12N Sleeping During Break

Nurses Safety

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:confused: I am a nurse manager in a HR dept. It has been reported to me that a nurse who was working 12N informed her CNAs that she was going to be in the facility break room for her 30 min lunch if they needed her. The ADON of the facility came in at 5AM (early for 12D shift) and saw the nurse with her head down on the break room table. Instead of approaching her she went to the nurse's station and in 10 min the nurse returned from the break room. Is this an acceptable practice since we deduct 30min for lunch or is this grounds for disciplinary action? The ADON was upset stating that she did not know how long she had been in there that night and then the DON started questioning "how long has she been sleeping on the job" - meaning the two months she has been employed. The DON has made statements that patients were neglected and that she should be discharged and reported to the nursing board. The nurse has told me that she saves her break until the later part of her shift so that she can get a burst of energy for the end of her shift job duties and the long drive home. The nurse feels that her break time is her personal time and she was still accessible to the staff and patients if the need arose ie instead of going to her car. The nurse had excellent references and has received numerous compliments from our day time staff. I feel I should recommend assigning her to straight day sfts to not lose a good employee but feel that others would want her to be discharged to set the example of no tolerance, but with her rebuttal of personal time I feel unsure of how to proceed. They have mentioned that it was an isolated incident that was poor professional judgement on her part, but to me it seems that she had thought out her actions and did not feel she was doing anything wrong so I wanted fellow night nurse's opinion of this or similar incidences. Thanks so much.

Our med computer (that dreaded and horrible thing called Pharmtrack:angryfire . . . . calm down steph) . .. anyway, the computer is in the nurse's station so that your back is to everyone. I've been known to close my eyes while waiting the 5 minutes it takes for this program to boot up. Has anyone else used the bathroom for a quick shut-eye?

12 hours is a long time . .. I get up at 1:45 a.m. and am at work by 2:45 a.m. and work until 3:15 p.m. That is a crazy time to get OOB . .. plus the 12 hours. It seems to me that it would be just about impossible NOT to get a little tired.

We are supposed to get three 15 minute breaks and 1/2 hour lunch. Again, what is the difference in reading People magazine and shutting your eyes for 30 minutes? As long as you are readily available . .. .

steph

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Steph, you're a hoot! :rotfl: Gotta luv those "pharmtracks". NOT! :rotfl:

Nurses who work more than eight hour shifts need longer breaks, and every unit should have a "downtime room" FOR STAFF ONLY to catch some shut-eye, or simply UNDISTURBED peace and quiet to regroup. The docs and docs in training have lounges like this, so it's wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy past time to offer the same respect to nurses working long hours.

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Power naps are a good thing. If she's on her time and is where she can be reached if needed then what harm is there? I think it should be taken a step further and made not only acceptable, but required that the nurse take 30 minutes per shift to unwind and relax. Hey, what do you think about the little time-out cubicles that the asian cultures use to defrag? We need that down-time to meditate or whatever it is that aids in relaxation.

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Power naps are a good thing. If she's on her time and is where she can be reached if needed then what harm is there? I think it should be taken a step further and made not only acceptable, but required that the nurse take 30 minutes per shift to unwind and relax. Hey, what do you think about the little time-out cubicles that the asian cultures use to defrag? We need that down-time to meditate or whatever it is that aids in relaxation.

How about irregardless of shift our employers ensure that staff get their breaks. When nurses complain about working their shifts without breaks, it is always placed back onto the nurses: ie: we must not organize our time very well. The fact of the matter is that in this profession we actually need to be relieved for breaks in order to ensure that we get them.

Funny how employers are never disciplined when it comes to this issue. It is an unspoken and unwritten rule apparently that nurses are not entitled to the same rights as other employees within the institution (ie: any staff who is not involved with direct patient care, clerks, housekeepers, dietary, etc).

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Ok, we are talking about taking a short nap during a break here - our own time. Nobody is suggesting that anyone abandoning patients or sleeping for hours. I better not get caught sleeping in North Carolina? Honey, based on your input, I wouldn't be caught dead in North Carolina. :rotfl:

As a profession, we should certainly have grown enough by now to stop the pettiness. With the advent of 12 hour shifts, it is sub-human for anyone to suggest a person should be expected to be some kind of automaton without a home life where neighbor kids, postal workers, family members and others who interrupt the sleep we would like to be getting in off hours.

Have they noticed in North Carolina or other places that people aren't exactly lining up in the streets for jobs in nursing? Wonder why?

