Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before I read this I wondered why in the world anyone would need or want a night nurse. Now that I know they are sleeping on the job I wonder even more. Those first few sleepless months with my baby were so wonderful for bonding. I cant imagine if my memories instead were of pouring money down the drain so a stranger could sleep in my baby's room.

Because most families have the night nurse do laundry, wash bottles, prepare food, etc while the baby sleeps. However OP wants the night nurse to sit in a dark room and watch the baby sleep all night. I have never heard of anyone hiring a night nurse to do that. I used to work the night shift as an RN and if I had been told to go sit in a dark room during my entire shift and watch someone sleep, I would probably dose off too. It just isn't realistic to expect someone to sit for 8-12 hrs in the dark and watch a baby sleep.

Really? If I had someone in my house moving around and doing chores all night it would keep me awake. I figured night nurses were hired to do night feedings, changes, deal with baby if they cry but I assumed they would sleep when baby slept.

I don't really get why it is any better to pay someone to watch TV or to read than it is to pay someone to sleep. Reading and watching TV don't help baby or family in any way either - I'd rather the night nurse slept so they are better rested to deal with the baby.

As long as you are clear up front you can hire someone for whatever you want. You can hire your night nurse and tell her she has to stand on one foot and hum the national anthem all night. However you need to be clear when you are hiring someone what you expect, and if you are asking for something a bit ridiculous like sit in a dark room and stare at the baby for 12 hours - you are going to have to pay more.

Working nights is not the same as working days. I worked nights for 5 years. I love night shifts but your body is still designed to sleep when it is dark and at night and to be awake during the day. Especially around 2-3-4 am your body wants to shut down and sleep. Few people sleep on days as well as they sleep on nights as you don't have the luxury of darkness, quiet or the rest of the work sleeping too. And again you are going against your body's natural rhythm.

What is the point of her staying awake to read or do puzzles? I can see if you hired her and said you want baby related tasks done all night and you are fine with her moving around, making noise and turning lights on so she can do those things - then she should do those things.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,

I was the same way with my first. I had a really hard time sleeping as I was always worried about my son. We bought a Snuza that attaches to the babies diaper - see http://www.snuza.com/ It is a movement monitor and will sound an alarm if the baby stops moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before I read this I wondered why in the world anyone would need or want a night nurse. Now that I know they are sleeping on the job I wonder even more. Those first few sleepless months with my baby were so wonderful for bonding. I cant imagine if my memories instead were of pouring money down the drain so a stranger could sleep in my baby's room.

[Anonymous]

The night nurse I had didn't sleep. Rather, she read her Bible for most of the night by the dimmest stair lighting you can possibly imagine. I couldn't believe she could read in the lighting conditions she chose to read in. I had assumed, up until that point, that she was at least dozing during some of the night, but she was not.

[Anonymous]

Wake your husband up to stare at the baby while you're asleep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before I read this I wondered why in the world anyone would need or want a night nurse. Now that I know they are sleeping on the job I wonder even more. Those first few sleepless months with my baby were so wonderful for bonding. I cant imagine if my memories instead were of pouring money down the drain so a stranger could sleep in my baby's room.

Because most families have the night nurse do laundry, wash bottles, prepare food, etc while the baby sleeps. However OP wants the night nurse to sit in a dark room and watch the baby sleep all night. I have never heard of anyone hiring a night nurse to do that. I used to work the night shift as an RN and if I had been told to go sit in a dark room during my entire shift and watch someone sleep, I would probably dose off too. It just isn't realistic to expect someone to sit for 8-12 hrs in the dark and watch a baby sleep.

Really? If I had someone in my house moving around and doing chores all night it would keep me awake. I figured night nurses were hired to do night feedings, changes, deal with baby if they cry but I assumed they would sleep when baby slept.

I don't really get why it is any better to pay someone to watch TV or to read than it is to pay someone to sleep. Reading and watching TV don't help baby or family in any way either - I'd rather the night nurse slept so they are better rested to deal with the baby.

As long as you are clear up front you can hire someone for whatever you want. You can hire your night nurse and tell her she has to stand on one foot and hum the national anthem all night. However you need to be clear when you are hiring someone what you expect, and if you are asking for something a bit ridiculous like sit in a dark room and stare at the baby for 12 hours - you are going to have to pay more.

Working nights is not the same as working days. I worked nights for 5 years. I love night shifts but your body is still designed to sleep when it is dark and at night and to be awake during the day. Especially around 2-3-4 am your body wants to shut down and sleep. Few people sleep on days as well as they sleep on nights as you don't have the luxury of darkness, quiet or the rest of the work sleeping too. And again you are going against your body's natural rhythm.

What is the point of her staying awake to read or do puzzles? I can see if you hired her and said you want baby related tasks done all night and you are fine with her moving around, making noise and turning lights on so she can do those things - then she should do those things.

