falling asleep during nightshift

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  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?

Specializes in MDS/ UR.
Ok so I come in give 2 people a bath,change 10 people answer lights, start my charting, and then get vitals, but if I close my eyes after I do all that after not sleeping right for weeks even though my coworker is right there to wake me up I'm "not doing my job". .............ok

If you are paid to be awake, you should be awake. If you have sleep problems address them, call out or deal with them. You are an adult.

Specializes in Critical care.

Interesting topic, sort of weird how hospitals in North America make it a firing offense. There have been many studies in Europe and Asia that show night shift workers are far more alert during their shift if allowed to take a cat nap during their break. Myself I don't wake up well from catnaps so I pace around the nurses station when really sleepy.

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

Here is an interesting AACN article on nurses in critical care, and napping habits .... or we can just ridicule the poor OP who really doesn't deserve the toxic comments aimed at him/her.

Cheers

The worst I've ever done was at my first job as an LPN on midnights. We had cubbies in the middle of the hallway, and I chose to chart there instead of at the nurse's station to be closer to my patients and to focus. I am a person who can be completely sleep while sitting straight up and down. I nodded off and didn't even realize it. A co-worker woke me up on her way to do treatments. I jumped up and said I'm so sorry about a 100 times.

There are times at work when I've been so exhausted that I've done the head bob thing while charting. At that point it's time to stand up, take a walk, grab a cup of coffee or a coke, round on patients or something and then come back to charting.

I worked in a group home setting before where we were allowed a sleep break after every client was asleep. I took advantage of that break once.

I have worked with some nurses in the hospital who, while clocked out for lunch, would literally curl up on a bed in an empty room and sleep. That's a huge no no in my book. So is any unauthorized sleep break in my eyes. A patient can go south at any point in the shift. We need to be alert to handle that at all times.

It took some time for me to adjust to being up all night and care for my kids during the day when I was younger. It's not an excuse, but it was my reality. However, if I had not been able to get used to my responsibilities to my family and to my patients, I would've come off midnights asap. Both parties deserved a fully awake and functional individual. Well, my family got that some of the time. I wouldn't give my patients anything less than my full attention. I have a very simple nursing philosophy that I adopted early in my career. Treat all people with the same respect, dignity, courtesy, and excellence that I would want for myself or my family. There is nothing respectful, dignified, courteous, or excellent about falling asleep on someone who is vulnerable and is counting on you.

Specializes in Dialysis.
hey you dont like my post and wanna reply you go right ahead, but dont be surprised if i reply back defending myself

defend yourself as you please, but I pray you never take care of me or my loved ones. From the posts of yours that I've read, your work ethic doesn't sound like it's the greatest.

I've seen nurses and aides fired for sleeping on the clock. We are paid to be awake and working, not napping. If you have a napping break, nap then, and then only. If not, find a job that accomodates your awake hours

Specializes in Dialysis.
During your pedicure time? You all get PEDICURES at work?????

I want the job with pedicures too!
I want the job with pedicures too!

that was an auto correct error my bad

The worst I've ever done was at my first job as an LPN on midnights. We had cubbies in the middle of the hallway, and I chose to chart there instead of at the nurse's station to be closer to my patients and to focus. I am a person who can be completely sleep while sitting straight up and down. I nodded off and didn't even realize it. A co-worker woke me up on her way to do treatments. I jumped up and said I'm so sorry about a 100 times.

There are times at work when I've been so exhausted that I've done the head bob thing while charting. At that point it's time to stand up, take a walk, grab a cup of coffee or a coke, round on patients or something and then come back to charting.

I worked in a group home setting before where we were allowed a sleep break after every client was asleep. I took advantage of that break once.

I have worked with some nurses in the hospital who, while clocked out for lunch, would literally curl up on a bed in an empty room and sleep. That's a huge no no in my book. So is any unauthorized sleep break in my eyes. A patient can go south at any point in the shift. We need to be alert to handle that at all times.

It took some time for me to adjust to being up all night and care for my kids during the day when I was younger. It's not an excuse, but it was my reality. However, if I had not been able to get used to my responsibilities to my family and to my patients, I would've come off midnights asap. Both parties deserved a fully awake and functional individual. Well, my family got that some of the time. I wouldn't give my patients anything less than my full attention. I have a very simple nursing philosophy that I adopted early in my career. Treat all people with the same respect, dignity, courtesy, and excellence that I would want for myself or my family. There is nothing respectful, dignified, courteous, or excellent about falling asleep on someone who is vulnerable and is counting on you.

i am not saying there is anything great about falling asleep at all. I also feel your pain with working with people sleeping in empty rooms. I think thats is actually the worst thing you can do, because no one knows where you are and your in such a deep sleep you have no idea whats going on. I do not think people should fall asleep during nights, but if they are sitting down during there leisure time and start bobbing like you did i cant fault them for that. we are not made to sleep during the day, but yet we are forced to. and head bobbing and falling asleep is as natural as passing out and surely no one can fault someone for passing out

During your pedicure time? You all get PEDICURES at work?????

