sleeping staff

debralynn · Aug 19, 2003

At the moment I am still a tech. I work the 11-7 shift. I find it totally unprofessional to sleep on the job. The only ones I have ever seen do this were other techs. But I blame the charge nurses for this. When my tech helper goes to nap, who do you think answers all her call lights, me! So I have decided, when I finally get my temp, and then my license, I will not quietly sit by, and let one tech have to do all the work, while her co worker naps. I agree with the other posters, if you know you work nights, sleep during the day, if you can't do that, maybe its time to get another job!

agent · Aug 20, 2003

agreed.

Liddle Noodnik · Aug 20, 2003

Originally posted by I_Love_Donuts
So we run and run and run and run...and get tired. And in order to be efficient some of my collegues need to take an hour nap.

It must be nice to HAVE time for that nap! Most nights I run run run and have NO time for a break, except to run outside for a nip now and then.

Just kiddin.

But in a way those naps while NOT on break can make you as befuddled as if you were taking a nip. We don't have to be busy every minute, but we do have to be ALERT! C'mon, do you want somebody half staggering to take your feeble mom to the toilet? Do you want someone wiping dried spittle off their chin while they push cardiac drugs into you?

Napping on a break (for the ALLOTTED amount of time!) that is another thing. Why not? It is our time and if you are the type that finds it refreshes you, great! You get someone (preferable someone AWAKE!) to cover you, same as if you were eating instead of sleeping. Again, I rarely get THAT break either, but (shrug) either I am compulsive or inefficient.

Now if it's slow, I don't have a problem with any shift reading or playing on computer or whatever, as long as you are not blatant about it in front of family/patients and NO ONE ELSE ON STAFF IS RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES while you are blissfully unaware.

Liddle Noodnik · Aug 20, 2003

Originally posted by Good_Queen_Bess
Additionally, some of my collegues smoke. Thus they get EXTRA breaks for smoking, they also have to leave the ward area and go outside and are uncontactable.

I'm a smoker and I am only entitled to the SAME amount of time as those who don't. On a wicked slow night, I might take ONE extra but only if it is ok with the others and they have had their breaks.

I read on one of these threads people taking 6 smoke breaks a night and walking past their call bells as they went. THAT is really ignorant IMHO.

agent · Aug 21, 2003

It used to be like that at my work as well.. smokers would take twice as many breaks as anyone else and they got away with it till someone really *****ed

kmrmom42 · Sep 4, 2003

An entire staff sleeping? I would have quietly crept away and then called the surpervisor to suggest an unannounced visit. That is unconscionable and I have been a night nurse! Night nurses do get tired and sometimes a cat nap is needed for them to be able to function appropriately. However, there is usually one 30 minute break and one or two 15 minute breaks. Somehow the staff should be able to allow for those breaks to be taken in a quiet room but ONE AT A TIME!

I once worked with a dreadful nurse who not only fell asleep but if she was in the nursery that night she would actually button a baby up inside her scrub jacket and then fall asleep in a rocking chair!!!! This was far from the only terrible thing she did and eventually she was fired. Sometimes it is hard to believe what people think is appropriate behavior.

Karen

pinkfloydfreak · Sep 7, 2003

Are we talking about NURSING staff? All of them at the same time? Scary thought! Its tough working nights, I know from doing it for about 5 years now.I don't work in a facility that allows it but, nurses should be permitted naps on their break time .Especially on "quite" nights. I know from my costaff that some hospitals allow it and they've not had any problems. One should be allowed to spend his/her break time as one pleases.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Sep 9, 2003

Sleeping a not allowed where I work, break or no break. Is it done? Sure it is and it depends on who is doing it what is said. I would never willingly sleep on the job. A break is just a break, not an hour, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. I know some people who call "power napping" a quick-pick-me-up. I just would NEVER put my license in that much danger of being accused of neglient care.

kmrmom42 · Sep 9, 2003

Originally posted by barefootlady
Sleeping a not allowed where I work, break or no break. Is it done? Sure it is and it depends on who is doing it what is said. I would never willingly sleep on the job. A break is just a break, not an hour, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. I know some people who call "power napping" a quick-pick-me-up. I just would NEVER put my license in that much danger of being accused of neglient care.

In the years that I worked nights I could probably count the number of times I actually slept during my break on one hand. However, I did it when I felt that I would be providing negligent care if I didn't sleep!

caffine addict · Sep 14, 2003

Hey,

I love the fire drill idea!!!!!!! I'm always looking for ways to in-service people. Ha, Ha

Then I would let them go.

RN~in~CT · Sep 14, 2003

One night I was asked ~ over and over and over until I was "guilted" into working a double...3-11-7.

It is around 3am, I am exhausted ~ had already been thru 1 code, and 1 pt falling out of bed...and 2 of the regular night nurses tell me they are going off to the back room, and if I could watch their pts....

WHILE THEY TOOK A NAP!!!!!

:angryfire

Needless to say, I NEVER worked another double for that place again.

sbic56, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2003

Originally posted by RN~in~CT
One night I was asked ~ over and over and over until I was "guilted" into working a double...3-11-7.

It is around 3am, I am exhausted ~ had already been thru 1 code, and 1 pt falling out of bed...and 2 of the regular night nurses tell me they are going off to the back room, and if I could watch their pts....

WHILE THEY TOOK A NAP!!!!!

:angryfire

Needless to say, I NEVER worked another double for that place again.

I'm willing to bet these nurses would have given you the same courtesy of taking a nap if you desired. Working just one extra shift you realized how tired you were. I never appreciated what it took to work nights when I only did a few doubles now and then. It is not until I worked just nights for awhile that I truly understood. You can run on adrenaline long enough to get through an occasional double, but it is awhole different story when you try it indefinitely.