Would you call in because you didn't get any sleep?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Would you call in sick because you didn't get any sleep?

    • 106
      Never, I'd go on in
    • 252
      Might or might not
    • 148
      Probably would
    • 231
      I have before and would again. Too risky not to.

250 members have participated

I was trying to sleep the other day and somebody rang my doorbell at 1130 just as I was gettting there :angryfire. Made me so mad I couldn't go back to sleep for a L O N G time. I called in sick because I wouldn't go to work on no sleep. Turns out I finally DID go to sleep so I called back & said I'd come in if they needed me.

So I got curious: Have you called in sick (or would you) because you hadn't gotten any sleep (after trying, of course) by the time you're required to call in for your shift?

Specializes in Paediatrics, Orthopeodics, ENT, General.

i have before, and i would again. i am not a party girl, and never have been. for me, lack of sleep relates to not being able to sleep due to work stress, work hours, illness or something like that. yes!!! if i cannot sleep, and do not think i can cope, then for my wellbeing and that of my patients, i will call in sick.

that's not to say that i won't feel guilty about it.

this statements has come from one who has suffered a mental breakdown, exhaustion, burn-out and depression. one of the large contributors to this state was my job and my shift-work. do not fall into the trap of thinking that your health is unimportant!! i can guarantee that when you fall in a heap, the hospital will manage to carry on without you. if you do not care for yourself, how can you care for anybody else????????

Specializes in CTICU, Interventional Cardiology, CCU.
I assume you did no harm or you would have mentioned it. I'm not sure I could have been as safe were I in your shoes!

D

let me tell you this...I have felt unsafe I have opened my mouth and after my night last night on my unit I am going to HR next week and seeing if I can change floors. I have had it up to my head with the "stuff" that happens. I understand I am a new nurse and you get beat down but this is beyond a beat down this is now unhealthy and unsafe for my pt's. and I openened my mouth loud and proud today. I had approx 3 hours of sleep b/t 12 hour shifts, mostly due to the fact that I don't get home untill late not b/c of my time management but b/c I have horrible charge nurses on certain nights that give me all the critical pt's sometimes 2 pt's with arterial sheaths, LVAD evals, CCU pt's that don't belong on our floor all the er admitts that no questions are asked and I am notified 5 min before the pt arrives that I am getting an admitt, once while I was in the middle of a code, and usually around 4 or 5 am..so I come home always thinking about how much I hat emy floor and can't sleep. and last night was the last straw. I was pulling an A-line sheath out lst night and almost passed out b/c of exhaustion. I am young and my body can handle alot but I am not going to burn out and hurt my self or a pt. I love what I do and my pt's always rave about what a wonderful nurse I am during the night and day shift says they like getting my pt's b/c they know the right work was done, and the pt says what a joy I was..but I am on the road to becomming a zombie and putting my license in jeopardy..I work on post-intervenional cardiology/cardiac step down unit with not enough nurses and too many critial pt's. I mean 5-6 pt's that should be in the CCU or ICU and I am trying to take care of them with all I have in me making sure that they don't have any major cardiac complications. I have talked to my director and my educator and the same story all the time..you should have never gotten that pt. load, well I did for the last 3 months I say no when I am overwhelmed and it dosen't matter I still get the critical admitts. I only have so many hands when pt's are bradying down, bp's are going sky high or plummeting, pt's are having runs of SVT or worse, OHS pt's, LVAD pt's, groin bleeds that I can't get to b/c my pt stopped breathing..it's makin me crazys...I am learing alot but I am sleep deprived but always seem to have a smile on my face and do the work but I am scared to death that I am going to have a major mistake. and I have told the people that I need to over and over again and the same bs over and over again..I have no union at my hospital..I need some major advice I have poste abaout this before on another board..but I can only hope that someone else can tell me that they have had this experience

Specializes in CTICU, Interventional Cardiology, CCU.

I forgot to mention that I work on a 35+ bed Interventionl Cardiac/step down unit my hospital is one of the biggest cardiac hosptials in the nation..so my pt load is 5-6 crit. pts..just to add that on to my post above...most of the night nurses carry 3-4 wich makes me fume

Specializes in Psychiatric, MICA.
I forgot to mention that I work on a 35+ bed Interventionl Cardiac/step down unit my hospital is one of the biggest cardiac hosptials in the nation..so my pt load is 5-6 crit. pts..just to add that on to my post above...most of the night nurses carry 3-4 wich makes me fume

I often tell my patients that a healthy way to express anger is to write it down, venom and all. It's likely your rant has helped drain the emotional buildup a bit!

Now, while you are calm, use the same skills on yourself that have kept you patients alive so far! Make a list of what needs to be addressed and prioritize it! No sleep = time bomb, so that's high on the list. A workable schedule is the only way to meet long-term goals, so begin on that - which you did start by seeking out HR.

