Night shift and Sleeping

[jaznia15]

This is a spinoff thread from the thread about the nurse getting caught sleeping. I have always wondered if everyone stays awake on night shift (RN Wise). I am a CNA (getting my BSN in May) and every NURSING HOME I have worked in, workers have slept between rounds mostly CNAs but some nurses (LPNs). I have a big fear that I will end up falling asleep during night shift in the hospital and was wondering what keeps night shift nurses up at night??? Is it an easy feat or does it require a bunch of coffee and willpower???

[woknblues]

"Somebody" told me this story, and I will recount it here:

Nearly all of my coworkers sleep from around 2-4am. I was a new nurse, and wanted to show that I was a hard worker, etc, and stayed up, straightened out paperwork, charting, setting up for the next day, etc. I would drive home exhausted and sleep all day and whatnot, and kept the "reverse world schedule" for a few months. Then one day I realized that nobody cared whether I did the extra work or not, even more things would get "left" for night shift to do, etc. I took an couple hour "nap" and since then I have never looked back. Of course, situations arise, we always have a pointman, to watch, and get going quickly if need be, but if there is nothing to do, I figured out how to stop "being a good employee", and start living life. I go home, take a 2-4 hour nap and by noon, I am normal. I hold my significant other when we sleep at night on my days off, instead of up on the internet, alone and bored, or reading book after book, like a vampire. I work hard the very second I start my shift, and get everything done, barring extraordinary circumstances, and that happens too.. I am a team player, and never say no to any task, and look for ways to improve everything I do, and what our unit

One thing that I also learned is that the day shifters who would talk down to the night shift for doing such last in nights about 2 weeks before crawling back to day shift. I have absolutely no guilt. Come and play if you think it is easy. We will run circles around you.

[nuffkids]

NO NO NO...Never ever sleep while working nights if it is not an asleep overnight position. There is plenty to do on nights and much less stress as there are not supervisors or visitors to deal with, but it is your license on the line. Very bad idea. I work nights now and commute 1 hr. I usually go to bed around 11 am until 3 pm then a little snooze between 7 and 9 and I am good to go. Even if you feel that you don't need to sleep force yourself. On night I worked and didn't sleep the next day then went to work that night and did fall asleep on the way to work. Thank God for the rumble strip on the side of the road...I was not meant to die that night however now I force myself to be rested before my shift. I even use benedryl or otc sleep aids if I can't sleep to ensure I'll get much needed rest. I love working nights it is the best. I am working when everyone's asleep, I'm up when my daughter gets home from school I can go to all of her afterschool/evening activities and still have a life and get a paycheck.

[bethann27]

I absolutely love working nights - doesn't matter if it's 8 or 12's. The team work is incredible on nights so it's easy to give great care. The tired feeling hits me between 2 & 4 days or nights - so I just deal with it - drink coffee or soda - walk rounds or find something to do like clean out a fridge or wipe down something dirty.

The only downside is that in LTC the MD & hospice don't really want to be bothered during the night so you have to save it til morning unless it's an emergency & then scramble to take off orders, etc to leave on time.

And yes, to answer your question directly . . . many people nap at night. One hour just isn't worth it for me - it only makes me more tired. The people we care for have 24 hour nursing because they NEED it! So that's enough reason for me to stay awake and be available at all times.

Day shift nursing makes me want to leave the field entirely!

[EduardoLugo]

What CNAs do during the night shift? Like say.. 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Patients are usually sleeping, right?

Like what task CNA do during the night shift?

[BrookeeLou_RN]

Where are these hospitals where all the patients sleep all night? I have been a patient and had family members and if anything... it is a joke to think a patient could actually rest/sleep in a hospital. In some places night staff has a habit of being loud.. yes I know it is a perception due to facility being quieter in general but voices carry and that alone keeps patients awake.

[Zombi RN]

Patients are usually sleeping? Are you kidding? CNAs take vitals at night, blood sugars if ordered, turn patients every two hours, and most frequently, take people to the bathroom and/or clean them up all night long. I know when I worked ortho/neuro, I spent my entire night running around taking patient after patient to the bathroom. Patients certainly do not sleep all night. Granted, my experience is entirely comprised of acute care, but still.

[nuffkids]

At my facility they answer call bells, do rounds every two hours to change anyone who needs it and reposition those that need it. They have duties such as wheel chair washing filling portable o2's getting patients up, cleaned and dressed for breakfast..very busy!

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

One thing that I also learned is that the day shifters who would talk down to the night shift for doing such last in nights about 2 weeks before crawling back to day shift. I have absolutely no guilt. Come and play if you think it is easy. We will run circles around you.

LOL, you'll run circles around day shift while you nap for 2 hours out of...a 12 hour shift? Or worse, an 8 hour? Wish I knew where that person worked because they wouldn't have that job much longer. How detestable. You get paid to work, not sleep.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

I don't have a problem staying awake on night shift. Most of the patients don't sleep more than 3 hours at a time, they need prn meds, I don't leave them in wet briefs for day shift to discover, we do chart checks, documentation, print out new sheets for the charts when the old ones are full, and we are our own charge nurse and unit clerk. Gosh, I don't feel guilty now when I actually get to take my half hour lunch uninterrupted, considering some of you are "napping." Sleep when you're not working, geniuses. They pay you to work at night. No wonder people look down on night shift.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I can see resting your eyes for 10 min on a night. I have done this. But actually SLEEPING for 30 min, an hour, whatever...especially if you are the lead person, is not acceptable. If you are sleeping, you aren't fully aware of what is going on, or able to react as quickly. We have residents that have fallen while we were 2 feet away. Things can happen in an instant. We all know this. So if you can't stay awake working nights on a regular basis, then don't accept the shift. Night shift pays more for a reason...because they need staff who are willing and able to stay awake.

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

I must say that when I did nights there were those who did sleep. I was not one of them!

But I must add, when say 4 or 5 o'clock rolled around and you could have one or more codes running, usually the nurses who were in top form had slept.

In general, I can't say that sleeping on one's shift is a bad thing.

[Caffeine_IV]

I'm too busy to sleep but at times I do get tired and I will

-get coffee or a soda

-walk the halls

-stock supplies

-talk to an awake patient (even the confused ones)

-turn the A/C on full blast if possible

I worked in a nursing home in the past and several workers would go into the empty rooms and sleep and even one BOLD agency nurse brought a blanket every time she came which was often.

She slept for probably 6 of the 12 hours and only passed the narcotics (since they were counted).