Sleeping on the job

[mairose15]

I am a new RN grad nurse in a residential psych facility. I've been there around 3 months and I really like my boss and the other nurses I work with! The problem is is that I often work with an older LPN who is physically in somewhat poor health. If possible she doesn't like to get up much and walk and will sometimes drive her car across the street to give meds. I usually volunteer to do a lot of things that involve walking or taking things to patients. The LPNs where I work give meds and the RNs are responsible for writing critical incident reports and we share everything else. Okay so on occasion I have felt like I had to step in such as when a pt sprained his knee and she wanted him to come the nurses station to get his pain meds because she wouldn't walk to his unit to give them to him - he had a sprained knee and I didn't feel like he should have to walk to us. So the other day she went across the street to get the meds for the younger residents. The meds are kept on the kids unit but during the day they are given in the main hospital because the kids are usually in the main building for lunch and school during the day. So she goes over at quarter to twelve-ish. Around 12:10 another unit comes to the clinic for meds, and she is not there. I tell them that she should be back any minute now and I run to the bathroom, get some stuff, etc. and come back to the station. I then recieve a radio call from the unit requesting meds - they've been waiting 20 minutes! So, I go across the street to see if I can help and I peek in the nurses station door and I swear she is sitting over there sleeping! Either that or she is very intently staring at the wall. I asked one of the counselors how long she had been there and he says 1/2 to 1 hour.

The thing is not that she was sleeping or that she had trouble moving around but one of the kids that didn't get meds on time was a diabetic. She's fallen asleep in the station with me before but I was there to wake her up and we weren't really doing anything - I was doing some new admits but she was pretty much just watching me do them. My boss has already complained to me about how this PRN nurse doesn't pull her fair share of the load and it's been told to me that I need to give more of the work to her. Thing is I don't mind because I like to keep busy and unless I'm sinking I don't ask for help. I really like this lady, as a person, not so much as a nurse, and I know she really needs this job. I feel conflicted about whether I should mention it to my boss or not. I don't want to tell on her and potentially get her fired but I feel like as a nurse she really shouldn't be sleeping on the job, esp. when it is affecting the patients. Can someone tell me if I am being irresponsible if I don't turn her in or if there is a way I could do anonymously? I know she is applying for another full time position but missed the interview because she couldn't make it due to personal problems. That is a red flag to me but I don't know about the interviewer or her take on it. I just don't want to be in this position.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Patient safety comes first, NO MATTER WHAT.

[ANNIENURSEANGEL]

you can't be resposible for your patients, as well as, hers. If you keep doing things for her, she will expect it, like a spoiled child. let your superviser know. I have a nurse who is like this. when she gives report, she sounds like she has done everything for her patients. she takes credit. this is not good. If she is unable to do the functions of her job, maybe she needs a new job.

[noctanol]

please do it in an orderly fashion, don't jump the guns and call your BON first. talk to your supervisor and if you become the victim of harassment then take the issue up with both BON and the facility. Try to follow the chain of command, you already seem like a very caring, understanding and intelligent person/nurse.

[ocean waves]

Hello. I agree with the writers who say that patient safety is the priority. In addition, as a good "team player" I like the option suggested for you to "give your co-worker the benefit of one chance" by assertively and kindly talking with her in private about how it is not safe for patients when any nurse sleeps on a job. After your warning, if this nurse does not immediately get her act together, the responsible thing as a patient advocate is to report this unfortunate problem to your nursing supervisor. Best wishes!

[leevil]

I often sleep on the job. I call it "my break".

[Butterfly0328]

I am not yet a nurse, but I would imagine that nurses are put into uncomfortable positions such as this quite often. But, you must do the right thing. Imagine if it were your child that received insulin late because of such behavior. This child could have gone into insulin shock or worse. Draw on your inner strength and find peace in knowing you did the right thing by reporting her, you just may be saving more than one life. This nurse just may have some medical issues that she will not deal with if not forced to do so. Good luck and God Bless.

[txtornado]

Did you talk to her about it? She should not be sleeping. She probably should be reported. But personally, I think nurses should "put on their big girl panties" and be upfront. There is alot of passive-aggressive behavior out there. Nurses will never get any respect if they continue to BACK STAB.

This situation is a little different, but what I just said is the main reason I WANT OUT OF NURSING!

Thanks for hearing me.

[Miller86]

If she wasn't messing with patient care (ex. missing the diabetic child's medications), I would have talked to her first and told her to get her act together. But since she's too laid-back on a patient's life, I wouldn't accept that for a minute on my licence.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I like the suggestion to speak plainly with her first, but in the end w/o immediate and substantial performance improvement, I think you have no choice but to report her.

[txtornado]

I understand. The person in the situation has to judge that. But you understand what I was saying, right?

[dishes, BSN, RN]

If my colleague was in poor health and was found sitting staring intently at a wall for 1/2 hour to hour, my reaction would be to express concern for her health and to encourage her to seek medical attention.

dishes