Vent when you need to clear your head, but use your intelligence to problem solve. Think solution, not problem, when you want to see the results.

Since you are new, maybe your management wants you to set your own safety limits? You aren't very appropriate for a step down if you can't do so!

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/asertcom.html

D

No, I would have to call in way too often.

Specializes in CTICU, Interventional Cardiology, CCU.
I often tell my patients that a healthy way to express anger is to write it down, venom and all. It's likely your rant has helped drain the emotional buildup a bit!

Now, while you are calm, use the same skills on yourself that have kept you patients alive so far! Make a list of what needs to be addressed and prioritize it! No sleep = time bomb, so that's high on the list. A workable schedule is the only way to meet long-term goals, so begin on that - which you did start by seeking out HR.

Vent when you need to clear your head, but use your intelligence to problem solve. Think solution, not problem, when you want to see the results.

Since you are new, maybe your management wants you to set your own safety limits? You aren't very appropriate for a step down if you can't do so!

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/asertcom.html

D

thanks so much for the advice and the web site! It's something I am going to print out and give to a few of my friends that are having the same problem..I know I am appropriate for step-down, I know I am..it's the lazifare attitude of the nurses I work with at night that I realize is the problem..you know in school you learn the dif. type of nurse management styles, authortative, democratic and lazzifaire..well I am with the lazzifaie type at night. I am a go getter and make sure I follow through with things ALL the time..delegate as much as I can to the app. people and ask if they need help when the other nurses overload them...some nights we have a nurse manager that is GREAT, but that's once in a blue moon..I am convinced it's the type of management at night that I have a problem with...there are 2 managers at night that are incredible take a 4 pt. load and help as much as they can in every way, and are fair with assignments. it's the nurses that end up being manager b/c we have no manager and b/c they have seniority they take on 2 pt's and want to do as little work as possible and off load as much as they can, and help is no where to be found.and I always seem to be working the same night as such people I try to avoid this buy schduling but as stated in a previous post I have no control over this. we call the charge nurse, managers at night if there is any confusion.I appreciate the web site alot!!! and it opened a new door for me..thanks:yeah:

Specializes in Psychiatric, MICA.
...some nights we have a nurse manager that is GREAT, but that's once in a blue moon..I am convinced it's the type of management at night that I have a problem with...there are 2 managers at night that are incredible take a 4 pt. load and help as much as they can in every way, and are fair with assignments.

Happy to help. Another thought occurred to me. In the spirit of focusing on the solution rather than the problem, why not approach some of these more efficient and empathetic pros and respectfully ask for some personal help and thoughts?

Perhaps you can get some useful tips or at least a little encouragement to balance the bitterness that inevitably arises when you are overloaded...

Bring smiles to your patients and good luck!

D

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, Rehab, ACU-Telemetry.
No, I would have to call in way too often.

I LOVE YOUR COMMENT. HOW TRUE IS THAT???

Kathy (up in the panhandle - for now:bugeyes:)

I would call in simply because I would not want to risk my patient health because I am sleep deprived. Your respone time is delay which could casuse harm to patient life

Specializes in Rehabilitation Nursing.

Sleep is very important. No matter where you work, how many hours you work, I don't care what anyone else says but if you work days it is less likely you will call in because of a lack of sleep.

If you are scheduled to work nights and don't get any sleep or less than 4 hrs then it is more likely to call in because frankly, nights are boring and quiet and just plain old a good time to sleep. haha :chuckle

I have called in because of fatigue. Its not worth endangering others d/t fatigue.

Specializes in Paediatrics, Orthopeodics, ENT, General.
i forgot to mention that i work on a 35+ bed interventionl cardiac/step down unit my hospital is one of the biggest cardiac hosptials in the nation..so my pt load is 5-6 crit. pts..just to add that on to my post above...most of the night nurses carry 3-4 wich makes me fume

you need to take action now. i can tell by reading your post that you are already experiencing burnout. you know that feeling of "oh, no, i've got to go to work again." not to mention the sheer exhaustion that weighs down all your limbs so you can hardly move when you wake up in the morning.

do something now, before you do make an error, and can never forgive yourself.

ask yourself if you value your career over your life? this is what you are playing with. i would say you need time right away from your job, at least two weeks, to relax and forget about nursing. i know that after my burnout, it took me over 12 months to recover to the point i could even consider nursing again.

after your break, when your body and mind has recovered somewhat, re-evaluate your career, what your goals are, and how you want to achieve them. if you are able, get your doctor to write a medical certificate stating you are unfit for work due to stress or sleep deprivation. this is, after all, the truth. remember that strong emotions and exhaustion deplete your brain of serotonin, cause overproduction of adrenaline and the stress hormones, and depress your immune system. depression can be tlriggered by periods of intense stress and burnout.

this is not a case of being kind to yourself, it is a case of necessary steps that you need to take if you want to continue to be productive and enjoy the career you are so obviously suited for.

+ Add a Comment