Sleeping on the job..acceptable or not?

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

WOW...I couldn't imagine a time anyone could sleep at my hospital...it is 24/7 and I mean 24/7 it never ever stops! So much to do, so much responsiblity...and not enough hours in a shift let alone a day! WOW!

If I caught someone sleeping during shift...uhggggg grrrrr! I would see if they were sick or unable to work and vote for them to go home and sleep if they have a very VALID reason. I did see one lady that fell asleep and what was going on was a probelm with her BP, she was admitted to the Er and hospitalized with dehydration and a new heart condition (I can't remember what)...so I mean..that was valid, and actually not really under her control (she kinda passed out)...

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

I once had a unit manager who made no bones about the fact that she didn't like me. Said I wasn't "cool" enough to work on her unit. She used to ask me every night if I would like to go lay down and take a nap. Of course I always said no, because every job I've ever had sleeping on it was an immediate termination. You can bet the guy at the top would not be pleased to find out he was paying people for nothing, even if some lower management allows it just to keep some people happy.

banditrn · Jul 16, 2006

I have been a nurse for 18 years, a traveling nurse for the past 5 years. I have worked in many states,recently in Florida. My question is when did it become acceptable to SLEEP on the job? I agree that you should be able to sleep on your breaks but come on..3-4 hours a night!
The hospital that I work weekends in Miami the CNA's on 7p-7a shift get vitals @ midnight then sleep until the 4am rush. Most of the staff is asleep just leaving a few nurses on the floor to answer call lights and do all the work.When I do find the CNA to get them up to do their job so I can do mine they get mad...and the other nurses act weird about me waking them up!!It seems to be everywhere..hospitals,private duty,and nursing homes...
Has anyone noticed this trend or is it just me?

Would this be tolerated on day shift? A big NO, so why should they be doing it at nite? :uhoh3:

Even in LTC, I find that nite shift is usually busy. NO ONE has any business sleeping if they are getting paid to work. I think I'd be talking to the nurse manager about this one.

Gabie Baby · Jul 16, 2006

Where did she say she didn't complain? She said they've been complaining about it for years and the managers did nothing. When the patient has a need and the nurse is not there, are you going to ignore the patient's needs?
Dutch uncles and aunts don't call people idiots. Humph (as opposed to the dreaded sheesh).

They have not been complaining for years to the right people. One call to HR, one call to the Prez of her institution or to the Med Dir and it SHOULD all be history.

And if her pt has a need, I think that's when those calls ought to be made. "Mr. Head of HR, Ms. Hosp. Administrator, pt. Smith in 303 is calling for her nurse, Ms. Dozey Drowsy, who I last saw 1 hour ago carrying a pillow and blankie down to the Nurses' lounge. I have to run take care of Ms. Smith now but could you look into where Ms. Drowsy has been for an hour? Thank you, good bye."

Any top dog worth his or her title would investigate and correct the trouble so fast it wouldn't even be funny. It would not take "years".

Gabie Baby · Jul 16, 2006

WOW...I couldn't imagine a time anyone could sleep at my hospital...it is 24/7 and I mean 24/7 it never ever stops! So much to do, so much responsiblity...and not enough hours in a shift let alone a day! WOW!
If I caught someone sleeping during shift...uhggggg grrrrr! I would see if they were sick or unable to work and vote for them to go home and sleep if they have a very VALID reason. I did see one lady that fell asleep and what was going on was a probelm with her BP, she was admitted to the Er and hospitalized with dehydration and a new heart condition (I can't remember what)...so I mean..that was valid, and actually not really under her control (she kinda passed out)...

This is a totally different situation than the OP described.

Gabie Baby · Jul 16, 2006

We occasionally have that problem, but the night shift nurses send home sleeping aides or nurses when they are caught sleeping. Usually it's and agency nurse of CNA and we put them on out Do Not Return list.

She's scared, as she is a traveler. Nevertheless, she has a legal obligation to be a pt advocate and she is shirking it. I know it's not easy to be an advocate. Advocates often get trouble for doing what is right. Nevertheless, she has got to do it.

catlady, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

They have not been complaining for years to the right people. One call to HR, one call to the Prez of her institution or to the Med Dir and it SHOULD all be history.
And if her pt has a need, I think that's when those calls ought to be made. "Mr. Head of HR, Ms. Hosp. Administrator, pt. Smith in 303 is calling for her nurse, Ms. Dozey Drowsy, who I last saw 1 hour ago carrying a pillow and blankie down to the Nurses' lounge. I have to run take care of Ms. Smith now but could you look into where Ms. Drowsy has been for an hour? Thank you, good bye."
Any top dog worth his or her title would investigate and correct the trouble so fast it wouldn't even be funny. It would not take "years".

This is one of those interventions that sounds really good on paper, on the Internet, in theory, but that is not so simple when put into practice. Perhaps calling the HR director at home, at night (as if you even had their number), might torch the sleeper's career, but it would also torch yours.