Twelve hour shifts stink in my opinion. The other thing that stinks is hypocrisy. If you have access to a private office, and nobody can see you sleeping, were you really sleeping? Personally, I say yes - but I know plenty who would vehemently deny that it is. That is the hypocrisy that promotes the pettiness that makes nursing a sub-profession. Until we overcome that and respect each other as human beings maybe we can get the respect we are looking for as a profession.

It would be a step up not to threaten people with archaic laws from a state where they don't live. Get input to the state board, change things to bring nursing into the 21st century. Break time is your own time. Most of us are still women, and we need to stand together to stand up for ourselves.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

What a very active thread this has been with a lot of responses! Having been a nurse manager and supervisor here is what I would do (and have done). Once an employee is in the building, all the employee rules apply. Sleeping on the job where there are patients being cared for is a safety issue. So, first of all, if the rules of the facility are "no sleeping on the job" that includes breaks. The reasoning is because the nurse (and that includes all categories of employees), even when in the break room, needs to be available for an emergency that might come up. It is very difficult to be aroused from sleep, jump up, and attend to a patient who is coding, having a seizure, respond to a fire alarm, or whatever. I know that when I am awakened suddenly from sleep, I start shaking and can't stop for awhile. How can I push an IV med, let alone draw it up while I'm shaking like that? Secondly, if you like the nurse and want to keep her, and the facility rules do not make sleeping on the job an automatic termination, put her into your disciplinary protocol. Have her written up for the sleeping by the person who observed it and then put her through your facility's disciplinary process. Reassure her that as long as the sleeping stops things will not go any further. However, if she's found sleeping again, the disciplinary process will proceed to the next phase.

By doing this you're addressing the problem, allowing her to keep her job, and putting the onus on her to correct her behavior. I would let her come up with some solutions as to how to prevent this from happening again. Actually, something similar to that should already be a part of your disciplinary process. By having her come up with some of the corrections you assure a much better outcome to all of this. She may want to go to another shift, or I would recommend that she take her breaks earlier. Nightshift people are more likely to fall asleep after their 4am rounds and before the 6am activity starts. If she is unable to problem solve this herself (which may be possible since she hasn't done anything about it up to now) I would recommend that she plan some work activities around that time to help her overcome any sleepiness she has.

Lastly, make sure this is addressed on her yearly evaluation.

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How can I push an IV med, let alone draw it up while I'm shaking like that?
Please get a thorough neuro workup - I'm serious. Some people sleep deeply, some don't. You have a personal problem that you are projecting onto others. What about the resident you just called out of sleep? Residency seperates those who can wake up and function from those who can't.
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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
Please get a thorough neuro workup - I'm serious. Some people sleep deeply, some don't. You have a personal problem that you are projecting onto others. What about the resident you just called out of sleep? Residency seperates those who can wake up and function from those who can't.

I completely concur! :)

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
What a very active thread this has been with a lot of responses! Having been a nurse manager and supervisor here is what I would do (and have done). Once an employee is in the building, all the employee rules apply. Sleeping on the job where there are patients being cared for is a safety issue. So, first of all, if the rules of the facility are "no sleeping on the job" that includes breaks. The reasoning is because the nurse (and that includes all categories of employees), even when in the break room, needs to be available for an emergency that might come up. It is very difficult to be aroused from sleep, jump up, and attend to a patient who is coding, having a seizure, respond to a fire alarm, or whatever. I know that when I am awakened suddenly from sleep, I start shaking and can't stop for awhile. How can I push an IV med, let alone draw it up while I'm shaking like that? Secondly, if you like the nurse and want to keep her, and the facility rules do not make sleeping on the job an automatic termination, put her into your disciplinary protocol. Have her written up for the sleeping by the person who observed it and then put her through your facility's disciplinary process. Reassure her that as long as the sleeping stops things will not go any further. However, if she's found sleeping again, the disciplinary process will proceed to the next phase.

By doing this you're addressing the problem, allowing her to keep her job, and putting the onus on her to correct her behavior. I would let her come up with some solutions as to how to prevent this from happening again. Actually, something similar to that should already be a part of your disciplinary process. By having her come up with some of the corrections you assure a much better outcome to all of this. She may want to go to another shift, or I would recommend that she take her breaks earlier. Nightshift people are more likely to fall asleep after their 4am rounds and before the 6am activity starts. If she is unable to problem solve this herself (which may be possible since she hasn't done anything about it up to now) I would recommend that she plan some work activities around that time to help her overcome any sleepiness she has.

