Sleeping on the job:how do you do it?

[DesertMedic66]

We are not supposed to sleep on 12 hour shifts. However sups have said "as long as you wake up when you get a call and post where no one can see you then we won't have a problem".

 

[adamjh3]

I usually try to sleep for at least 5 hours when I'm on shift...of course I work 24's and have a station, so yeah.


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I do, too. But we're not allowed to be there between 0700 and 1800 on the 24.

Eff that.

 

[socalmedic]

on a 12, i curl up into a ball on the front seat and ptfo. on a 24 from 0700-2000 i pull up the lever on the right side of my lazy boy and ptof then at 2000 move to horizontal recovery position in bed and ptfo.

ptfo = Pass the F out.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

We have no official prohibition against sleep in policy; however, as a traditional hold-over from the Ministry of Health days, we only have rest facilities (couches) not beds. Thankfully we have one couch per medic at every station though.

Generally we sleep when we can. Sleeping during the day is fine provided station duties are complete and the truck is clean and ready to go. My service is fairly busy and even on nights more than two hours at a time of rest is a big surprise.

I come into work as rested as I can be, but the fact is we're not well adapted to shift work, especially rotating between days and nights. Even with a good chunk of sleep during the day, fatigue is going to be much higher during a night shift than a day shift. Sleeping whenever possible to keep fresh just makes sense. Counting on it and allowing your off-time sleep to suffer as a result is just foolish.

 

[Simusid]

6 PM to 6 AM. 3 calls in one night is a "busy" night and that is usually done by 10 PM. Two calls after midnight would be apocalyptic. we have couches and recliners in the day room and 3 sets of bunk beds. I sleep in the day room because if I get into a bed I'll probably sleep through the tones!

 

[DV_EMT]

Well.... my partner is brave and uses the gurney *shudders* but I've used the bench seat. The blue paper sheets make good shades on the back windows. I just cant stand the awful wool airplane lankes we use... though its probably better than the mylar emergency blankets

 

[Tigger]

I don't come to work expecting to sleep, and I don't on half my shifts. But when I am scheduled to work a 13 and then start the overnight two hours later (and yes, that was the schedule given to me), I am going to need to sleep. I could stay awake for 23 straight hours, and I just did two days ago for school, but I know for a fact that I am just not as effective when I am that stage. Sure I am awake, but I don't even know where I am half the time.

Company policy regarding sleep is strange. Technically it is banned for everyone but ALS, and they can return to base at 2000 and go to bed if they want. BLS is posted, despite the fact that there is only one truck on the overnight and the base is close to most hospitals. That said, as long as you answer the radio, no one cares. I don't like sleeping in back, I take a pillow and sometimes blanket up to the passengers seat and find a comfy position. My only god given talent is being able to sleep anywhere and anytime so it's not a huge deal haha.

During the day I have my sleep sunglasses that are a pair of massive Anons, so it just looks like I am sitting up staring into space when I am actually passed out. If we have nothing to do and are posted, I see no reason why not to sleep, what else should I be doing?

 

[Shishkabob]

I can fall asleep anywhere, in any position.


HA!

 

[Tigger]

I can fall asleep anywhere, in any position.


HA!

I always get the worst head rush when I sleep like this, so you got me there.

WTF how come my pictures never actually show up in the message?

 

[mycrofft]

12 hour shifts should be outlawed.

Unmarried and childless people in very good health do well in them, but the majority of people lose their efficiency after eight hours. The impact upon single parents needing commercial childcare is inordinate. Marriages are strained.(Well, sometimes prolonged....). If you are sick, you lose 12 hrs of sick leave per shift (if you had any at all to begin with....EMT employers, take note). 12 hr shifts are only to save effort on the part of schedulers and staffers, and cut personnel overhead for companies.

 

[firecoins]

I'm an EMT in NJ. I work for a private ambulance company. We do not take up house in any squad buildings or physical locations. So we supposed to park in a spot that easy to access main highways and are within proximity of our facilities and hospitals. When it comes time to nap, there's only one place to sleep....the ambulance. What do you like to use when you sleep to make you comfortable...do you bring your own pillow, blankets...other sleeping aids? Just curious how everyone else finds comfort in the front ...or back of the rig.

which company?

sleep on the bench, bring a travel pillow.

 

[fast65]

I do, too. But we're not allowed to be there between 0700 and 1800 on the 24.

Eff that.

Eh, our supervisors don't really care when we sleep as long as it's after we get all of our checks completed and our station chores are done. Then some people will head into the bedrooms to take a nap while others just decide to nap on the couch.

 

[Nerd13]

Really depends on what shift and which station if I even get to see one. If its a 36 or a 24 I sleep whenever I am tired as long as the rigs are taken care of. Sometimes on the couch sometimes in my sleeping bag on a bed. If its anything less I might fall asleep on the couch for a bit watching tv or in the airway seat on the way back from transfers if its a 3 man crew. It's not like most people sleep particularly well while at post anyway since we have to listen for the radio. I don't see what the fuss is all about. As long as you aren't breaking any company policies and your responsibilities are taken care of then sleep and enjoy it!

 

[DrParasite]

Unmarried and childless people in very good health do well in them, but the majority of people lose their efficiency after eight hours. The impact upon single parents needing commercial childcare is inordinate. Marriages are strained.(Well, sometimes prolonged....).

according to who???????? I am both unmarried and childless, but when I get married and have children, I will look forward to only spending 3 days away from them instead of 5. I call the BS flag on your entire statement

If you are sick, you lose 12 hrs of sick leave per shift (if you had any at all to begin with....EMT employers, take note).

yeah, and??? if you work 4, 8, 12 or 24s, if you call out sick, you lose all the sick time for the duration of the shift.

