ZZZZ's - Time to be honest!

[abbaking]

Have you ever fallen asleep at work or dozed off (even briefly)?

Yes - once i feel asleep in the staff bathroom - head resting on the wall, I was out for 10 minutes.

A few times I dozed off (microsleep) for a few seconds while giving report - the useless info (i.e.- Nursing dignosis/interventions).

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Of course! When I worked nights, we usually combined our breaks and took a snooze.

Some facilities encourage a nap as it is proven to increase performance.

We ARE human after all.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Nope.... been very tired, but stayed awake. Back in 1985, I did work with an RN (I was a GN and in charge because I didn't need the Chinese-American dictionary every where I went- she was a total sweetheart to work with, but was just learning English). She would doze off... I think she worked nights because she didn't need to talk to docs or families very often at all (this was at a LTC). It was an issue- her CNAs would need her, and she'd be catching flies, half falling out of the chair. I didn't know what to do. I liked her, and didn't want to get her in trouble.

We had a nice ADON, and I went to talk to her. She understood that I wasn't saying anything to get the nurse in trouble, but it was a safety issue. Sooooooo, one night, the ADON sneaks into the building and pulls the fire alarm... THAT woke up the nurse, and she never so much as yawned after that :) And, the ADON was cool, too- she didn't even write it up (providing it didn't keep happening).

About the dictionary- evidently it wasn't all that helpful for medical abbreviations.... one night, a patient on her wings started bleeding lady partslly - a LOT. She didn't say anything to me until she wondered why the doctor got so mad at her....she pointed to the face sheet with the docs' numbers on it-- she had called the one with D.D.S. after his name (patient did ok.... I called the MD, and while he was a total j-hole, I got orders).

[Hay Nars, RN]

Horrible I was... where I use to work (rehab - new joints, etc) I would always sleep between 3-5am... :-/

[klm49]

Much to my horror, yes. Not always on the night shift either. I do Acute dialysis and do many treatments at the bedside. Quiet, over hot isolation room, isolation gown and mask, sleeping patient, call the night before.... Whiplash from jerking awake. At that point it is pace the room and a cold wet wash cloth to the back of the neck. Doing a bedside tx alone in an isolation room for 4 hours is difficult at the best of times. When you are pushing 18 hours straight on the clock you can count on micro sleep at the least. It is nice to say that caffeine is the answer except I can't leave the bedside. Not even to pee. Caffeine is a diuretic and my kidney's do work.

Reality is that sleep is going to happen. No one is exempt. The natural tendency is to be awake during day light and sleep when it is dark. I worked night shift for 15 years. I would of told you I was a night person, couldn't function during day hours, had all of the tricks for day time sleeping down pat. I found otherwise when I changed to job to working the dreaded day shift and went over a year without so much as a cold. The most important thing is to acknowledge you are at risk, and to know when you are dealing with micro-sleep issues. Driving home and not knowing how you got there is not funny. It is life threatening for you and others on the road. Those who say "That could never happen to me. I wouldn't do something like that..." Are in denial or lying to themselves. It happens to all of us despite everything we do to prevent it.

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

No, Honestly never in 16 years of working 7p-7a...but that's mainly because I'm a true night owl...and to this day, even tho I work days now, I still stay up all night on the week ends....I just function so much better on nights...always have and always will. I try to stick to some sort of day schedule now, I work 5 days a week from 9:30-6 but I really hate it and would go back to my nights in a heartbeat... but the job I do now requires daytime hours...so, oh well:crying2:

[Riseupandnurse]

I am NOT a night person. So working nights was hard for me, but I did it for years. Only once did I fall asleep, sitting over the call light system. I think I was asleep only two or three minutes but I remember it as one of the most delicious experiences of my life. Scared me, though, so if I felt sleepy I would stand and lean against the wall. Virtually impossible to sleep standing up unless you're a horse.

