Sleeping on the job..acceptable or not?

fergus51 · Jul 20, 2006

. I sense disdain usually reserved for nursing supervisors and child molestors.

:lol2: This sentence cracked me up!

Seriously though, if we only allowed those who were able to stay awake all the time work night shift, we'd be really short staffed where I work. It's the reason why people all want to work days. As much as some of them complain about the "heavier" workload and making less money, people are still waiting in line for a chance to be normal and work days and sleep nights.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

Interesting how the anti-nappers seem to suggest that someone who might need a little help forcing their body into an activity it finds truly unnatural, has some kind of deviant character flaw. I sense disdain usually reserved for nursing supervisors and child molestors.

I have to agree with you and Fergus. :lol2:

In a perfect world we would all be able to work nights and sleep all day, then wake up refreshed and work all night. I think we should run a poll to see what percentage of workers sleep well on night duty. By that I mean during the day of course not whilst on duty at night:lol2:

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 20, 2006

This sentence cracked me up!
Seriously though, if we only allowed those who were able to stay awake all the time work night shift, we'd be really short staffed where I work. It's the reason why people all want to work days. As much as some of them complain about the "heavier" workload and making less money, people are still waiting in line for a chance to be normal and work days and sleep nights.

boy ain't that the truth. I don't see too many dang dayshifters lining up to take my place on nights so I can work a "normal" day.:angryfire

It's highly unnatural and abnormal for me to sleep during the day, despite all I try to make it happen. I am a true early riser, early to bed person.

It's horrendous for me to be up all night and only be able to sleep maybe 4 or 5 hours in a given day; my body just won't let it happen. And this is the reason I am doing all I can to go to a dayshift schedule as soon as I can. Trouble is, there are too many people there who have worked forever that stand in front of me. I hate nightshift and by 4 a.m., many nights, I feel tired enough to feel sick. And that is NOT cause I am "not being responsible by getting enough sleep" . I just CANNOT sleep normally during the day.

So I cope the best I can. If that means a power nap on my unpaid break, after seeing all my patients are cared-for and covered (we help one another out at night), SO BE IT. Disdain all you want.

dorimar, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

I don't know why discussions on this site, that involve a difference of opinion, always resort to insults. Are we not professionals? I cared enough about my profession,to share my experience related to this topic. I obvioulsy have strong feelings related to this topic, as i stated ( I put my neck out for a place i really cared about, and was very hurt by that) . However, I did NOT insult anyone, even though many of you have expressed very harsh opinions, and you haven't even been touched by this.

There are plenty of day shift jobs if you can't work nights. They may not be on a primo unit you wanted experience on, but they are available. If you can't stay awake at work, then you should work a shift in which you can, even if this means taking lower pay in an office or on a M/S unit . I have never worked a facility in which the RN was allowed to leave the fiacility, by the way- against policy everywhere i have worked (many places). Also if you are taking 30 minutes to 1 hour (at least) to sleep, are you giveing up your meal time?

I choose to work nights and know many nurses who do. But... I am able to tolerated it

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 20, 2006

There are *Not* plenty of dayshifts where I work. That is the problem. I have seniority I am not willing to give up, so I stay there. Plus, I like my job a lot...and the coworkers. I just hate nightshift. But never does my job or care for my patients fail due to my being tired. Most of us are way too professional for that. But I agree with those saying, taking a nap on an unpaid break is no sin, if all your work is caught up and your patients are covered. There is nothing wrong with it.

And yes, I do give up my sit-down meal time most times, and combine all my breaks to a period when I can shut my eyes in the breakroom where I can be reached if need be.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

I don't know why discussions on this site, that involve a difference of opinion, always resort to insults. Are we not professionals? I cared enough about my profession,to share my experience related to this topic. I obvioulsy have strong feelings related to this topic, as i stated ( I put my neck out for a place i really cared about, and was very hurt by that) . However, I did NOT insult anyone, even though many of you have expressed very harsh opinions, and you haven't even been touched by this.
There are plenty of day shift jobs if you can't work nights. They may not be on a primo unit you wanted experience on, but they are available. If you can't stay awake at work, then you should work a shift in which you can, even if this means taking lower pay in an office or on a M/S unit . I have never worked a facility in which the RN was allowed to leave the fiacility, by the way- against policy everywhere i have worked (many places). Also if you are taking 30 minutes to 1 hour (at least) to sleep, are you giveing up your meal time?

Who is insulting you? I have read most of the thread and I have found all posts to be harmless.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

When I came to the US I worked on a med/surg heavy floor, I have never ever slept in 17 years on duty. I just feel sick and ill all night, day duty was not an option for me.

