Sleeping during nightshift!!

[helpinghands]

This is not my first night shift position and I am shocked at how many people at this hospital sleep during their shift. I'm not talking about nodding off for a couple minutes either. They are slumped over in chair, head on the desk drooling all over themselves (at the nurses station!). Their little slumber lasts 1-2 hours, some even sneak off and sleep in their vehicles for this amount time. During this time almost everybody is busy, and even busier because they're pick up their slack.

I have mentioned this to several of the CN's, and don't get much of a response. It just some how seems accepted?!? This just can't be normal?

It's so frustrating, I run my butt off and barely manage to get breaks, eat while chart etc... and there they are: snoozing in the corner.

Please tell me this is far from the norm where you work!

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

As I have said earlier In the Uk nurses cover each other so that you can sleep on your breaks if you want to. I never felt comfortable doing it but each to their own.

But remember in the UK everthing tends to stop at night, unlike here in the US where pts are going for Ct's and MRI's throught the night

[cappuccino]

The nurses where I work don't snooze but it seems that the aides always make time to snooze no matter what......

[lorster]

To any of you professionals that do "Nap at Night" while working.... How would you feel if your most precious loved one was under the care of someone who does that?? I've worked nights, days and evenings and I have found work is rarely ever done. There is always so much more that we as nurses can do for our patients and our co-workers.

Do I smell a martyr? And I take it you don't take your half hour break? That is good. Can I have your half hour and make it an hour break for me so I can sleep? Thanks. :)

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Do I smell a martyr? And I take it you don't take your half hour break? That is good. Can I have your half hour and make it an hour break for me so I can sleep? Thanks. :)

To each their own, until they're caught.

[Landlord]

How can you elude that possible lack of patient care (by sleeping while on duty) can not be the "topic at hand"? Why else would we have a problem with doing it?

Sorry. I was not clear with my statement. I was only speaking about sleeping while on the clock:idea:

Your time is YOUR TIME to nap, smoke, eat.

[SmilingBluEyes]

In other countries than the USA, there is no problem with "napping" on the job, even ON COMPANY PAID TIME. In ours, it would appear, it's some sort of badge of honor to work and work and work to death; the more hours one works, the better worker he/she would appear to be. I don't get this at all.

Regarding nightshift nursing, really, If the patients are covered, and you are caught up, and you have an hour of UNPAID time like we do where I am, I see no problem with this at all. As long as all patients are covered, and all the employees get a fair chance at such a break, I see no problem. Really it's rare, the nightshift when this happens, but when things are slow enough, why not? Some people are much more productive if they have just a few minutes to nod off and then come back to work. Personally, I did not like to do so, cause I felt worse. Nightshift, esp 12 hours, kills me. After doing it for 10 years, I have had enough. I just can't handle the toll on my body, mind and spirit. But I would never begrudge my NOC shift coworkers doing this if their patients are safe and cared-for. And they are; these folks cover for each other. Teamwork is such a beautiful thing. Too bad some don't seem to have it.

IMO of course.

And I agree with Tweety; no need to either A. get self-righteous, and B. call each other names....in any debate.

Thanks.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Oh and I DO take my breaks, unless it is too busy to do so. And if it is, you BET I clock out "no breaks". I am nobody's martyr.

[EmerNurse, BSN, RN]

On nocs in our ER, IF we can get a break, we take it. Many of us go out to our cars for that hour break. We are not paid for the break and we give report to the nurse covering our patients during our break.

What do I do in my car? Listen to George Nory (somewhere out there) on the radio. What do other people do on their breaks while off the floor? No idea. Don't care either, as long as the nurse I'm covering returns from her break on time!

Sleeping ON the clock I have a problem with. That just doesn't fly. That said, I have been known to give a gentle nudge to the nurse who simply dozes off while charting (pen in hand half-way through a word) just so she doesn't get in trouble. Happens to the best of us, I'm sure. That is not the same as curling up in a chair with a blanket in the breakroom for a couple hours.

If you have time to sleep for 3 hours on your shift, then you have time to do other things that need to be done. Stock drawers, spend an extra few minutes with a patient, organize the forms drawer. Copy a form the floor is low on that you know you're gonna need later. Whatever. When you're being paid, you're being paid to work. IMHO.

I also think Adrenaline is a food group! LOL

[creature]

I worked night shift for 6 years and there were a few who would do this and nobody disciplined them. I have never even nodded off on a night shift. I was usually in charge of the ER, so no way. Just the thought of that I cringe. I have seen nurses who do this, then something happens where the patient and nurses need her attention and she's way out in left field.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

When I worked nights there were those who would take a snooze during their break and those who wouldn't. I chose to take a quick 20 min one night while working daylight saving turning my 12.5 hr shift into a 13.5 hr shift. I woke up thinknig that it didn't really help and never did a "lunch nap" again. Never had a problem with the others coming back on time though.