Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:49     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
The agencies don't let them sleep.

I think you have the wrong night nurse.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:44     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:I thought a night nurse was just supposed to spare you from waking up for night feedings. She should sleep when the baby is asleep, and wake up to tend to the baby when the baby wakes up, IMO.


Yes, some night nurses are hired for this purpose, although many will do baby's laundry and wash bottles, etc during this time.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:41     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
I thought a night nurse was just supposed to spare you from waking up for night feedings. She should sleep when the baby is asleep, and wake up to tend to the baby when the baby wakes up, IMO.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:41     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
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.


NP here. Heck, if you turned the lights off in my office right now and told me to stare at a picture of my son all day, I'd definitely fall asleep!
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:30     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
doze not dose*
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:30     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
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.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:30     Subject: Re:Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
I would not be ok with her sleeping, especially not when I pay her $25/hour. However, I would probably not expect her to sit in a dark room with my baby either.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 10:27     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
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
Post 02/27/2014 09:45     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:for those giving the op a hard time, come on, how many of us as new mothers didnt have some low level of anxiety - once the baby was finally sleeping,thinking why arent they making any noise now etc.?
I think its weird that she is sleeping on her shift. and how can any human determine whether they plan to sleep lightly or deeply? that seems odd to me. her job is to be there and to be awake when you are not.


You can't sleep lightly? Its not hard to sit back and rest on and off for 10 minutes here and there without going into a deep sleep. You clearly have never had the pleasure of working night shifts or 12 hour shifts.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:42     Subject: Re:Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes it seems the 24 hour nurses catch cat naps here and there ( of course) but the 10 or 12 hour ones are supposed to be awake. If not attending to baby, washing bottles, folding laundry.
I think we got a lemon.


Except OP doesn't want the night nurse to leave the room. She wants her to be watching the baby at all times. So she can't wash bottles or fold laundry or do anything else. Sorry, but put me in a dark room for 8-12 hrs with nothing to do and I'm going to fall asleep too.


This. You have unreasonable expectations OP. either you want her in the dark room with the baby, which she is bound to fall asleep, or you get over this need to have someone staring at the baby at all times, and let her fold laundry and watch TV in another room with a monitor.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:35     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:You do not need to hire a night nurse. Instead you need a psychiatrist to deal with your anxiety. Not being able to sleep because you are worried about your baby is not normal. I imagine the effects of sleep deprivation are exacting a heavy toll on you. This may be related to post partum depression. Please check in with your OB for recommendations for someone dealing with PPD or if you know a good psychiatrist that deals with anxiety, please make an appt tomorrow.


+1
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:27     Subject: Re:Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:Yes it seems the 24 hour nurses catch cat naps here and there ( of course) but the 10 or 12 hour ones are supposed to be awake. If not attending to baby, washing bottles, folding laundry.
I think we got a lemon.


Except OP doesn't want the night nurse to leave the room. She wants her to be watching the baby at all times. So she can't wash bottles or fold laundry or do anything else. Sorry, but put me in a dark room for 8-12 hrs with nothing to do and I'm going to fall asleep too.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:22     Subject: Re:Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Yes it seems the 24 hour nurses catch cat naps here and there ( of course) but the 10 or 12 hour ones are supposed to be awake. If not attending to baby, washing bottles, folding laundry.
I think we got a lemon.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:19     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
I knew a woman who worked as a night nurse, she would take on a job for 4-6 weeks and then move onto the next family. She slept during the day while her kids (high schoolers) were at school and was awake while on duty. When the baby slept she did the family laundry, baked muffins, cleaned out the fridge, different things to help mom. She would then bring the baby to mom for nursing or bottle feed herself.

The woman you hired sounds lazy. They charge an awful lot to be sleeping on the job.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2014 09:12     Subject: Are night nurses supposed to sleep on the job?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:for those giving the op a hard time, come on, how many of us as new mothers didnt have some low level of anxiety - once the baby was finally sleeping,thinking why arent they making any noise now etc.?
I think its weird that she is sleeping on her shift. and how can any human determine whether they plan to sleep lightly or deeply? that seems odd to me. her job is to be there and to be awake when you are not.

You know nothing about the job of a night nurse.


We have had night nurses for our children, and none have slept. They all read or watched tv outside of the baby's room while the baby was sleeping. I would not have been pleased that my $300/night nurse was sleeping on the job. This is different from my friends in NY who get round-the-clock nurses ( who obviously need to sleep at some point).


Right, and that is how many families handle night nurses. But OP expects the night nurse to have constant vigilance watching the baby sleep in a dark room. It isn't realistic. What IS realistic for a night nurse is letting them read, watch TV, do laundry, do stuff for the baby, etc. I don't think it is realistic to expect someone to stare at a baby all night and not fall asleep.