I worked nights for many years, and I didn't mind if someone took their 30 minute break as nap time, off the unit where they weren't seen. What you do with your unpaid break is your own business. Unfortunately that was often abused. But those problems need to be addressed by nursing management. Those are the people who need to be accountable for what's happening on their unit. The use of the term "idiots" to describe nurses whose managers are weak and ineffective is like degrading a child for being beaten.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

Would this be tolerated on day shift? A big NO, so why should they be doing it at nite?
I dont think day and night shifts and sleeping can be compared

NoWaNrN, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

That's so funny, I'm a new nurse on nights and one of my aids fell asleep! I was like what is going on here? Right in front of the nurses station she got a blanket and fell asleep. I thought it was grounds for termination also. News to my ears it happens alot!

dorimar, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

Wow Gabie baby,

I just checked my email and saw what you wrote and had to jump right over to ALLNURSES to set you straight.

I worked that unit for 8 years. Got great evaluations and pateint care excellence awards. Was asked to precept the new nurses often. I was well respected and treated well. I was proud of the care we gave there.

This nurse was just one little piece of the problems that started there and escalated. The hard working expeirienced nurses started getting their advanced practice degrees and leaving the hospital. That left larger numbers of lazy nurses relative to us hard workers. Then they started hiring large amounts of new grads, and due to the shortage, allowed them duties and assignmets that they were not trained or ready for. The rapid response nurse was not in the count, and depending who it was, many times they were found doing nothing while those on the unit busted their asses with no help. Alarms would go unanswered. Those of us who answered alarms and pointed them out, started getting attitude and eye rolls. The hard working competant nurses remaining on the unit lost respect and power and were essentially scoffed at. Unsafe practices started to become the norm. These issues (including the sleeper)were repeatedly brought first to the night charge, then, when nothing was done, to the nurse manager. I and some of my peers (and the day shift nurses who knew what was going on because they came on to these messes daily) were very honest and upfront. I wrote detailed emails to my manager and charges. All that happened was that my charge nurse started screwing me in schedule and assignment. All of a sudden i never got a requested day off (never had a problem with my schedule in 8 years prior to this) , and now started to always have the worst assignments. This was not paranoia as many others noticed this.

When things stayed the same, a group of us followed the chain of command and went to our manager's director. I had copies of all my emails and she got to see first hand the way things had progressed. She assured us she would fix things. However, the unit had become very divided and alot of hateful things were being done and said. The hard working nurses had staff that hated us and management as well. It was an impossible situation. I quit that place a couple months after we went to upper management. It was a very heartbreaking time for me.

The good news is, that now 5 months after i have quit, my manager and night charge were pushed out by the director who begged me to give her time to fix the problems. I wish i would have been more patient. Now they are training new nurses better, listening to preceptors who point out problems, and the sleeper is about to be fired i'm told. I have been asked to come back. Despite all that happened I now think i did make a difference.

But don't tell me about it being my fault for not complaiing to the right people. That idiot remark was ridiculous. I put my neck on the line to help that place. I can't stand to hear people express such know- it- all rude sentiment without knowing the full story, or being in the shoes of someone else.

banditrn · Jul 17, 2006

I dont think day and night shifts and sleeping can be compared
My point is - staff wouldn't even think of sleeping on the day shift, so why would they do it at nite? I think that if you can't conduct your time to get the needed sleep during the day, you need to find something else to do.
Patients are just as sick and need care at nite so why should part of the staff work their tails off for the ones that want to sleep?

ItsyBitsySpider, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

You need to make this problem known RIGHT NOW to the DON, HR, the accrediting body, and the state agency that licenses these nurses and CNA's. This is patient abandonment.
I would not trouble myself to worry if the other nurses "act weird" when you wake the aides up. I would let my aides know, at the start of every shift, that I expect them to be awake and on duty, where I can see them, all shift. Yes, they are to tell me when they need to go to the john, go out to smoke (and BTW that will be exactly 2 15 minute breaks or whatever your state law calls for), or take their lunch break, if Night shift gets a lunch break. If they want to combine all their breaks and take 1 one hour break, fine. They will go one at a time. If they are so much as 1 second late, I will be notifying the above-named people.
Stop fearing them, stop being part of the problem. I wish you well, I know it's not easy to stand up to these good-for-nothings but if you don't, your pts could suffer and you will be doing their work. Do you really want to be paid for one job while doing 2?

Ok, there are two extremes here. One with the lazy bums sleeping and Gabie Baby sounds like she's running a military academy. I think it's absurd that anyone, CNA's or RN's, would sleep on their shift, but at the same time, I think giving people a little leeway is ok too. As long as they dont take advantage of it. I would absolutely report the CNA's and RN's that are sleeping through half the shift. I would not report someone for being one second late.