I get that you're talking about nodding off while sitting down. But I agree with the person who said her minimum standard for a good employee is that the employee is at least conscious while at work!!!

I get the no sleep in a week thing, too. There were a few times that I got 45 minutes of sleep that WEEK. I was so tired that I fell asleep standing up during a code. Fortunately, the nursing supervisor thought it was really funny when she moved the code card away from me and I fell over. I could have been fired on the spot.

Yes, you should be blamed for nodding off while sitting down, unless you're on your break and your team knows where to find you. Sleeping -- even once -- is a firable offense at most jobs. If you find yourself too sleepy to stay awake, get up and make a pot of coffee and drink it. Run up and down the stairs to the tenth floor a few times. Volunteer to run to the pharmacy or the Blood Bank or Central Stores. Help someone bathe their patient. Start a conversation about politics.

Deciding it's OK to fall asleep at work is the hallmark of a poor employee.

that was a typo and everyone knows it , and i didnt say it was ok. I am saying i cant blame anyone for it.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
My minimum expectation for a "good" employee is that they're actually conscious while they're "working".

This is too funny...! I agree....

I like this times a hundred. I worked nights 17 years, I think Klone and I know of what we speak.

On the other hand there is a post about eating the untouched food from patient trays and patients snacks from the kitchen. I can kind of understand a tray of food that's going to be thrown away. But I feel guilty when I take crackers, juice, or soda. I've only occasionally done it when my stomach was upset.

Most poster thought it was very appropriate.

i have ate patients food before that they didn't want. To be honest thats just as a big no no as im describing. If you close your eyes and tell your co-worker to wake you up if you fall asleep, its just as bad as eating unwanted food of the residents.

both carries a certain amount of guilt

both is completely harmless

both is bending the facility rules

i'm glad you agree with klone. It's nice to know someone gets what i am talking about.

Interesting topic, sort of weird how hospitals in North America make it a firing offense. There have been many studies in Europe and Asia that show night shift workers are far more alert during their shift if allowed to take a cat nap during their break. Myself I don't wake up well from catnaps so I pace around the nurses station when really sleepy.

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

Here is an interesting AACN article on nurses in critical care, and napping habits .... or we can just ridicule the poor OP who really doesn't deserve the toxic comments aimed at him/her.

Cheers

cool thanks for the input

I worked night shift for 1+ years in the OR. Just like working on a floor or nursing home, the OR, ED, etc, all have slow and crazy times. If the OR was crazy, the time flew and my shift was over before I knew it. My patient laying on the table was more important than getting some shut-eye. My patients' are putting their life and trust in my hands. It's a HUGE responsibility and not something to take lightly.

When I had slow nights, I stayed active on my feet and did everything (in addition to my regular duties) from cleaning, organizing, stocking, and even exercising. I brought my tablet with workouts I could stream. I drank more water (more water= more bathroom breaks) when I saw my coworkers scarfing down sugar-laced foods and coffee to stay awake. My rooms were checked and double checked to make sure my day-time coworkers had everything needed for that case. I got any certifications/continuing hour educations worked on when the opportunity rose.

Was it easy? No. I was lucky if I even got 4 hours of sleep before my shift showed up. Come morning, I was dragging, but I never fell asleep. The facilities I've worked at (like most others) have a no-tolerance policy for sleeping on the job. By doing so, you put your patients' safety at a huge risk. If there's an emergency, your co-workers will not have the time to find you and joustle you awake. If one of your patients' fell and broke a bone or got a subdural hemorrhage that requires an emergency craniotomy, how would you explain not answering the bed alarm? "Oh, I was asleep and didn't hear it go off?" Another example...your patient has an emergent GI bleed that requires stat treatment, but declined due to not being treated quickly enough. Falling asleep will not hold up in a court of law. Night shift has less resources due to decreased staffing. It is imperative to be awake should an emergency rise.

OP, you may need to take a look at your schedule to see how to organize things to get some sleep. Plenty of people I know also take sleep aids (prescribed or OTC like melatonin). It is worth a try. Good luck.

+ Add a Comment