Sleeping during nightshift!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

This is not my first night shift position and I am shocked at how many people at this hospital sleep during their shift. I'm not talking about nodding off for a couple minutes either. They are slumped over in chair, head on the desk drooling all over themselves (at the nurses station!). Their little slumber lasts 1-2 hours, some even sneak off and sleep in their vehicles for this amount time. During this time almost everybody is busy, and even busier because they're pick up their slack.

I have mentioned this to several of the CN's, and don't get much of a response. It just some how seems accepted?!? This just can't be normal?

It's so frustrating, I run my butt off and barely manage to get breaks, eat while chart etc... and there they are: snoozing in the corner.

Please tell me this is far from the norm where you work!

Specializes in ER/ ICU.

In the ICU I used to work @ the charge RN's were actually the ones asleep. They never took patients , so I guess they felt they could. It was reported several times. Noone ever did anything about it. Which is one of the many reasons I am glad I left.

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wake them up

write them up

find another job you will be responsibility if something goes wrong

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It has been my contention that a couple 11-7 nurses sleep during the night as they get almost no work done other than passing 6AM meds.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I think its totally ridiculous that a worker would even consider sleeping while at work, whether on break or not. That's ridiculous. Ask a supervisor about this and I bet you would find this is against any and all rules. I've worked in nursing homes as an LPN, and in hospitals in three states as an RN and I've never allowed sleeping nor have I ever tolerated. That said...its never been an issue.

If you are so tired that you must sleep at work, you need to look for another job or get into a better routine. I worked nights for 12 years straight and yes I was very tired some days, but I never considered sleeping.

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No this is not normal! Personally, the first time Sleepy's call light went off I would be over there tapping them on their shoulders and telling them their patinet needed them. I would not do their work, and Iwould let my coordinator know about the problem.

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I would absolutely not be picking up their slack. No freakin way.

I would probably find supremely annoying ways to wake them up, stat. ;)

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Not the norm where i work. It'll get us fired.

Me too. For some frustrating reason even sleeping in the break room - ON A BREAK THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR - is grounds for termination. Personally I've never actually heard of anyone getting fired for sleeping in the break room which at least one person does regularly, but I'm sure if they wanted me gone they'd prob'ly put that together with other things and use that as an excuse. Sorry for the hijack

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my old ward, i was lucky if i got a break. i usually ran to the vending machine to grab a snack and go pee (not at the vending machine, but you get what i mean).

my new job is totally different. last night was the first time since i've been there (3 months) that i didn't get three breaks for a 12 hour shift. usually the last break we get an hour (i know, it's crazy), and people sleep. i don't, and i don't take breaks that long. seems wrong to me.

i don't care, as long as their pts are stable. if something needs to be addressed, i have no problem waking them up.

heck, one place i did a preceptorship at, they had a TWO hour block, and they would sleep. i did it once, and spent the rest of the shift nauseated and cold. haven't slept since.

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At one place of employment the house supvr went off to various places to sleep the night away. When she had the audacity to write up the shift non-performer nurse, the end result was her getting fired, not the non-performer nurse who slept like a babe for yrs and was proud of it!

Sleeping was the norm at another LTC fac I worked at. Hence, one of the major reasons I try to avoid LTC now. Can't do everything by myself, can't buck the system or play politics, and went into nrsg to take care of sick people not ignore them. I now prefer home hlth, even when I work night shift, since I'm there by myself, I can choose to care for my pt and do not have to suffer the repercussions from how others want to do (or not do) their jobs.

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I think its totally ridiculous that a worker would even consider sleeping while at work, whether on break or not. That's ridiculous. Ask a supervisor about this and I bet you would find this is against any and all rules. I've worked in nursing homes as an LPN, and in hospitals in three states as an RN and I've never allowed sleeping nor have I ever tolerated. That said...its never been an issue.

If you are so tired that you must sleep at work, you need to look for another job or get into a better routine. I worked nights for 12 years straight and yes I was very tired some days, but I never considered sleeping.

The latest research indicates that a 20-60 minute nap is highly beneficial to the pts. Read the Feb. issue of Nursing 2007, page 33. It states, "The researchers concluded that integrating a nap into night shifts can improve performance.".

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Specializes in School Nursing.
:confused: Honestly, I don't even know how you can take a 30 minute break and sleep during that time.. When you wake up, are you really going to be alert enough to have the where with all to do your job. It puts you at a disadvantage if you should need to use your critical thinking skills and you come up blank because you just woke up from a "little nappy" when you are suppose to have your mind on business. I just can't see it:confused:
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i guess it depends on the person. i've seen people in a dead sleep and be able to get up and run a code with no issue. i'm not one of those people. it takes me 30 minutes to defrost.

and i guess it depends on the culture of the hospital/ward. i'd rather nurses have a nap and be done with their break than sit in the report room and watch a dvd (and yes, it happens on some wards) all night. the supervisors don't have an issue with napping as long as the pts are cared for, and there is sufficient staffing. my co-workers don't nap if there is work to be done, just like any other break. and they're on the ward. we need them, we grab them.

guess it depends on what you're used to.

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