12 hr shifts are only to save effort on the part of schedulers and staffers, and cut personnel overhead for companies.

I call BS on this. 12 hour shifts are awesome, 3 days a week at work (and then 4 days off) and you get your FT hours, if you get an OT shift it's 12 hours at time and a half instead of just 18, and if you have a side job, you can work 4 or 5 days a week (including the part time job) and still have two days off to spend with family. Plus it's less time and fuel spent commuting to work. I work 12s, and will never go back to 8s again

 

[DrParasite]

Also, sleeping is not a right. I hate it when people complain that they are tired, especially those who work the night shift. newsflash, if you work nights, you need to be sleeping during the day. don't expect any sympathy from me.

that being said, if you want to sleep, as long as your chores are done, truck is ready to go, I have no personal objections. as long as you are out the door in under 60 seconds after dispatch, and there are no delays, most (with the exception of one b!tch supervisor at my former job) have no problem if you are catching a few ZZZs.

Sleep on couches at the station, in beds if we have them, front seat of the ambulance, or the bench seat or cot. typically use a hospital blanket and a sheet on the bench.

private companies are notoriously shady, have :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty working conditions, and suck to work at. work there until you get hired by a municipality or a hospital. good luck.

 

[pa132399]

Also, sleeping is not a right. I hate it when people complain that they are tired, especially those who work the night shift. newsflash, if you work nights, you need to be sleeping during the day. don't expect any sympathy from me.QUOTE]

I work mainly night shift. there is no rythm to my circadian so im usually up all night and i sometime work 16's that start at 0000 so im up till like 0500 then sleep till 0700 when our medics change shift and then up all day then to medic school til 2200 on early nights then back in to work at 0000. with that i say catch a couple zzzzz's if you can if not its not impossible to be awake for long periods of time with little short amounts of sleep.

 

[46Young]

I'm an EMT in NJ. I work for a private ambulance company. We do not take up house in any squad buildings or physical locations. So we supposed to park in a spot that easy to access main highways and are within proximity of our facilities and hospitals. When it comes time to nap, there's only one place to sleep....the ambulance. What do you like to use when you sleep to make you comfortable...do you bring your own pillow, blankets...other sleeping aids? Just curious how everyone else finds comfort in the front ...or back of the rig.

I didn't read the rest of the thread, but I did have five year's experience sitting on street corners, mostly on the overnights. I would pad both rails of the cot with blankets or sheets, another by the feet so that the metal doesn't dig in to your ankles (I'm tall). Throw another sheet over all or that, one blanket for your head, and another to cover you. To block out the light, you can pull a perp hat (skully) over your eyes, or use a hand towel. Turn up the A/C. You sleep better when it's a little cold.

Make sure you answer the radio. We had a CAD, so it would make noises when we got a job. I was also good at hearing only my identifier over the air. If you know the dispatcher, give them a cell number to call you just in case.

Park out of public view. In an urban environment, I like school parking lots, beside the bathroom in playgrounds, a highway service road, or against anything with a high wall. You don't want drunks and crackheads banging on your doors at 0330 hrs for a free ride. Also, check your back bumper for sleeping drunks before driving away. I've seen a few tumbling behind us as we're going enroute.

 

[46Young]

Also, sleeping is not a right. I hate it when people complain that they are tired, especially those who work the night shift. newsflash, if you work nights, you need to be sleeping during the day. don't expect any sympathy from me.QUOTE]

I work mainly night shift. there is no rythm to my circadian so im usually up all night and i sometime work 16's that start at 0000 so im up till like 0500 then sleep till 0700 when our medics change shift and then up all day then to medic school til 2200 on early nights then back in to work at 0000. with that i say catch a couple zzzzz's if you can if not its not impossible to be awake for long periods of time with little short amounts of sleep.

Many of us work more than one job, some of us take college classes during the day, and some of us also have child care responsibilities during the day and early evenings.

For example, I used to do overnight two eights and two overnight 12's a week, and an OT 12 a week (at night) as a matter of necessity. I also went to medic school, which was two 8 hour days, and 16+ hours of clinicals. My wife worked, so I had to watch my infant daughter twice a week after working, since we needed my wife's income as well. You can't sleep when you're watching young children. I maybe got an hour after my wife got home from work, and maybe an hour/half hour once or twice during my kid's naps if I was lucky. Basically, most of the time, I was coming from work to go to class, or for child care. I was moved to nights as a courtesy from my employer. Otherwise, medic school and child care would not have been possible.

In EMS, the money ususally sucks, so many of us are usually coming in from other jobs. I don't count on sleeping, but if there's opportunity, I'm going to take it. Especially places that do 24's, attempting sleep is a given.

 

[Sasha]

I didn't read the rest of the thread, but I did have five year's experience sitting on street corners, mostly on the overnights. I would pad both rails of the cot with blankets or sheets, another by the feet so that the metal doesn't dig in to your ankles (I'm tall). Throw another sheet over all or that, one blanket for your head, and another to cover you. To block out the light, you can pull a perp hat (skully) over your eyes, or use a hand towel. Turn up the A/C. You sleep better when it's a little cold.

Make sure you answer the radio. We had a CAD, so it would make noises when we got a job. I was also good at hearing only my identifier over the air. If you know the dispatcher, give them a cell number to call you just in case.

Park out of public view. In an urban environment, I like school parking lots, beside the bathroom in playgrounds, a highway service road, or against anything with a high wall. You don't want drunks and crackheads banging on your doors at 0330 hrs for a free ride. Also, check your back bumper for sleeping drunks before driving away. I've seen a few tumbling behind us as we're going enroute.

I've gotten woken up by some weird homeless man once. Scared the Hell out of me.

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[adamjh3]

I've gotten woken up by some weird homeless man once. Scared the Hell out of me.

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Just once?

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