I'm a newer LPN who was recently switched to the 11 to 7 shift. The last time I worked, a couple of the CNAs fell asleep around the nurses' station. They told me that they don't do it on purpose, but that it's hard to stay awake on a shift where there is more down time than other shifts.
Now I know how hard it is to stay awake overnight, but I don't think it's ok for staff to sleep while on duty. I've seen other CNAs bring in books, knitting, or puzzles to do in order to keep themselves busy so that they stay up. However, I was told by other midnight nurses that, technically, staff shouldn't be bringing in books, etc., to keep themselves busy because the staff shouldn't be "distracted" by these activities when they are supposed to be watching for call lights, changing residents, or whatever. Plus, I'm told that even on their 30-minute break, they can't go somewhere to sleep. (But they can leave the facility.) So what do you nurses do about this? What is your facility's policy about sleeping and bringing in things to keep staff awake? Sending the aid home? Suspension? Thanks in advance.
I'm a newer LPN who was recently switched to the 11 to 7 shift. The last time I worked, a couple of the CNAs fell asleep around the nurses' station. They told me that they don't do it on purpose, but that it's hard to stay awake on a shift where there is more down time than other shifts.
Now I know how hard it is to stay awake overnight, but I don't think it's ok for staff to sleep while on duty. I've seen other CNAs bring in books, knitting, or puzzles to do in order to keep themselves busy so that they stay up. However, I was told by other midnight nurses that, technically, staff shouldn't be bringing in books, etc., to keep themselves busy because the staff shouldn't be "distracted" by these activities when they are supposed to be watching for call lights, changing residents, or whatever. Plus, I'm told that even on their 30-minute break, they can't go somewhere to sleep. (But they can leave the facility.) So what do you nurses do about this? What is your facility's policy about sleeping and bringing in things to keep staff awake? Sending the aid home? Suspension? Thanks in advance.
Our facility allows them to bring things in, as long as it doesnt take away from them doing their job. As far as sleeping, they get fired.
Specializes in orto/neuro; LTC, rehab-inpt. med/surg.
After waking them up for the 2nd or 3rd time in a night, I politely ask them to clock out and GO HOME to bed!!! It will be awhile before they do that again when it hits them in the paycheck. And I would do that for anyone, nurse, cma,etc...... IF it was a 1 time incident i would talk with them and see if something is going on at home where they couldn't sleep. I had a nurse quietly hand me a pillow to put my head on at the table in the charting room, say you have an hour, and shut the door. God bless her heart!! I was taking care of my dying mother, and driving home 3 hrs once a week to visit my husband in another state, and working 3 12 hr. shifts at a 13-bed hospital. It will never be forgotten!! :redbeathe
I agree that sleeping is bad. Emergencies can happen any time, and require all hands on deck. If you can't stay awake, then you shouldn't be working night shift. This is why I don't do doubles (they don't even ask me anymore because I always say no) and don't drink caffeine. To work my best, I have to be on a regular, natural sleep schedule.
I really don't see why CNA's should be banned from having something to keep busy. My facility is pretty strict about reading, etc. during normal waking hours because the facility doesn't want visitors to get the impression that staff sits around entertaining themselves, but I don't see where the problem is on night shift. It seems like every nurse has a different attitude. There are some nurses at my facility that would immediately report a CNA who brought knitting or a book or worked on a puzzle (there are puzzles sitting out all over the place which the residents enjoy working on). All great ways to keep awake and easy to put down when a resident calls. I heard of one nurse who would put on a movie and bring popcorn! Most nurses are somewhere in between. If I had a strict one, I would bring a nursing magazine or something work-related. My brain would go crazy if I couldn't read something at least.
We had someone do that at my facility (peds LTC) and they were instantly fired. I wasn't aware that you were ever allowed to sleep, even if you were off the clock...
I am contracted to make surprise nightime inspections once a month, I caught a male nurse snoring away in his 'nest' at the farthest area from the patients on the unit. The CNA gave me a look that told me that it wasn't the first time. I tried to wake him by calling his name loudly and nothing. I instructed the CNA ( an older experienced and reliable man) to call another nurse if a problem occurred with one of his patients. Of course I reported the situation and what I had done. The next day I met the nurse on the street and asked how his night shift was. He was bubbling with energy and enthusiasm about his shift and said how complimented he was that I took interest in his shifts. He is the sort that tells everyone- including the medical director, pharmacist and social worker how to do their jobs better and what treatments they should be employing etc. He had no idea that I had caught him. He was fired the next day. To this day he has no idea who caught him!! The idiot never put two and two together.