[lrobinson5]

Much to my horror, yes. Not always on the night shift either. I do Acute dialysis and do many treatments at the bedside. Quiet, over hot isolation room, isolation gown and mask, sleeping patient, call the night before.... Whiplash from jerking awake. At that point it is pace the room and a cold wet wash cloth to the back of the neck. Doing a bedside tx alone in an isolation room for 4 hours is difficult at the best of times. When you are pushing 18 hours straight on the clock you can count on micro sleep at the least. It is nice to say that caffeine is the answer except I can't leave the bedside. Not even to pee. Caffeine is a diuretic and my kidney's do work.

Reality is that sleep is going to happen. No one is exempt. The natural tendency is to be awake during day light and sleep when it is dark. I worked night shift for 15 years. I would of told you I was a night person, couldn't function during day hours, had all of the tricks for day time sleeping down pat. I found otherwise when I changed to job to working the dreaded day shift and went over a year without so much as a cold. The most important thing is to acknowledge you are at risk, and to know when you are dealing with micro-sleep issues. Driving home and not knowing how you got there is not funny. It is life threatening for you and others on the road. Those who say "That could never happen to me. I wouldn't do something like that..." Are in denial or lying to themselves. It happens to all of us despite everything we do to prevent it.

That is something that I always wonder about and am scared of. How do you drive home when you are THAT tired? There have been times that I have taken a long drive, usually very late at night and over an hour, and I have had to pull over to get out of the car because I was nodding off at the wheel. Is it any easier when the sun is out? Or is it just more dangerous because there are people on the road?

[Grumpygs, MSN, RN]

Actually if I am working night shift I always sleep on my break.We all do on nights, just find an empty bed and crash.Once when I was really not feeling well I napped ina lounge instead of taking my lunch break.

Sorry, but I'm a bit offended by the "We all do on nights" part. Not feeling well is one thing but I ( my 2 cents) don't think it's right.

While I've only worked nights for 6 months I'd never sleep at work. Though we do have several LVNs & CNA (sitters especially) that sleep FREQUENTLY during the shift. Of course all the call bells going off belong to the 'sleepers' which is annoying; and no one seems to say anything to them though I do. We don't get paid to sleep!

I just couldn't ever nap with patients that may need me. One even had a patient elope while he took his 'break' napping.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

The handwritten notes had those trailing lines of a pen in a sleeping hand.

I was working full time nights while I was in school, would go to school after work in the morning. One semester that was a history and a psych and an english class, lots of lectures. I'd be looking at my notes, there's be a few, then just long scribbles...

We've got a doc who will fall asleep while he's on the computer looking at charts. He took a one hour nap one day in our nurses station. Wish I could get a one hour nap in!!

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Studies have shown that nurses that take a nap make fewer mistakes at the end of the shift (on both night AND dayshifts.) Wouldn't work for me, as I can't nap, my "naps" are minimum of 2-3 hours long. But if you're someone that can nap, hospitals need to be respecting the evidence based practice that says naps are beneficial instead of the archaic "napping on break is lazy" policies.

[cogath]

Never at work. However, I have plenty of times in nursing school. I need to be active and moving, which is part of the reason I choose nursing as a career. Sitting in a room (often for 3-4 hours at a time) that is hot and in the very early morning (I am a night person), listening to a teacher drone on and on makes it a struggle for me to stay awake. My classmates always tease me about sleeping during class. One day I worked a 3-11:30p on Sunday night and had class at 8a the next morning. We had a test that day, so I stayed up late reviewing. After the test we had 3 hours of lecture. I have no recollection whatsoever of that lecture and no notes at all. It's like I blacked out or something.

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

I haven't done it in a while but I will usually warn my coworkers, the two of them, if I am really tired. We all support each other in staying awake if we just can't help it. but after a sometimes 10min doze, usually around 0330, I am good to go for the rest of the shift. We will ususally end up talking about nothing if we are all real tired