Sleeping on the job..acceptable or not?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

I see a couple of problems with this.
First, as someone said earlier, sleeping on the job would be frowned on for other shifts. Powernapping on night shift only would be a slap in the face to those of us who work different shifts and couldn't dream (pun intended) of getting a nap during their shifts.
Second, it reinforces the erroneous notion that night shifters don't do any real work.
Third, if allowed, it tends to get out of hand. What if you have an emergency and half the crew has to be roused before they can respond to it? :trout: :wakeneo:
Cabbages do have hearts, it's true. But they aren't getting paid for shutting down at night. I know full well what havoc night shift wreaks on the body. I've worked night shift for years now.
I still get tired, just like everyone else. I still have sleepless days, just like everyone else.
But guess what? If I'm THAT tired, it's unfair of me to impose that attitude and that condition on my patients and my coworkers. If I was THAT tired ALL THE TIME, I would need to change shifts.

Personnally I feel if somebody wanted to have a sleep on day duty then I think they must be unwell or sickening for something as napping during the day is not something adults do normally. However I defy anybody to feel as good on night duty as they do on day duty.

I also feel some nurses have no choice and have to work night duty because that is the only job available

catlady, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

Second, it reinforces the erroneous notion that night shifters don't do any real work.
Third, if allowed, it tends to get out of hand. What if you have an emergency and half the crew has to be roused before they can respond to it? :trout: :wakeneo:

Then they shouldn't let half the crew be on break all at the same time. It is no different than half the crew being down the street at Starbucks on their unpaid break.

I worked nights for many years. Normally I did not take naps, although I worked in an intensive care unit where the nurses pulled their geri-chairs into the utility room every night for their nighty-night while I watched their patients. After that, of course, they had to go into the break room and have their smokes (pre-smoke-free days), while I watched their patients. I could retire on the income of all the breaks I've never had but have been docked for.

But there were a couple of times--and I truly can count them on one hand--that I was so painfully exhausted to the point of visual disturbance, that if I didn't lie down for 30 minutes I was going to be sick or pass out or worse. And I went off the floor into a nurse's lounge, while my patients were covered. Sleeping at the nurse's desk? No way. Sleeping in front of your patient's room? Of course not. But if you've worked nights, you know that nights are different from days, and your sleep off duty is different from the way you sleep after a day shift, and it's silly to try to compare them. Usually the day shift coming on would remark on how fresh I looked, even though I was dog-tired inside and wondering if the drive home would be safe. As for emergencies, have you ever been rousted by the sound of a smoke alarm or the cry of your child? You are alert instantaneously. If the staff is going to nap, they need to do it responsibly, not taking an hour or getting tucked in for beddy-bye. Power nap, that's it.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

I dont care who sleeps or what shift it is, as long as the sleeping party is on a break. Power naps (on your break of course, if you choose to not smoke or eat or exercise or whatever people do on breaks) I just don't like to see people sleeping who are not on their break, but I did see a few accidentally nod off sometimes (never when busy, only on those LONG quiet nights that occassionally occur. (both supervisors included) But, someone wakes them up, while making a joke of it. (some nurses will paint the sleeping party's fingernails with white out, or snap their picture to embarrass them with it). This was the last place I worked. When I worked psych (nights) the one nurse used to sleep for 4-5 hours at a time, and all administration knew about him sleeping. (it was a childrens unit, normally the kids slept until 0500. One tech did get fired for sleeping, but he brought in a pillow, propped himself up, and wrapped up in a blanket infront of the doorway of the pt he was suppossed to be watching who was on suicide precautions. NOT COOL. (his sleeping, that is)

ex1140 · Jul 17, 2006

I work 7p-7a and I don't sleep on the job. However, I do know of nurses and CNAs that do. The closest I've gotten to sleeping on the job was months ago I came to work with a bad chest cold, and when I went on break I was out for about 30 minutes when I realized that I had fallen asleep I jumped up and ran out of the break room like a bat out of hell...:chuckle...remember I was sick that night, and my supervisor knew it...she couldn't understand why I was so imbarressed about falling asleep...but I do not believe in sleeping while at work even if I'm on a break and in the future when I'm sick I'll stay at home...

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

I was a full time night shift hospital nurse for 12 years. I worked 11 PM-7 AM. I never slept on the job and did not tolerate those who did. Our floor was feet flying busy and 11-7 was the time we got most of our admits. It is my belief that if you take a night shift job you are responsible for making sure you are rested enough to do the work. I made sleep my #1 priority.

