falling asleep during nightshift

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Sleeping

    • 19
      only terrible nurse aides sleep on nightshift
    • 20
      we all get tired

39 members have participated

of course you shouldn't do it

but come on. we are not perfect. If you have had a hard time sleeping, I can not blame you for dozing off. all i can say is don't make a habit out of it.

I can remember once i fell asleep for 30 minutes on the nightshift on my first nurse aide job i ever had. I know i slept, because i had a dream. Funny enough my dream was about work. I dreamed i was sitting in the chair that i fell asleep in and my co-worker was like "come on we gotta make rounds" and i just could not get out that chair. It was like i was paralyzed. No, it did not actually happen, because when i woke up it was no where near time for us to make rounds.

Im probably gonna get alot for this, but im the type of co-workers that understand your tired and if you need me to poke you on the head for rounds or when your light goes off then i will. I actually have a co-worker like that and she is a really good nurse aide. The most i will ever do is curl up and close my eyes to meditate, but i won't actually fall asleep. I won't to know everyone else's take on this. Is it really that bad?

I'm not usually this black or white on issues but I'm going to go ahead and say you're not taking your job seriously enough if you fall asleep on the clock. Maybe it's because I'm an RN and feel 100% responsible for my patients lives, but my body wouldn't fall asleep if I tried knowing that I have 4-5 patients that could literally die if I do so. I take it you're a CNA so perhaps you don't feel that pressure? Either way, if you care about your patients and your job, find a day shift position or figure out how to sleep during the day so that you can get through those shifts. I worked nights for a year and switched to days because I hated my life on nights. Do what you need to do.

***most of the CNAs I work with feel that pressure to keep our patients safe so I hope that sentence doesn't come off the wrong way. I couldn't do my job without them. Sounds like you lack it though.

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I've worked night shift for 12 years and have never slept on the job. I firmly believe sleeping out in the open at work should be a fireable offense.

Your collection of posts show one of the worst work ethics I've come across in years, not to mention the apparent selfishness and self-centered focus you seem to have. That's more worrying than any amount of sleeping.

Everyone keeps acting like I sleep on a nightly basis. I do not. The most I do is close my eyes, and if I do fall asleep I have someone wake me up. My nurses and fellow cnas are not opposed to this, because they have done it themselves. We are not irresponsible we make sure someone is aware and awake to what's going on and if we do actually sleep is a VERY rare occurrence.

I'm not going to be defensive anymore. You all are entitled to your own opinion as I am to mine. I feel like only a few people will actually admit to having this opinion while most are scared of what people think.

But that's just me

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Specializes in Varied.

Being able to perform your job duties requires alertness. If your employer won't fire you because they are "desperate," wait until something major happens while you're asleep. You'll be sued, fired, and likely blacklisted if serious enough. That's all. Everyone gets tired. Everyone deserves sleep. If you're not on the clock.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
no not at all actually

id admit i may be sounding rude and harsh, but they arent much better. sleeping on your break isnt the best thing either you may sleep through any alarm set to wake you up and completely sleep past your break, unless someone knows where you are.

from now on ill just refer everyone to this article

Napping During Night Shift: Practices, Preferences, and Perceptions of Critical Care and Emergency Department Nurses

thanks again to the person who brought that to my attention

You can refer to articles and such, but if your employer says it's a fireable offense, then you have an answer. Pray that your coworkers like you, because if not, they will throw you under the bus the very first chance that they need to. I'm going to refer back to one of my prior posts that suggested that you read some of the replies and take some advice and sleep, instead of coming off as defensive. I just keep praying that you're a troll and not someone truly doing direct patient care...

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Okay... you shouldn't be sleeping when you're supposed to be alert. This is separate from taking a break where you can do whatever you please, including a power nap, etc. Someone I worked with was famous for sleeping for a long period of time and I wonder how this person never got in trouble. But there are people who have got caught and terminated on the spot. So tired yes we all are during night shift, but still be aware and alert. You never know when management decides to make a surprise visit in the wee hours to check on you. Since we knew and had a warning whenever someone was in house... we turned back the lights that were dimmed to make it darker and cleaned up the unit to make it look fresh.

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You can refer to articles and such, but if your employer says it's a fireable offense, then you have an answer. Pray that your coworkers like you, because if not, they will throw you under the bus the very first chance that they need to. I'm going to refer back to one of my prior posts that suggested that you read some of the replies and take some advice and sleep, instead of coming off as defensive. I just keep praying that you're a troll and not someone truly doing direct patient care...

maybe an elite team preforming a study knows better then a nursing home? maybe all nursing homes should think like this in order to have more alert cnas and thus a safer nursing home

i wonder

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
that was a typo and everyone knows it , and i didnt say it was ok. I am saying i cant blame anyone for it.

"Pedicure" is a typo for what exactly?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
"Pedicure" is a typo for what exactly?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

I was called in one night (meaning no notice, and I did not work nights). We had cleared the ER except for an admit that was waiting for a floor bed. I was sent to "inventory" a room with "lights off" and handed a warm blanket by the charge nurse.

It took me about 45 minutes, including freshing myself up and changing the room.

I was then good to go!

I corrected the lost "inventory" time in the Kronos, as an unplanned unpaid errand.

Integrity... it mattered to me.

:angel:

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
"Pedicure" is a typo for what exactly?

I'm guessing it is an autocorrect for "procedure"

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"Pedicure" is a typo for what exactly?

leisure it auto corrected i was on my phone typing that

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Specializes in Adult Primary Care.

Why are you in healthcare? It does not seem like a good fit for you or the patients.

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