Lastly, make sure this is addressed on her yearly evaluation.

:o :nono:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Once an employee is in the building, all the employee rules apply. Sleeping on the job where there are patients being cared for is a safety issue. So, first of all, if the rules of the facility are "no sleeping on the job" that includes breaks.

The point is that staying in the buidling is a courtesy. This being the case, my point would be FINE! I'll take a nap in my car during my break and won't be available, regardless.

It is, after all, an UNPAID break - I can take it anywhere - taking it in the breakroom was simply a courtesy.

~faith,

Timothy.

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:confused: I am a nurse manager in a HR dept. It has been reported to me that a nurse who was working 12N informed her CNAs that she was going to be in the facility break room for her 30 min lunch if they needed her. The ADON of the facility came in at 5AM (early for 12D shift) and saw the nurse with her head down on the break room table. Instead of approaching her she went to the nurse's station and in 10 min the nurse returned from the break room. Is this an acceptable practice since we deduct 30min for lunch or is this grounds for disciplinary action? The ADON was upset stating that she did not know how long she had been in there that night and then the DON started questioning "how long has she been sleeping on the job" - meaning the two months she has been employed. The DON has made statements that patients were neglected and that she should be discharged and reported to the nursing board. The nurse has told me that she saves her break until the later part of her shift so that she can get a burst of energy for the end of her shift job duties and the long drive home. The nurse feels that her break time is her personal time and she was still accessible to the staff and patients if the need arose ie instead of going to her car. The nurse had excellent references and has received numerous compliments from our day time staff. I feel I should recommend assigning her to straight day sfts to not lose a good employee but feel that others would want her to be discharged to set the example of no tolerance, but with her rebuttal of personal time I feel unsure of how to proceed. They have mentioned that it was an isolated incident that was poor professional judgement on her part, but to me it seems that she had thought out her actions and did not feel she was doing anything wrong so I wanted fellow night nurse's opinion of this or similar incidences. Thanks so much.

I really dislike this nurse manager...and I have never met her. From what you describe, she is a horrible human being. She is actually going to report this person to the nursing board? Gimme a break. Most nurses don't even get time for a break...yet we are still deducted AUTOMATICALLY the thirty minute lunch. The powers-that-be seem to be okay with this though -- they have no problem letting us work for free. It makes me sick. If I want to lay my weary head on a table for a few minutes...ON MY DIME, it's nobody's business but my own. This manager really needs to ask herself what kind of person wants to ruin someone's career simply because they made the most of their measly 30 minute break (and that is probably a twelve hour shift which usually ends up being more like 13 or 14 hours with barely a moment to pee). This is why there is a nursing shortage.

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:confused: I am a nurse manager in a HR dept. It has been reported to me that a nurse who was working 12N informed her CNAs that she was going to be in the facility break room for her 30 min lunch if they needed her. The ADON of the facility came in at 5AM (early for 12D shift) and saw the nurse with her head down on the break room table. Instead of approaching her she went to the nurse's station and in 10 min the nurse returned from the break room. Is this an acceptable practice since we deduct 30min for lunch or is this grounds for disciplinary action? The ADON was upset stating that she did not know how long she had been in there that night and then the DON started questioning "how long has she been sleeping on the job" - meaning the two months she has been employed. The DON has made statements that patients were neglected and that she should be discharged and reported to the nursing board. The nurse has told me that she saves her break until the later part of her shift so that she can get a burst of energy for the end of her shift job duties and the long drive home. The nurse feels that her break time is her personal time and she was still accessible to the staff and patients if the need arose ie instead of going to her car. The nurse had excellent references and has received numerous compliments from our day time staff. I feel I should recommend assigning her to straight day sfts to not lose a good employee but feel that others would want her to be discharged to set the example of no tolerance, but with her rebuttal of personal time I feel unsure of how to proceed. They have mentioned that it was an isolated incident that was poor professional judgement on her part, but to me it seems that she had thought out her actions and did not feel she was doing anything wrong so I wanted fellow night nurse's opinion of this or similar incidences. Thanks so much.

She was in the facility-she had not left the premises. She was reachable by the staff. She is entitled to this time by law. You don't indicate there was any evidence with regard to the actual amount of time she took off The DON did not show any understanding of the law and made comments that she could be indeed sued for should what she accused this nurse of be untrue. This is especially true if she did not actually witness any wrongdoing, but only surmised it ALOUD which only makes the situation worse for the facility. She has set up herself and the facility for a huge lawsuit.

Who is the irresponsible employee here?

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