Is this abandonment?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My state (Missouri) considers sleeping on the job a form of patient abandonment. I fully agree with this and think people have been getting away with it for too long. What do you think?

Why is napping on a break a bad thing? It's a well known fact that power naps are actually recommended during the day, and for night-shifters nightime is the day. As long as pts are covered and the naps are taken on scheduled breaks, what's the problem?

Specializes in CVICU, PACU, OR.

All I know is that I enjoy a good power nap on my break every now and then

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
Why is napping on a break a bad thing? It's a well known fact that power naps are actually recommended during the day, and for night-shifters nightime is the day. As long as pts are covered and the naps are taken on scheduled breaks, what's the problem?

This may be true (power naps) for people that can wake right up and get back to the task at hand. I have seen too many people moping around for the rest of the shift in a daze and yawning nonstop with a blanket wrapped around them.

Specializes in LTC / SNF / Geriatrics.

At the facility where I work, all staff are considered to always be on call in the event of an emergency so I don't think napping even during break would be acceptable. Besides we're paid for our breaks.

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
Why is napping on a break a bad thing? It's a well known fact that power naps are actually recommended during the day, and for night-shifters nightime is the day. As long as pts are covered and the naps are taken on scheduled breaks, what's the problem?

What nightworkers often do is not powernapping.

Often they'll work two jobs and/or be very sleep deprived. If you wake up alert & raring to go, that's one thing, if you're still dragging your butt, that's something else entirely.

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