specializes in CT stepdown, hospice, psych, ortho.

OP this is a potentially dangerous situation. You should somehow make this problem known. I suggest anonymously to protect yourself from any retaliation, retribution, or gossip.

Let me tell you a brief story.

I worked at a mental institution once and the night supervisor was dependent on prescription pain meds. She would come to work with her eyes rolling back in her head, fall asleep mid sentence, make crazy judgement calls like bringing her dog to work and leaving the middle of the shift to go to Walmart for an hour, AND NOBODY DID ANYTHING.

There were 4 charge nurses for the 4 halls and they all covered for her. The other 2 charge nurses that acted as house supervisor when she wasn't there, would do her paperwork. They were her friends and didn't want her to get in trouble. Well somebody reported her to the DON and some people were questioned but nobody wanted to get involved so nothing came of it.

One night night supervisor was driving to work, fell asleep, and hit a trailer. Yes, she hit an occupied mobile home. Being unhurt, she thought it was a good idea to get back in her car and drive to work. Finally, finally, finally one of those charge nurses that had been covering for her realized that sh*t was bananas and called the administrator on call. One of the psych aides drove her home and she's been out on medical leave ever since.

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.

Most facilities have policies as far as sleeping on the job. Some places I have worked you are allowed to take a "nap" on your lunch break at night provided someone else covers your patients for you. It doesn't really sound like this is what is going on though. Pretty much, this just sounds like laziness and non-motivation.

I would definitely report sleeping on the job. I have a clerk where I work (day shift) on the weekends and he is CONSTANTLY nodding off. He has anxiety I know and is on a bunch of prescription meds -- I don't know if they are controlled substances or not. It's been reported a bunch of times. Unfortunately sometimes nothing happens (as in my case) and it just goes on and on. I'm waiting for the day he passes out so somebody can actually get a tox screen and do something.

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Specializes in Health Information Management.
OP this is a potentially dangerous situation. You should somehow make this problem known. I suggest anonymously to protect yourself from any retaliation, retribution, or gossip.

Let me tell you a brief story.

I worked at a mental institution once and the night supervisor was dependent on prescription pain meds. She would come to work with her eyes rolling back in her head, fall asleep mid sentence, make crazy judgement calls like bringing her dog to work and leaving the middle of the shift to go to Walmart for an hour, AND NOBODY DID ANYTHING.

There were 4 charge nurses for the 4 halls and they all covered for her. The other 2 charge nurses that acted as house supervisor when she wasn't there, would do her paperwork. They were her friends and didn't want her to get in trouble. Well somebody reported her to the DON and some people were questioned but nobody wanted to get involved so nothing came of it.

One night night supervisor was driving to work, fell asleep, and hit a trailer. Yes, she hit an occupied mobile home. Being unhurt, she thought it was a good idea to get back in her car and drive to work. Finally, finally, finally one of those charge nurses that had been covering for her realized that sh*t was bananas and called the administrator on call. One of the psych aides drove her home and she's been out on medical leave ever since.

Good God! Was anyone hurt when she hit the mobile home? Did the media get all over it or did it stay quiet? I can just see something like that turning into a media circus.

OP, I agree with the suggestions that you anonymously turn her in, but I'd suggest doing so with photos (time and date stamps would be useful, but make sure they don't have any identifying characters that could be traced to you - I know some new cameras allow users to personalize them) so that the report isn't simply dismissed as petty retaliation. If something were to happen and an investigation were to be conducted in the aftermath, the fact that you and others on the shift knew and never said anything wouldn't exactly help your career.

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Specializes in open heart recovery.

Talk to her, be frank, honest and concerned. Don't jeopardize her career or yours. What would you honestly have done wth you, should the shoe be onthe other foot. Nursing careers are hard to come by these days.

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It's nice that you don't want o get anyone in trouble, but you're not, it's the LPN's own behavior that's getting her in trouble.

If you have knowledge of this and don't report it you become complicit in her actions by remaining silent. If I was admin and found that something like this had gone unreported the people not reporting it would also be gone.

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Specializes in CT stepdown, hospice, psych, ortho.
Good God! Was anyone hurt when she hit the mobile home? Did the media get all over it or did it stay quiet? I can just see something like that turning into a media circus.

