Sleeping on job?

[Nursing617]

I need to vent...where I work (LTC) the nurses and aides sleep (deep sleep) for HOURS (this is an ongoing issue that has been addressed to the DON and NOTHING has changed. A few aides/nurses were on their toes for about a week and quickly fell back to their old habits. I know 12-8am is a tough shift but come on it's not fair to the residents who are pressing the call light, yelling help, need their brief changed, medication, drink, etc. it's abuse plain and simple. If you can't handle third shift, don't do it or get more sleep prior to your shift. The nurses will sleep at the nurses station (with their mouth open) the aides sleep right in the hall with a blanket and feet up. And I feel like I'm responsible for all the residents. We have about 5 residents who are up at night and two are high fall risk. How would they feel if their loved one needed help and they couldn't get help because the aides/nurses were sleeping? I've tried to be the "wake up patrol" and they get angry as if im disturbing them. Call lights go off and they don't move an inch. Huge safety issue! I've reported Nursing staff now I'm deemed as a "trouble maker" I care for the residents and I stand for what is right! Last night we had a constant observation and the aide had the curtain pulled as he was snoring. I am currently looking for another job. This (aides/nurses sleeping) every night. I do have a lot that has occurred documented.

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[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Check with your BON because sleeping while on the clock (i.e., not on lunch or break) may be considered patient abandonment in their eyes. So if your facility/union can't or won't do anything about it, a discreet report to the BON may work wonders.

I'm not saying automatically report everyone. More than once I've had to nudge awake a coworker who was nodding off, and there's no way I'd dream of reporting every single catnap to the BON. But if these nurses are sleeping for hours at a stretch and it's a consistent problem, patient care and safety is being compromised.

[VegGal, BSN, RN]

I need to vent...where I work (LTC) the nurses and aides sleep (deep sleep) for HOURS (this is an ongoing issue that has been addressed to the DON and NOTHING has changed. A few aides/nurses were on their toes for about a week and quickly fell back to their old habits. I know 12-8am is a tough shift but come on it's not fair to the residents who are pressing the call light, yelling help, need their brief changed, medication, drink, etc. it's abuse plain and simple. .....

In my opinion it's neglect, and the nurses should know better, but I've experienced that on the 3-11 shift, and not night shift, and I finally left because it was so frustrating to be the only one who thought that was a problem. We had an LVN who constantly slept with his head lowered down to the desk, and when a CNA would need something they'd just wake him up and let him know what they needed. They (CNAs) told me that they had complained about him to management but no one did anything.

Then we had another LVN who did that several times while I was working, and I first spoke to her about it, and she agreed that she shouldn't be sleeping on the job, but when she continued to do it, I spoke with the DON about it, but again, nothing was done. It was a small facility but I was the only nurse awake on for the last few hours on the 3-11 shift, and I finally decided that it wasn't a good situation to be in, and I left for that reason and several other reasons. I'm glad I did.

I think you have to do what you think is best for you and your residents.

[cleback]

Check with your BON because sleeping while on the clock (i.e., not on lunch or break) may be considered patient abandonment in their eyes. So if your facility/union can't or won't do anything about it, a discreet report to the BON may work wonders.

I'm not saying automatically report everyone. More than once I've had to nudge awake a coworker who was nodding off, and there's no way I'd dream of reporting every single catnap to the BON. But if these nurses are sleeping for hours at a stretch and it's a consistent problem, patient care and safety is being compromised.

This. Also, start looking for another job because if you thought reporting their actions to rhe DON made your workplace hostile, it will be 10x worse reporting them to the BON or ombudsmen. I would also take photos as documentation not offer them up unless needed.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

One of my first CNA jobs (circa 2011/12) had a "policy" of sleeping on the job. I call it a "policy", because during orientation, I was told to take a nap in the hallway. Tons of employees were doing it-- grab a chair and bedside table to lay your head on and sleep. The idea was you could still answer call lights because you'd hear them because you're in the hall... I quit during orientation.

As an LV/PN, at the LTC facility I worked in, I heard that on some units, techs/aides slept at nite. I never directly observed it, but I'm pretty sure it was true.

I won't do it. I have taken naps on my breaks in the past, but that's it.

In my opinion, if the sleeping is often and done out in the open, mgmt probably knows... I also think that you can't change the culture/unwritten "policies" of a facility.

You *can* report it, but then you have a target on your back from your coworkers and often mgmt. That is why I chose to quit.

[DoGoodThenGo]

To be fair, and not in any way justifiying the behaviour, nurses and supportive staff have been sleeping while on nights almost since the days of Florence Nightengale.

The issue is endemic and quite honestly spread worldwide, where ever you have nursing staff.

Nurse who took two hour naps during her night shift was caught by snoring | Daily Mail Online

Nurses caught sleeping with alarms turned off at elderly care home - Telegraph

The topic has been discussed here before at least once: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/top-10-reasons-913743.html

Much of the problem IMHO stems from several issues but shift work and lack of sleep are the obvious first two.

A facility assumes once a nurse goes off duty, she or he will go home and get the proper rest before returning. Oh but if that were the case.

Not everyone can handle nights for a start. Thus when they get home *cannot* just fall asleep. Many nurses have children and or husbands they have to sort out when they get home in the AM. By the time some get to bed it is almost 10AM. Then they often have to get up by 2:45PM to got and get the kids from school. Once the kids are home there's homework, dinner, etc... It is either this or people are going to school, working another job or simply have things they need to do during the day.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to another forum for more answers.

[Nursing617]

It's mentally exhausting. Sanity is priceless!

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

If you went to the DON, have you gone up the chain to the Administrator too?

[needlesmcgeeRN, ASN, RN]

Um, what???

When I worked nights on telemetry floor I used to nap for 2-3 hours sometimes if I really needed it, but I was the only one napping at the time, a co-worker was covering my phone with explicit instructions to come slap me upside the head and wake me up if my patients needed anything or if they needed help with anything. If the patients are covered, you've finished your work, you've offered to help your co-workers, there's no confused old man jumping out of bed who you could sit with to help out...Go for it.

[Nursing617]

I have not. I absolutely will when I find another job

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

I suggest reporting this to state now, not later. Also, look up what your BON and state employment have to say about whistle blowing which may help you until you leave.

Are you currently applying for and interviewing for other jobs?