I never cared what people did on their breaks. However, I really never saw anyone who could take a 30 minute nap, wake up on time, ready to work. I saw hundreds of RNs who crawled into unmade beds or even leave the floor to sleep in other areas of the hospital. I saw people deeply asleep in the break room an hour after their so called "break nap". I resented having to be the wake-up patrol. If I had a dollar for every call light I had to get because half the staff was sleeping, I could have retired long ago.

2 things have to happen...managers need to get their butts in to the unit unannounced on nights. Nurses need to grow up and accept their responsibility of taking care of their sleep needs. I knew far too many nurses who were lured to nights by the money and hoping to slide by while catching a few hours of sleep at work. Absolutely unacceptable.

LeahJet, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

I once worked at a facility in Indianapolis that encouraged you to leave the unit for an hour for your break. They even had a sleep room if you wanted it. I never used it because such a short sleep would just make me irritable. I do admit that the hour break away from the unit was very nice. Not this take a bite, run and do something "break". Every other profession/job gets a real lunch break..... nurses have historically loved the martyr bit. Everyone (myself included) talks about never getting pee breaks or not getting to eat. If anyone ever wants a real break, they are considered weak and not "dedicated". I understand that the staffing issue in nursing is set up in a way that makes it almost impossible to leave the unit without causing a great imposition on your coworkers. That is the only thing that keeps me from taking my right as an employee.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2006

If there are provisions for sleep and it is an organizational policy, that's fine. I also have worked pool for facilities that would pay me to sleep at their location so that I'd be available in case of a crisis. If it is officially sanctioned, I have no problem with it.

I believe sleeping on the job is insidious...one minute everyone tacitly agrees to a 30 minute nap, next thing you know people are out of commission for hours. I also firmly believe sleeping leads to bad impressions of night shift people.

Dewgrl · Jul 18, 2006

We have a few nurses who nod off on nights in the unit. My view is, if you're on your un-paid break, leave the floor and do as you please. What I have a problem with is those who sit and fall asleep at the desk, everynight. When ribbed about it, complain "well I had to do this, this, and this and didn't get any sleep." That's not the unit's problem. I sleep day's becuase I work nights. PERIOD!

Worse when mngmnt's told, they ignore it!

:angryfireIf it was once in a blue moon, I could live with it, but night after night, it get's old!

fergus51 · Jul 18, 2006

Personnally I feel if somebody wanted to have a sleep on day duty then I think they must be unwell or sickening for something as napping during the day is not something adults do normally. However I defy anybody to feel as good on night duty as they do on day duty.
I also feel some nurses have no choice and have to work night duty because that is the only job available

I agree with you.

Frankly, I think anyone who cares what another nurse does on her break is just being a busybody. As long as it's on their unpaid break time, they should be able to do whatever they want. I also think this attitude of "I don't nap, so no one else should be allowed" is somewhat childish. I personally don't nap at work because I know a half hour would never be enough. I prefer to get something to eat and drink but that's just me. I know other nurses who nap and as long as they come back on time and ready to work, I couldn't care less. I would think that the difference between that and what the op is describing would be obvious to anyone.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2006

We have nurses and techs who sleep on their breaks. The only thing that annoys me about that is that sleep in the conference room and break room so a lot of us don't have a eat our food or whatever.

We did have a tech who was sitter for someone with suicidal ideation and would sleep in the room in which he was sitting. I believe he was fired.

achot chavi · Jul 18, 2006

There are certain things in life that go on but are not "right"- It is a well known fact that some nurses or CNA's do sleep on duty and noone can justify it. (just as noone could justify Pres Bill Clintons affairs and he wasn't "fired")

If they are caught- of couse disciplinary actions SHOULD be taken... but rarely are.

In my facility, there are monthly night inspections by adm., In my former facility I once had a nurse tell me not to worry because she always sets her cellphone alarm to wake her by 5am!!!. On top of that I once had a family member come at 3:30 and caught the staff sleeping!!

If staff know that there might be a surprise inspection, they won't sleep so soundly!! :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2006

I agree with you.
Frankly, I think anyone who cares what another nurse does on her break is just being a busybody. As long as it's on their unpaid break time, they should be able to do whatever they want. I also think this attitude of "I don't nap, so no one else should be allowed" is somewhat childish. I personally don't nap at work because I know a half hour would never be enough. I prefer to get something to eat and drink but that's just me. I know other nurses who nap and as long as they come back on time and ready to work, I couldn't care less. I would think that the difference between that and what the op is describing would be obvious to anyone.

Thank you! :yeah:

Many of the people I work with take half hour to forty-five minute breaks to nap and cover each other. I can't do it because it's not long enough for me to feel refreshed. I wind up really groggy and nauseated. It's easier for me to stay up. On the other hand, if I had a 1.5 hour commute like some people have, I would definitely consider it. Especially after working 12 hours.