Sleeping on the job..acceptable or not?

littlehippie · Jul 21, 2006

When I was a CNA, about 10 years ago, I was allowed to doze in the dining room on the unit, with blanket & pillow provided by the nurses! They would wake us for every callbell. I thought it was wierd, but not being a 3rd shift CNA, and coming in during an emergency shortage, I thought it was nice of them :)

As an LPN, I've let the girls nap, but when the bells get out of hand, I do wake them up. I know they have kids to go home to & are exhausted. I, myself, would never nap as a nurse in charge, altho I have had supv that think nothing of it, and CAN'T be woken up because they are in a deep sleep - that is scary to me.

Sher

Rashandap · Jul 21, 2006

I'm sorry this is just pitiful. In no way is it responsible to sleep on the job. If you are your break that is fine, do what you want. But to be asleep when you should be on the floor, what if something happens is a few extra minutes of sleep worth possibly someones life, and your license.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2006

I'm sorry this is just pitiful. In no way is it responsible to sleep on the job. If you are your break that is fine, do what you want. But to be asleep when you should be on the floor, what if something happens is a few extra minutes of sleep worth possibly someones life, and your license.

I agree nurses shouldn't be asleep on duty unless it is their break but there are ways and means of dealing with it without getting outraged and reporting other nurses. We need to stop this culture of trying to get nurses into trouble. I have never ever slept on duty in 17yrs but I have compassion and understanding with my fellow collegues and unless it was getting out of hand I would deal with it myself and not report the nurse.

The only way I would report a nurse was if they became angry or difficult when discussing their habit of falling asleep.

Dont get me wrong I have had times when I feel awful and my eyes just want to close but I would walk up and down-get a drink and absorb myself in a task.

If my eyes closed should I have been reported NO a nudge would have been sufficient to bring me back to reality and enable me to go do something to help stop my eyes closing.

We are all human and I feel we should be supportive-I would have been embarresssed and distraught if I had ever fallen asleep on duty so give them a chance and send them to the next bell.

LeahJet, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2006

Just a quick question..... how many of these that are so anti-nap...smoke?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2006

Just a quick question..... how many of these that are so anti-nap...smoke?

A good question

Another one how many anti nappers work the night shift at this moment in time?????

georgeswife · Jul 21, 2006

I am anti nap and I do not smoke and do not even go out of the building during my shift.

ONSnrs · Jul 21, 2006

reporting for sound-off.

I work the night shift. I don't smoke, I have never napped, ever. If someone cannot stay awake at night, then they should work the day shift.

fergus51 · Jul 21, 2006

I work night shift and don't nap.

But, I prefer working with the nappers than the smokers. Those girls are ALWAYS on break some nights. Oh, and even though I don't nap, I rarely miss my breaks. I don't apologize for taking them and won't let anyone tell me what I can do on them unless they are paying me.

catinacatina · Jul 21, 2006

Considering how hard it is to get all the work done regardless of the shift; Iam fairly surprised any hospital is willing to pay an employee to sleep on the job. A code is a potential enventuality in any unit. How can these people function if you need them and they have to be awaken from a deep sleep. The practice borders on neglect to patients and is definetly a patient safety issue. The DON and manager of the unit needs to address this practice before it becomes a potential patient safety problem. I work nights for the first 10 years of my 26 year career as a nurse. I had two LPN and Two CNA for 50 patients on nights; believe no one was sleeping.

jannrn · Jul 21, 2006

like some have said, what I do on my break is my business. During our breaks our ratio is kept at 5:1, so I know my pt are taken care of, report is given to the nurse covering my pt, most of the nurses here will go to an empty room and sit in a recliner. If we fall asleep.... what is wrong with that? I still don't understand. I think we need to make sure we know the difference between that and slippping away to sleep with no one else watching the pt, or taking advantage of your co-workers and leaving them twice the pt to care for. (or some of your regular work to do) I know some nurses sit and eat and read the paper or smoke on thier break, we prefer to put our feet up and rest our eyes! Our smaller breaks are spent getting a bite to eat, which does not take a whole 30 min here! (guess we are not big eaters!) and yes, if we are very busy, we may not get our breaks, but since our unit fluctuates so much it is not every shift and we don't burn out, it is a nice change of pace to be busy (no breaks) to alot of quiet and sitting waiting for a pt to call...

Rnandsoccermom · Jul 21, 2006

The problem where I work is that people come to work and EXPECT to sleep. They have another job and want to sleep at work so they'll be fresh in the am to go to the other job. They get upset when patients go bad, or when admissions come. They don't do dressings etc... using every excuse possible so they can make time for their naps. The tele techs sleep in front of the monitors.

They do not get fired because it is an LTAC and they don't have people coming in looking for jobs, ie: don't scare people away, we don't have enough help to begin with. People do what they know they can get away with.

I have a friend who worked at a hospital where during report they planned their sleeping breaks. It all came crashing down one night when a RN went in to pass 6 o'clock meds after her nap and found a patient dead lying in a HUGE pool of blood on the floor.

Next time you have a family member in the hospital remember this.

LeahJet, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2006

I am anti nap and I do not smoke and do not even go out of the building during my shift.

Oh, I figured the non smokers would answer this question.:)

I wasn't really expecting anyone to pipe up and say.."Yes, I take several smoke breaks a night but all hell and damnation to those that take naps!!" (exaggeration for effect here)