Because you want them alert so they can listen for the baby. A non-parent probably isn't as likely to wake up if sleeping when the baby does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before I read this I wondered why in the world anyone would need or want a night nurse. Now that I know they are sleeping on the job I wonder even more. Those first few sleepless months with my baby were so wonderful for bonding. I cant imagine if my memories instead were of pouring money down the drain so a stranger could sleep in my baby's room.

Because most families have the night nurse do laundry, wash bottles, prepare food, etc while the baby sleeps. However OP wants the night nurse to sit in a dark room and watch the baby sleep all night. I have never heard of anyone hiring a night nurse to do that. I used to work the night shift as an RN and if I had been told to go sit in a dark room during my entire shift and watch someone sleep, I would probably dose off too. It just isn't realistic to expect someone to sit for 8-12 hrs in the dark and watch a baby sleep.

Really? If I had someone in my house moving around and doing chores all night it would keep me awake. I figured night nurses were hired to do night feedings, changes, deal with baby if they cry but I assumed they would sleep when baby slept.

I don't really get why it is any better to pay someone to watch TV or to read than it is to pay someone to sleep. Reading and watching TV don't help baby or family in any way either - I'd rather the night nurse slept so they are better rested to deal with the baby.

As long as you are clear up front you can hire someone for whatever you want. You can hire your night nurse and tell her she has to stand on one foot and hum the national anthem all night. However you need to be clear when you are hiring someone what you expect, and if you are asking for something a bit ridiculous like sit in a dark room and stare at the baby for 12 hours - you are going to have to pay more.

Working nights is not the same as working days. I worked nights for 5 years. I love night shifts but your body is still designed to sleep when it is dark and at night and to be awake during the day. Especially around 2-3-4 am your body wants to shut down and sleep. Few people sleep on days as well as they sleep on nights as you don't have the luxury of darkness, quiet or the rest of the work sleeping too. And again you are going against your body's natural rhythm.

What is the point of her staying awake to read or do puzzles? I can see if you hired her and said you want baby related tasks done all night and you are fine with her moving around, making noise and turning lights on so she can do those things - then she should do those things.

Because you want them alert so they can listen for the baby. A non-parent probably isn't as likely to wake up if sleeping when the baby does.

A night nurse is very likely very tuned to wake up to the cry of a baby. That is what they do. And no one is saying here that the she didn't wake up when the baby cried or didn't take care of the baby. Having someone sit awake all night in case your child wakes up is pretty much the epitome of entitled and rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I thought she would be watching the baby? One of the reasons I hired one was because I have trouble sleeping between feedings - nervous about the baby being ok. I thought having someone else watching would help me sleep. I don't think I want to pay 25/hour for someone to be sleeping.

And this is the point where any normal human being would go out and buy an angelcare monitor, or bring the baby in to their bedroom. Not start bitching about how their hired help isn't sitting there, staring at their child while they sleep. Good grief.

Amen.

[Anonymous]

What kind of market is there for night nurses? Are these RN's?

I am an RN, former NICU nurse, who currently works for an insurance company.

This sounds like a nice way to earn some extra money. (and I would plan to be awake the whole time!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of market is there for night nurses? Are these RN's?

I am an RN, former NICU nurse, who currently works for an insurance company.

This sounds like a nice way to earn some extra money. (and I would plan to be awake the whole time!)

You would be snapped up very quickly; you are the holy grail of night nurses!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of market is there for night nurses? Are these RN's?

I am an RN, former NICU nurse, who currently works for an insurance company.

This sounds like a nice way to earn some extra money. (and I would plan to be awake the whole time!)

I think most of them are night nannies, not nurses. At least when we looked into it there were a small handful of LPNs, but most did not have a nursing background.

[Anonymous]

I'm under the impression RNs charge more than the normal $20-25/hr. Many threads on here looking for recommendations. I had never heard of this before DCUM, but think I'll get one one or two nights a week if my baby up a lot and it is impacting my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm under the impression RNs charge more than the normal $20-25/hr. Many threads on here looking for recommendations. I had never heard of this before DCUM, but think I'll get one one or two nights a week if my baby up a lot and it is impacting my job.

SIL is a pediatric RN and she worked as a night nurse for about $38 an hour (I'm an RN and had inquired because I was looking into it)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep - you need some therapy, not somebody staring at your baby 24/7. I disagree about the angelcare monitor - will just exacerbate the symptoms.

Disagree with you. It helped me relax and sleep knowing that the monitor was on.

+100 (I had super high anxiety, and the monitor definitely helped)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm under the impression RNs charge more than the normal $20-25/hr. Many threads on here looking for recommendations. I had never heard of this before DCUM, but think I'll get one one or two nights a week if my baby up a lot and it is impacting my job.

SIL is a pediatric RN and she worked as a night nurse for about $38 an hour (I'm an RN and had inquired because I was looking into it)

I know two RNs that do private night duty and they charge about $45 an hour but they both work mostly with kids who have a medical or health issue and the parents want there to be a little more monitoring. I can't imagine too many people would pay for a nurse at $45 an hour jut to stand and watch a healthy baby sleep.