Caught the nurse sleeping

[ashliemh]

Eli has been home a little less than a week and I already caught a nurse sleeping. I didn't confront her because she did wake up, but I called and let the company know I didn't want her back out and they asked why. I was honest and told them I found her asleep and she was always on her cell phone when she was awake. Well a few hours later I get a call from the supervisor. Apparently its a big deal to fall asleep on the job. The nurse is suspended and they have to report it to CPS, D.a.d.s, send a letter to his doctor, have their lead nurse assess Eli to make sure he is alright and I have to write a statement. Wow I had no idea and feel kinda bad for the lady. Anyone else had to go through all this? Did you get any backlash from that nurse or any others ones that came in?

[jennymclelland]

HR consequences at the nursing company seem reasonable to me. But that's their problem, not yours. It sucks to have to deal with this so soon after getting him home, but this will set the tone for your interactions wit the nursing company.

Calling CPS for sleeping on the job is excessive. We don't have night nursing. I sleep when James sleeps, and I wake up and take care of him when he coughs or alarms. Does that mean I'm committing child endangerment every night? Of course not. CPS is pretty big guns to bring out for dozing off on the job (I'm assuming this was the overnight shift).

Tell the nursing agency you'll give them a statement, and they can write it down, but that you're a little bit busy these days to be writing essays.

[ashliemh]

Yes is was the night shift. We only use nurses at night so I can sleep and take care of him during the day.

Sounds like you only use day shift nurses. How is that working out? I'm thinking about switching to day shift nurses. Eli is sleeping really well now that we are home and only has one medication in the middle of the night and his overnight feeds start at 9pm and end at 6am. I'm pretty sure I could handle it. My days have been super busy since being home. The only chance I get to really sit down is when my boys are sleeping. Most of the time I don't even have a chance to sit and play with them until later in the afternoon.

[Livi's_mama]

Why would they need to call CPS? YOU don't need an investigation and open case with them. The agency just needs to fire that nurse and keep moving a long.

I've never heard of an agency involving CPS for their own nurse doing wrong.

[jennymclelland]

James has been home for four months now. I'm a SAHM to James (13 months) and Josie (2 1/2 years. My husband is a school teacher.

We are approved for 16 hours a day, but we only use 40 hours a week, and we use it all on day shift nursing. Our day shift nurse is a dream. We got one annoying night nurse after another, and finally gave up on night nursing.

I feel like day nursing gives me time to be a mom to both kids. I'm not constantly washing trach stuff, and I'm able to spend one on one time with each kid.

[IzzyB]

Wow, Maxim could seem to care less when a nurse sleeps at our house. We have caught almost all of our night nurses sleeping at one point or another. Our one night nurse we have never caught, and we have had some fill ins here and there we never caught. But most of them we have caught. I don't mind *IF* they wake up from the slightest noise *AND* they were not trying to sleep. But we have caught some nurses making a nice little bed for themselves and I had one nurse I had to get within a foot of her and scream her name. Those nurses are no longer in our home. I can tell you that they have never fired the nurses we reported for sleeping. We even had a picture of one nurse sleeping. They have also never assessed our son or called anyone.

[jarner79]

Dont Feel Bad!!!! I used to always let it go, or say at least they wake up to any noise. Then it go to the point of I would hear trhe snoring into my room, and one night sent her home. Once you start feeling bad, or "allowing" any of it, it will never stop.

In Home Care like all of ours on here, sleeping is not allowed. They all know this! If they choose to keep sitting and doze off, I feel it's their problem and they messed up. The company sound pretty strict about it which is a good thing. I had Maxim and nothing was ever done, even when I did mention it to the Clinical supervior. Maybe a small talking, or slap on the hand. Never allow that! Good for you for saying something ASAP and putting a stop to it like you did.

I am sure the nurse will be fine. She wasn't the first and definetly won't be the last. She will probably get a slap and be back to work.

My opinion, I wouldn't give any written report. What you already told them is all they need to know. You don't need to get invloved as much as they want you to for something like this.

[christie]

The caling CPS is a Texas thing I think. I've heard they have to get CPS involved with a sleeping nurse. It will take awhile to get the good nurses. Do you mind me asking wht agency you use? We are in the DFW area.

[Big Al]

Well if the policy is to call CPS I would never be a night nurse in Texas. I have been on nights for four years now and although I am extremely vigilant about getting enough sleep, moving around, and drinking coffee I am sorry to say their have been a handful of times I have nodded off. I know my job is at stake when this happens, but a CPS case will never go away and will show on every background check for the rest of my career. I love nights, but that wouldn't be worth the risk.

[Melissa]

Originally Posted by Big Al

Well if the policy is to call CPS I would never be a night nurse in Texas. I have been on nights for four years now and although I am extremely vigilant about getting enough sleep, moving around, and drinking coffee I am sorry to say their have been a handful of times I have nodded off. I know my job is at stake when this happens, but a CPS case will never go away and will show on every background check for the rest of my career. I love nights, but that wouldn't be worth the risk.

I would have to agree with Big Al. Plus in a hospital setting there are other nurses to cover a time when a nurse needs to be absent from a patient to use the bathroom, eat, or otherwise be indisposed and unavailable. In our homes it's impractical to expect more from a hired professional than we could expect anywhere else or even of ourselves. For a shift at a hospital a nurse would be allowed to leave the floor, be off duty for a time, and if need be, rest his/her eyes and catch up or refresh. I know in my home there is no room in the house one could go to that would not disturb the rest of the family's sleep so a watchful eye must be kept while being very quiet near the patient. Personally I could never take this job for someone else as it would be nearly impossible to do everything right all the time with all the parameters that must be kept. Just for the record, I am not saying I find it okay for a nurse to consistently be sleeping when he/she should be caring for a patient.