Humiliated and scared

Falling asleep at end of shift and accused of intoxication Nurses General Nursing

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I am a CNA currently in nursing school and just need some honest opinions and direction on my current situation. A couple days ago I was found sleeping at the end of my night shift.  I had a headache and finished my round, at about 6:20 I told my coworker that I would be in the relaxation room for a few. Went in sat in the massage chair and next thing I know my co worker is waking me up saying it's shift change. It wasn't just shift change....it was 7:20. Instant panic. Charge told me to speak with her after report. She said that corporate would be calling me. I asked if she would speak with me in private so she called the house supervisor and we went in the break room. They said they thought that I was intoxicated. I immediately said I would be happy to submit to any test in order to disprove this. We go down to the ED where I was told I was twitching and my eyes were dilated by the doctor. While speaking with the doc I began to cry out of embarrassment of the whole thing. Everyone I spoke to said that I wasn't acting like myself even though I had never met this doctor or had any interaction with day shift charge and house supervisor. I provided 2 urine sample and had blood drawn twice. They also did a CT scan. 
 

After all of this was completed they said I need to get a ride or call a taxi because they didn't want me to drive my vehicle.  I put my foot down with this and would be driving myself home. They informed me the would have to notify the sheriff department that I was leaving in my car. About 10 min after getting home the sheriff stopped by and said he was just checking on me and left immediately. I'm waiting on the results of my tests that were sent to an outside lab. The labs will be 100% negative. I have never been this embarrassed and humiliated before, just typing out this post has me crying again. I know that I majorly screwed up by falling asleep, that is not OK. Period.

But I am mortified about how public this all was and I do not understand why I was accused of of inebriation. I don't know what to think or do currently right now. I'm scared of being fired and even more so that I destroyed my reputation completely. IDK I'm just looking for some insight and guidance and I'm seeking overall opinion on the situation. 

Specializes in School Nursing.
hppygr8ful said:

You need an attorney. Don't talk to anyone at work about this. Admit to nothing. If your tests come back negative and you are terminated you may have a cause for action.

Depending on the state. Even with  negative tests, she was found sleeping on the job. 

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lifelearningrn said:

Depending on the state. Even with  negative tests, she was found sleeping on the job. 

Exactly. Many facilities have a policy that if you are caught  sleeping on the job you will be fired. I have also worked at places that have sleep rooms and encourage a nap.

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This is a troubling sign of what an awful work environment many of us are in. I have personally gone and grabbed nurses/ aides who I knew weren't feeling well and had gone to take a small break, I always went and got them prior to the am shift arriving or as soon as the house supervisor hit the floor. 

I'm sorry this happened to you.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
lifelearningrn said:

Depending on the state. Even with  negative tests, she was found sleeping on the job. 

It's true she was found sleeping on the job but she may have a case for defamation of character due to the accusation of substance use without proof.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
FolksBtrippin said:

I'm sorry this happened to you. Once the dust settles, and you feel safe again, it will be time to evaluate this position.

Your mistake was innocent. You are a human being, you needed sleep and your body got it. No one was harmed. 

What caused the overreaction?

There could be so many reasons this happened. I couldn't tell you all of them but they could range from racism, to a toxic culture, to people feeling like you don't do enough on the unit.

How people react once you are cleared also matters. Does the charge nurse apologize for jumping to conclusions? Does anyone listen and understand that you were a human being who was tired? 
 

If not, and if your charge nurse and others are smug about this, it's time to move on. Workplace culture is extremely important in healthcare.

Maybe this is a good teaching moment for the charge nurse who over-reacted.  The hospital must not approve of CT scans being given willy-nilly.  A written warning would have been totally sufficient.

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subee said:

The hospital must not approve of CT scans being given willy-nilly. 

 I know it sounds outlandish given the OP's reporting of events, but may be one of the more reasonable things that happened actually, assuming that it could have been done 2/2 concerns of the ED provider based on exam. It certainly isn't something that would be done solely for presumed intoxication; it could suggest that they were actually looking for a medical cause to explain their exam findings, rather than just being stupid human as some of the others in this story.

Maybe.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
JKL33 said:

 I know it sounds outlandish given the OP's reporting of events, but may be one of the more reasonable things that happened actually, assuming that it could have been done 2/2 concerns of the ED provider based on exam. It certainly isn't something that would be done solely for presumed intoxication; it could suggest that they were actually looking for a medical cause to explain their exam findings, rather than just being stupid human as some of the others in this story.

Maybe.

Or they are just churning up charges.  Intoxication could have been ruled out immediately with a breath analyzer.  OH well, we never have enough details on these stories to make sense of them.

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subee said:

Or they are just churning up charges.  Intoxication could have been ruled out immediately with a breath analyzer.  OH well, we never have enough details on these stories to make sense of them.

Okay. nevermind.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
JKL33 said:

Okay. nevermind.

Sorry,  I didn't intend to be snotty.  BUT, when stories are so thin, it strikes me as click bait.  We are only hearing one side of the story so doubt that I can make a worthy comment with more facts.  I will leave this one:)

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subee said:

Sorry,  I didn't intend to be snotty.  BUT, when stories are so thin, it strikes me as click bait.  We are only hearing one side of the story so doubt that I can make a worthy comment with more facts.  I will leave this one:)

Not quite sure what comes across as click bait or what additional details you're seeking. 

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Girl I hope your insurance is good! I am sorry you had to go through that. I know I'd feel just as embarrassed. I don't know, I'm used to people falling asleep on nights so it seems like a crazy reach to think you were intoxicated. In any case, once the allegation is there they have to follow through. So, don't take it personal that they were following their protocol. It'd be great if people were respectful to you as a colleague but well that's life. 

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I didn't expect so many people to reply to this. Thank you all so much for the support and kindness. 
 

I finally got a resolution. I fortunately did not lose my job and only received a written warning. I did not receive any acknowledgement from the charge nurse. While this frustrates me I am choosing to just move forward. I will also not be using the "relaxation room" ever again. I am also prioritizing my sleep schedule much more than I ever have.

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