OP, I agree with the suggestions that you anonymously turn her in, but I'd suggest doing so with photos (time and date stamps would be useful, but make sure they don't have any identifying characters that could be traced to you - I know some new cameras allow users to personalize them) so that the report isn't simply dismissed as petty retaliation. If something were to happen and an investigation were to be conducted in the aftermath, the fact that you and others on the shift knew and never said anything wouldn't exactly help your career.

No! Isn't that amazing? Nobody got hurt but I'm sure those people in the trailer were wondering what the hell kind of earthquake was happening in North Carolina at 2300! And it was all very quietly brushed under the table and not even a mention in the newspaper. I know her insurance had to pay for some damage because, like I said, 2 of the charge nurses were her friends and were talking about it. God was really looking out for some people that night. BTW, I saw the car myself. I don't know how she managed to drive anywhere, the front was all mangled and mashed up. The guy that drove her home said he could barely see over the hood. How a cop didn't happen by and see someone driving a mashed up, steaming car is beyond me. Seems like I see a cop any time I start going 6 miles over the speed limit.

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I would go with a combination of other people's recommendations. You don't want to get on her bad side at first if your job could be put at risk by her, so I would start by jokingly waking her up like another poster suggested... "Hi Sleepy!" Ask if she is ok. "Hey I noticed you are having a rough night, everything ok? Getting enough sleep at home?" I'd give her the benefit of the doubt initially at least... it's no excuse at all, but maybe there is something else going on. With this economy, I understand how you would not want to cause trouble and set into motion things that would lead her to lose her job. But remember, she is choosing to sleep. It is her choice and actions that will cause her to keep/lose her job, not yours. Her responsibility. If she really is just a terrible nurse who continues to use work as nap time, then by all means, send in some evidence to the powers that be and get her out of there. If something bad happens to the patients while she is snoozing, that's gonna be on your conscience as well for not doing anything. :twocents:

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Specializes in MED/SURG STROKE UNIT, LTC SUPER., IMU.

Bring a camera that has date and time stamp on it. Snap a picture of the nurse at the nurses station and drop that into the comment box. We had a nurse sleeping at the nurses station all wrapped up in a blanket and the pt sitter took her picture and gave it to the DON. I would definately do this annonamously and not draw attention to myself. Sleeping on the job is just plain dangerous in the medical field. You never know what will happen with your patients and you need to be awake and able to handle an emergency situation.

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Where I worked there was a nurse who came to work to sleep. She would do this right in front of the night house supervisor who would do nothing about it. The idea to send an anonymous note is a good one. Type it up on a computer or typewriter and put it in an envelope addressed to the Director of Nurses. Give dates, times, other pertinent details. After that, there is nothing else to be done. Don't be surprised if nothing comes of it.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Although we are a full range of physical types, it seems like we are basically divided into two groups - - the "I don't want to get anyone in trouble" types, and the "where is that new nurse I can have for lunch" types.

Stop worrying about hurting someone's feelings, or the possibility of someone else losing her job. This nurse is a danger to herself and others. And she needs to have her own 'wake-up' call.

I say wake her up once, and ask her if there is something that would help her stay awake. After that, she is on her own - and the proper admins should be notified.

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while i, as a nurse, have awoken other nurses and/or aides, i do understand the reluctance in an aide initiating such a step towards a nurse.

i agree about making an anonymous report (with pics) and slipping it under the DON's door AND the adminstrator's door.

don't handwrite it or it may be traced back to you.

but as someone else suggested, don't be surprised if nothing is done.

as i've seen so often in nsg, we work in a look-the-other-way mentality.

and have seen true advocates for our pts, be the ones who were ultimately harrassed and even terminated.

good luck to you!

and keep this to yourself.

don't go talking about it to anyone, or that may come back to haunt you as well.

leslie

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The nurse I mentioned previously would call in sick every time the DON put her on the schedule to work the PM shift. That DON was on to her. She told her that the next time she called in sick when scheduled for PM shift, she would be gone. Unfortunately, the DON left and the nurse was free to continue sleeping on the job. And she was very much aware of her situation and knew how to get around being reported.

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