NNP 24 hour coverage

[mybooboo]

Just wanted to have an idea if there are any NNP covering 24-hour shifts in the NICU. If yes, are any of you members of a professional nursing union? How does your organisation provide for rest periods during your shift?

[babyNP., APRN]

I would be curious how this works as well; I'm in NNP school and I see "24 hour" shifts as part of an institution's scheduling. I assume you go to sleep when you want and wake up if there's an issue with the patients or run to a high risk delivery?

[Humbled_Nurse]

I am not an NNP, but have worked with several. Generally they do work 24 hour shifts. Although some do work 12 hour shifts as well. I think the small/medium community hospital NICUs use 24 hour NNP coverage. The neonatologist may only be there during the day. The bigger tertiary care type NICUs may have 12 hour shifts since they have 24 hour neonatology coverage. Usually during the day the neonatologists are there making rounds with the NNPs. The NNPs can sleep at night, but yes, they are called for any issues in the unit, any admissions, and any high risk deliveries so there is no guarantee of a full nights sleep :) I think for the most part it works out fine.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Ours used to do 24 hour shifts, but about 10 years ago opted to go to 12's. Too many times of absolutely no sleep due to really sick kids and really green residents. The fellows now stay in house. And if it was über busy they wouldn't get out on time.

[littlepeopleRNICU]

I know this is old, but our NNPs do 24-hour shifts, as well. Usually what they'll do is be there and awake the entire day, and then go to the on-call lounge and sleep after things settle down at night. Usually they stay up till at least midnight or so. They're always there for an admit, emergency, or needed phone call though. We have a few who are strictly 12-hour day shift, but they are older. The girls who do 24-hours also do 12s. They just schedule it so they do still have some of a break.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

I worked in a very large level 3 NICU with 24-hour NNP coverage. They rarely got more than an hour of sleep at night because there were too many things going on.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

For us, it's not about the union at all. My union only stipulates that we cannot be mandated to work longer than 16 hours at a time without at least a 4hr sleep break. So at my unit, our 23 NNPs all do 12hr shifts. I sometimes moonlight at a much smaller NICU about 15 min from my main unit, after working a day shift, so it essentially ends up being a 24hr stretch. It can work or be absolute hell. Some nights I can lie down for a few hours and rest, others I end up going to 12 deliveries, get admission after admission, or end up bailing out the resident team overnight when things get crazy. I think 24s sound good sometimes in the sense that you have continuity of care and you get to work less physical days, but it's really hard on your body. Sometimes I need a day or two just to recover.