I didn't wake up on time and was too late to come for AM shift?

cleback · Nov 15, 2018

Sorry. I've overslept too. Very stressful. It's the reason I set no less than three alarms for the morning.

mimibrown, ADN, BSN · Nov 15, 2018

Yes I also set two alarms. One alarm is across the room. I have to get out of bed to turn it off, so I don't accidentally fall back asleep. Just apologize again when you go for your next shift. It happens to everyone at some point. Make sure it doesn't happen again!

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2018

I think every nurse misses at least one shift. Things happen. I still remember the phone call at 0730 one morning with my manager asking me where I was. I thought I was working Sat/ Sun/Mon. I was working Fri/ Sat/ Sun. Never moved so fast in my life. Got to work within an hour. Put up with some good natured ribbing for the rest of the shift and became very vigilant about double checking my schedule.

Life happens. We mis-schedule. We sleep through alarms. Acknowledge that you missed up.

Apologize and move on.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2018

You can do 99 things right. But just 1 wrong outweighs all of them in some settings. I don't know what to say except that I hope you also get some cheers from time to time, some appreciation.

I guess try to be invisible for a while and this will soon be behind you.

When a doc used to give us a hard time back in the olden days, someone would remind us that we should imagine him with his pants off. If your coworkers or your boss give you too much grief, try doing that. Do not LOL.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2018

When I worked in the hospital, I always set 3 alarms for the day shift- 5:15am, 5:30am and 5:45am.

I did one time copy the schedule into my calendar incorrectly. I almost never worked Tuesdays. I wrote down that I was working Wednesday and Thursday 7P-7A and then I got a call at 7:15PM on Tuesday saying "do you know you're working today?" I did not. I only lived 3 miles from the hospital so I made it there pretty quickly. My co-workers said they knew something was wrong when I wasn't there at 7PM because I always got there early.

I'm sure you're not the first person to do this and your work is probably happy you are ok. I am aware of a situation that happened a few years ago at a hospital I used to work at where a nurse didn't show up for her shift and the floor couldn't reach her. It was very unlike her so they called the police for a wellness check. The police found her dead.

JKL33 · Nov 15, 2018

Just reiterate that you're sincerely sorry for the trouble your absence caused this morning. They will probably be understanding given the fact that it was so out of the ordinary for you. There's no need to blow it out of proportion and worry about facing them; just be honest and sincere. In the future you'll probably have the opportunity to offer your employer or a co-worker a similar type of understanding.

It'll be okay. Don't distract yourself from much more important things (including your duties on your next scheduled shift) by perseverating on it any further. Let it go.

:)

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 15, 2018

"I overslept. I'm sorry for any trouble." Seriously, it happens more often than you think. Don't feel too embarrassed about it. Heck, even toss in a joke or two about how they can call off the calvary search.

Now if this becomes a regular occurrence, then you have a real problem on your hands.

Unfortunately, it does mean you're down a shift in your paycheck, but you were a no-call no-show, and they did have to replace you. Hopefully, you can pick up some of those hours during the pay period.

allnurses Guide · Nov 15, 2018

Once we had a 2 hour night time power outage in my neighborhood. This was before your clocks would blink twelves or zeroes in case of a mishap. I didn't realize this had occurred until I thought to myself, "hmmm, it seems much lighter outside than usual" The panicky feeling is so horrible! Like you, I had a good attendance record. My co-workers were more cool with the situation than I was.

But I was so neurotic, at that point I also had two alarm clocks-- and one of them was the wind-up kind. Take that, power outage!

Don't beat yourself up anymore.

K+MgSO4, BSN · Nov 15, 2018

I work M-F, had the week from hell. Friday morning I woke up when the school to the back of my house started playing "Advance Australia Fair'...as they do at start of school at 9AM. Had to call the ward tell them I was coming, called my boss who bless her assumed I had a rostered day off and suggested I take one due to the hellish week I had but I had a meeting I could not reschedule so got myself in.

Things happen, I have turned up on a day off to work as I was convinced I was on.

As a NUM, as you answered the phone eventually and have no trend of this it will just be a chat. I had a staff member pull this a number of times and would not answer to my number, the ANUM number or the hospital landline - called him via my personal phone number turns out he had moved interstate and had the check to ask for a reference "just my clinical performance, not my attendance "!!!!

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Nov 15, 2018

I always set my phone, which is my alarm clock.... I did accidentally set it for 4:30pm, rather than4:30am....fortunate to self awake by 5am.... lottahussel...to get to work on time........l best wishes....and I have 46.5 years experience..... that was my " one time"....but it happens

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 15, 2018

I have done this too, but now I set my alarm for every ten minutes. I have actually turned off my alarm and not even remember doing it, which is frightening, because I just go back to sleep apparently.

Set multiple alarms for ten minutes apart, the first one being ten minutes before you actually need to get up, the next one for the time you actually need to get up, and so forth. This has worked for me, and may save you from being late.

Annie