What Do You Do When Co-Worker Falls Asleep on Night Shift?

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Feb 24, 2017

It is usually in the nurse's station, but she was breaking a sitter last night and a doc walking by the room noticed her sliding out of her chair. =/ It's not every shift, but just often enough that it's really bothering me, and especially since she was sitting at the time. I don't think whether it's slow should matter that much; I'm tired and bored too, but I get my sleep and find a way to stay awake for my shift.

Maybe approach it from a place of concern? Mention the Doctor seeing her sleep and frame it like you want to help her stop sleeping so she won't get fired.

Good luck.

allnurses Guide · Feb 24, 2017

It is usually in the nurse's station, but she was breaking a sitter last night and a doc walking by the room noticed her sliding out of her chair. =/ It's not every shift, but just often enough that it's really bothering me, and especially since she was sitting at the time. I don't think whether it's slow should matter that much; I'm tired and bored too, but I get my sleep and find a way to stay awake for my shift.

That's not good. Sitting with a patient and falling asleep is a definite no no.

Though some places actually do prohibit it... I find nothing wrong with sleeping

during a break. Maybe suggest this to your coworker.

Coffee, especially certain brands... that works wonders.

When I say I don't have a problem with occasionally dozing. I mean, when we

have maybe two or three VERY stable patients on our floor, and also, I say

OCCASIONAL. Not constant.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 24, 2017

First step as other have said is just talk to the person. Maybe there is something you can work out. For example, if the other nurse is dosing off, perhaps suggest that she does it on her break, make sure she comes back on time from break. Does she do this out in the open, or in an area that would not be noticeable by patients or families.

Or you can just squirt her with saline. Accidentally bump her chair on your way around her. Wake her up to ask her to help with a code brown. One time I fell asleep standing up, leaning on the code cart and the nursing supervisor rolled it out from under me. It woke me up!

DeeAngel · Feb 24, 2017

So, fellow night shifters, how do you handle it when someone you're working with falls asleep - not just doses off for a minute, but legitimately is in la-la land, sometimes a few times per shift? Just hypothetically, of course.

I give them one warning and tell them the next time it happens I'm taking pictures and calling the charge and house supervisor. Everyone can make a mistake, but I give no leniency for making the same mistake twice.

Paulini · Feb 24, 2017

I'm a PACU/post-op nurse in Poland and when we are able to, we are allowed to sleep. There are usually 4 nurses on a night shift and when we only have 1 or 2 patients, half the team goes to another room to sleep for 3 hours and then we swap :) Our supervisor knows about it. Of course we don't sleep at all when it's busy and it would affect our patients - but 2 nurses is usually plenty for just 1 or 2 patients.

We also don't have night shift nurses. All of us work rotating shifts (day -24 hours off - night - 48 hours off), so the night nap is a big help.

BetsyOverlord · Feb 24, 2017

I worked with a nurse who did this. It turns out that she has narcolepsy! She's being treated for it now.

Aside from that, As long as the unit wasn't busy, we would be able take turns and take 15 minute cat naps at the doctors dictation desk (where no families or patients would see). The house supervisor was ok with this. Usually the strategy was- cup of coffee, fifteen minute nap while the caffeine kicked in :), and we will get you up if anyone needs help or if your patient calls.

loriangel14, RN · Feb 25, 2017

I work mostly nights and we all sleep during our breaks. We get 2 hours

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2017

I did nights for 8 years and I have minimal tolerance for falling asleep during your shift (assuming you're not supposed to). I know some units/floors pre-arrange sleeping on breaks and taking turns sleeping while the other nurses cover - if that is what the unit does, then fine. But that is completely different than legitimately falling asleep at the nurses station, while sitting for a patient, or any other time where you are supposed to be the patients' primary care provider. Sure I had the moments where I was charting and next thing I knew my head jerked back up because I had nodded off. But never ever actually sleeping and especially not for an extended period of time.

mushyrn, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2017

When I worked nights, I didn't mind a nurse dozing off every now and then, as long as it didn't interfere with their job duties. Usually, by midnight, things were a lot slower and a bit of dozing was safe to do. If you're sleeping so much that you are not doing your job consistently or are falling asleep sitting with a 1:1 patient, that is a big issue. Heck, if I had time, I didn't even mind tending to their patients while they slept. But, I guess I'm laid back like that. Some nurses are type A witches who, at the slightest sign of sleepiness, would be demanding a drug test from the house supervisor. Haha.

NotYourMamasRN · Feb 25, 2017

Kick their chair.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2017

I was a straight 8 hour full time night nurse for most of my career. I guess my experience varied from others who posted as we always had a bare minimum of staffing. Either as a floor or charge nurse I has zero tolerance for sleeping. It meant someone else had to answer calls, check alarms, do the work. In my opinion you need to come to work rested and ready. Most of my career was also without a lunch break per agreement between nursing and mgt.

I woke people (often asleep in a patient bed!) and explained the work was too much for the existing staff. I also reported repeaters in writing. I never worked anywhere that sleeping was acceptable. The only example I can think of was relating to catastrophic weather conditions where people who had worked doubles were put up in a dorm.

The sleeping thing really bothers me because because it casts a bad eye on night shift workers and gives the impression that's all we do. When I worked pediatrics we got more admits on nights that the other 2 shifts combined.

caliotter3 · Feb 25, 2017

I was a straight 8 hour full time night nurse for most of my career. I guess my experience varied from others who posted as we always had a bare minimum of staffing. Either as a floor or charge nurse I has zero tolerance for sleeping. It meant someone else had to answer calls, check alarms, do the work. In my opinion you need to come to work rested and ready. Most of my career was also without a lunch break per agreement between nursing and mgt.
I woke people (often asleep in a patient bed!) and explained the work was too much for the existing staff. I also reported repeaters in writing. I never worked anywhere that sleeping was acceptable. The only example I can think of was relating to catastrophic weather conditions where people who had worked doubles were put up in a dorm.
The sleeping thing really bothers me because because it casts a bad eye on night shift workers and gives the impression that's all we do. When I worked pediatrics we got more admits on nights that the other 2 shifts combined.

Totally agree with your statement that sleeping on night shift casts a bad eye on everyone who works night shift. I don't sleep on night shift (except in those cases where we combined our breaks for a nap), and I was the nurse who had to do the work of the Sleeping Beauty that I mentioned in my previous post. The nursing assistants came to me regarding her residents because they knew that I would take care of the residents even if they were not on my assignment while Sleeping Beauty slept for her paycheck. It got old with me almost as much as the fact that the house supervisor condoned the other nurse not doing her job. Never understood why.