Sleep Rooms

Personally I can see it benefiting everyone but management as employment of more nurse may be needed so everyone gets chance to sleep/nap on their break

I think it's because physicians work longer shifts... Some on my surgeons are up 24+ hours.

We can barely pee or take meal breaks. How could we sleep?

We can barely pee or take meal breaks. How could we sleep?

Exactly.

Plus, I am never tired at night... I sleep in the daytime before I go to work.

In the beautiful world of ideas, this sounds nice. In the practical world, I don't see this working.

Some nurses who already do the minimum would take advantage of a sleep room to do even less. Someone would have to cover their patients. Would nurses have to clock out for naps? Would the hospital need to set aside more rooms for nurses to sleep and decrease the number of patient beds? What about pillows and bed linens, who would provide? What night nurse has that kind of time?

The article talks about "[COLOR=#000000]nurses were at least twice as likely to make a medical error when working extended shifts (12.5 hours or longer.)" - See more at: | NurseTogether.com[/COLOR]

I have worked some long shifts, usually scheduled 12.5, but if all heck is breaking loose, or someone is late, you end up there longer.

At that point a nap room is not going to do you any good, because you won't be able to access it. The very reason you are still there, (all heck breaking loose) will prevent you from taking a nap. By the time it's done, I'd rather go home and sleep a good stretch in my own bed then bunk down for 20 mins in a nap room.

There are differences between countries regarding workplace culture and what is considered acceptable. Back when I worked med-surg it was common practice for the night nurses to each take a 30 minute- 1 hour nap every night. This is and was condoned by management as long as patient needs/status allowed it and of course another nurse took responsiblity for the napping nurse's patients. A nurse is considered capable to judge when it is suitable to take a nap and when it isn't.

We try to schedule as few tasks and meds as possible from a safety/quality care perspective between midnight and 6 am. The goal is that the patients should be getting undisturbed sleep if at all possible. Most nights were quiet enough so that one nurse at a time could nap while the others checked on/took care of the patients. Personally I wouldn't nap very often, but only due to the fact that I'm a real night owl and I habitually consume large quantities of coffee and Swedish coffee is strong..

There are several reasons why naps are allowed. One being that people who've been awake all night and have worked a long shift can be a danger to themselves and others when driving a car and many nurses drive home from work.

Our physicians very seldom work +24 hour shifts. In my personal opinion shifts like that should be reserved for disasters and wartime. Under normal circumstances I think that extremely long shifts are just proof of either poor planning by the employer or the perpetuation of some age-old tradition that really doesn't promote patient safety. Human beings get tired. Tired humans lose focus and make mistakes. I personally don't want someone who's been awake for more than a day to be wielding the scalpel should I need surgery.

I feel like I would lose my momentum if I napped during a shift. It's rare that I don't find a way to eat or use the bathroom at least a couple times a night, but if I took a 20 minute nap, I'd be down for the count. Better for me to just stay up. Even if this was available on my unit, I probably would not utilize it.

I never worked anywhere as a floor nurse where I didn't regularly get my break, day or night shift. As such, it would have been nice to have a real bed to lie down in if I wanted to, as opposed to a few chairs lined up in the break room. I agree it could get out of control if nurses are leaving the floor for naps at times outside of their regular break time. Otherwise, I think it's a sensible and humane idea.

I agree with macawake it depends on the workplace culture and what is considered acceptable. I have worked places where it was an option for a nurse to take a thirty minute nap in the lounge or breakroom provided the nap didn't interfere with patient care and the nurse was accessible to colleagues if they needed assistance.

I feel like I would lose my momentum if I napped during a shift. It's rare that I don't find a way to eat or use the bathroom at least a couple times a night, but if I took a 20 minute nap, I'd be down for the count. Better for me to just stay up. Even if this was available on my unit, I probably would not utilize it.

Agreed, same. I would also be too paranoid/keyed up to sleep. I worry about my patients when I'm not watching them. Until I officially sign off and clock out for the shift, I always have one eyeball on my patients, even at meal break. Can't help it, can't shut it off.

We try to schedule as few tasks and meds as possible from a safety/quality care perspective between midnight and 6 am. The goal is that the patients should be getting undisturbed sleep if at all possible.

Oh, how I wish this were the case!

Last night on various patients I hung IVPB antibiotics or fluids at midnight, 2am, 3:30am, and 5am. I had IV or PO meds at midnight, 2:30am, 4am, 5am, and 6am. One patient has straight caths scheduled at 3am (her normal at-home scheduled time). Tube feeding residuals and flushes at midnight and 4am on one patient, plus midnight and 6am blood glucose on that same patient. Vitals at midnight and 4am on all patients. There were also a couple scheduled breathing treatments between midnight and 6am (respiratory does those, but it's still a nighttime interruption). One patient had an EKG at 5am. And all but one patient had morning lab draws done between 4am and 6am.

And the preceding examples don't include all the treatments/medications/dressing changes scheduled from 7pm-midnight, plus the toileting, snacks, and beverage requests throughout the night.

And we wonder why people don't get any sleep in the hospital?