I was a ward manager back in the UK and provided the pts were well cared the staff could do what they wanted on their break.

oktravelnurse · Jul 20, 2006

I brought sleeping on the job to my manager's attention right before I left. We had a problem with the charge nurse sleeping on the job, she would even fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. The manager of the unit was aware of the problem but igored it. Finally a family member said she wanted to speak to the charge nurse. I was embarassed and told her the person sleeping was the charge nurse. She then told me she was going to go administration because this was a nightly thing w/ this nurse. I asked her to to let me bring it up to the supervisor. The supervisor was informed this was known by the manager but ignored and that now family members were complaining. Other family members were complaining but this was the first one that wanted to go to administration. I don't know why I was feeling charitable that night because I was truly sick of this nurse's sleeping, laziness, taking advantage of her position to do nothing and overall felt like she brought us all down. Many nurses talked about the problem but had decided it would not do any good to say anything. I was ready to return to work and was informed I was on the no rehire list because I refused a pull (which I didn't, as I had to leave early because my family member fell and was taken to the hospital) and I was about 3-4 hours short completing my 2 week notice due to my leaving early.Mind you 4 months had passed from the time I quit till I mentioned returning to work. The only reason I considered returning to work is because the sleeping charge nurse was gone and I like the staff. They wanted me to come back. This particular hospital would ask me to come back and work a few months a year even though I was a travel nurse. To make a long story short the supervisor wrote a memo about my leaving early and the manager said she couldn't do anything about it which I do not believe. It was really the manager that was mad because I turned her pet charge nurse in. Sleeping on the job was clearly against hospital policy; written as a reason to call the supervisor. she told me I could see if the hospital would hire me back but I was clearly never going to work on her floor again. I was shocked because I had just been given a good reivew. The manager wimped out said she was so upset she couldn't talk about it anymore and had to go. HR told me just because one manager has a person at no rehire does not mean the entire hospital feels the same. I'm still off and plan to follow up w/ HR to see what kind of reference if any will be given. My point is this, even when a manager turns a blind eye to a blatant violation of hospital policy and is reminded once again, she can do anything she wants. I had never had a bad review while working on that floor. I guess doing what is right does not always work out. I'm so disappointed in this manager and have lost all respect for her. On top of it all this incident took place during National Nurses week. Looks like National Nurses week for 2006 will always be rememered as far as I'm concerned.

catlady, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

When I came to the US I worked on a med/surg heavy floor, I have never ever slept in 17 years on duty. I just feel sick and ill all night, day duty was not an option for me.

Isn't that the truth? All us old nurses, raise your hands if you remember when there was no such thing as permanent day shift for any staff nurse.

All day positions were done in rotation with evenings and/or nights. The only way to avoid that was to take a permanent backshift position.

I adore nights as a shift. It's the kind of pace I love, and I really do like being a night owl, and not being hounded by paperpushers. But that never came without exhaustion to the bone, brought on by irregular, poor quality sleep, usually totalling no more than two or three hours for every 12 hour shift worked. Tiredness that literally hurts. Including the years I took care of a newborn (who of course became a toddler and a preschooler) home alone after working nights. Dark curtains only do so much. Sleepers only do so much. White noise only does so much. Somebody in this thread chastised night shift workers for not being "responsible" enough to get enough sleep. As if one can discipline sleep when the natural instinct, the intrinsic clock, the circadian programming is to sleep at night and function during the day. I work days now, and I plan to stay on days. 14 years of nights was enough. I can't criticize night workers for being tired.

This sleep-vs-no sleep at work argument is not as black and white as some would like it to be. We are talking about people here, not mustard. There's a lot of grey, and I don't mean Poupon.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 20, 2006

sounds as if this charge nurse may have Narcolepsy or maybe a sleep disorder? Did anyone ever think of that?

I agree, sleeping hours on end or at inappropriate times, absolutely is unprofessional and wrong......

But this case sounds like that nurse has a real problem of some sort, a physical one, that needs medical attention. Of real concern is how management is (not) handling this problem!

catlady, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

I brought sleeping on the job to my manager's attention right before I left. We had a problem with the charge nurse sleeping on the job, she would even fall asleep in the middle of a conversation.

Doesn't sound like sleeping was truly the source of the problem. Sounds more like an incompetent, lazy person who happened to work nights. That just happened to be the issue that caught her.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 20, 2006

Just about every night nurse I work with is on Ambien, Lunesta, or something else for sleep. (except me, I refuse to use those things as they cloud my thinking and make me feel hungover). That to me, is much more concerning than a well-moderated and regulated nap on an unpaid break. Hey but it's only my opinion, anyhow.