At my facility, the CNAs do brief changes and pass out water on the 11 to 7 shift, so there is some down time, which can lead to sleeping. What do the CNAs at other facilities do during the 11 to 7 shift in addition to those duties?
Where I work, we only have ONE single CNA on the overnight shifts. (Campus of houses holding 12 residents each rather than a centralized nursing facility.) And uhm.. I'm honestly surprised sleeping's allowed anywhere on the graveyard shift. Where I work, if you sleep and someone sees you sleeping, there are no ifs ands or buts - you are literally fired ON THE SPOT, right there and then. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, you're history immediately. No second chances.
In regards to the CNA duties in other facilities? Where I work, overnight CNA handles the food prep for the meals. They handle their usual rounds, toileting, personal care, charting. Stocking. Cleaning of the house (except vacuums since we're trying to let people SLEEP ... lol). Laundry is washed, dried, folded, and placed in resident's rooms on the night shift. Ordering supplies (dietary/gloves/briefs/etc) is usually done by the night shift worker as well.
If after ALL OF THAT is done, I actually HAVE any downtime (a very rare occurrence, let me tell you) - I am allowed to sit down to the computer for a few minutes provided no one is ringing at the time. (Also a rare ocurrence.) Down-time happens maybe once a month on the night shift if we're lucky. We get docked for a half hour break that we don't get to take (the nurses have THREE houses they're runnign between. I'm sorry, I knwo some of the CNA's in my facilty have no hesitation calling the night nurse in to cover a half hour - but in my opinion it is not the RN's responsibility to cover my break. if I drink coffee, I drink it in the kitchen, in the house. I count that two minutes as a 'break'. If I go outside for a smoke, that is a break. If I sit down to eat somethign, that is a 'break'. We get our break times, we just don't get it in a lump 30 or 15min group the way most conventional facilitis give it, and are frequently answering call bells annd such in between bites of our lunches.
I guess, speaking as a CNA? To me, if you are working the noc shift and it's a regular shift for you to work, there's no excuse (shy of extenuating circumstances), to be falling asleep. I sleep during the daytime - my 'day' goes from about 2pm until 8am. My breakfast is usually a cup of coffee and toast around 2.30pm. If you cannot live as a nocturnal creature, IMO, you shouldn't be holding a night shift in a medical faciltiy. It only takes an eye blink for a resident to fall OOB and break a hip, or crack their skull open. I don't ever work the 7a-3p shift because that IS my night time, and I know I would be falling asleep because I can't adjust to that kind of schedule. If a CNA is regularly falling asleep on nights, perhaps they should be not working nights.
As mentioned earlier in my post... where I work, you get caught asleep, you're fired on the spot, no questions asked. They don't put up with it where I work. At all.
We can sleep on lunch breaks. We are allowed to bring something to do during the off time when our work is finished. Some people bring books. I bring schoolwork. Since school is the whole reason I am on the midnight shift, they don't care if I do homework and will occasionally let me nap if I have 8 hours of work and then 8 hours of clinical. This is in their best interest since they are paying for me to go to school. No one really cares as long as the work gets done and call lights are answered!
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
As a manager I follow the policy...in most cases that means no sleeping during work by anyone. Basically the flow is "catch them", "counsel them", and potentially "can them".
I have never, in 30years, worked in a position where there was really "nothing" to do in the middle of the night. I have fallen asleep on the job as an RN.
There is always something to do, to help stay awake on NOC's. Clean wheel chairs, clean hallway rails, wipe down charts, etc. If I found someone sleeping, i would definately report it, if i was the LPN or RN supervising, I would give them a written warning on first episode. 2nd time, a write up, and a talk with the DON. Sleeping on the job is never ok (on your break, do what u want to, your not on paid time) Our residents and residents families expect excellent care, and that is what we should be providing on all shifts.
This has been a problem off and on for me. Almost all of the Aides I have working on the 11-7 shift work 2 jobs, either a 7-3 job or a 3-11 job at other centers. Most of them have families at home as well. I assume most of them only get a few hours sleep a day at most.
Not_A_Hat_Person, RN
2,900 Posts
Night aides at my old job were allowed to sleep during breaks if they weren't on the clock.