Pittsburgh EMT Calls for Napping on the Job to Combat Fatigue

After a 32-hour shift, a paramedic realized EMTs should be allowed to nap during long hours to improve safety and health.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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P. Daniel Patterson, a paramedic and professor at the University of Pittsburgh, recounts a 32-hour shift where he experienced dangerous levels of exhaustion that impacted his ability to quickly diagnose a patient. Patterson argues that on-shift napping should be adopted as a standard practice to mitigate the risks of fatigue for emergency medical workers.

Why it matters

EMTs and paramedics often work long, grueling shifts that put them at risk of fatigue-related errors and health issues. Allowing napping on the job could improve patient care, worker safety, and long-term health outcomes for emergency medical personnel.

The details

During a 32-hour shift, Patterson and his colleague responded to a patient who was violently vomiting. By the time they arrived, Patterson was so fatigued that he was slow to recognize the patient's primary issue of a third-degree heart block. Research shows that sleep loss and fatigue are common among EMS workers, leading to increased risk of injury, medical error, and long-term health problems like cardiovascular disease.

  • At 7 a.m., roughly an hour before the end of Patterson's 32-hour shift, he and his colleague were dispatched to a patient.
  • In 2023, an audit found many Pittsburgh-area EMS clinicians routinely work 18-hour shifts or longer.

The players

P. Daniel Patterson

A nationally registered paramedic and a professor of emergency health care worker safety at the University of Pittsburgh.

University of Pittsburgh

The university where Patterson is a professor of emergency health care worker safety.

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What they’re saying

“Research also shows that relative to traditional day work, night shift workers, including paramedics and EMTs, face a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.”

— P. Daniel Patterson, Paramedic and Professor (triblive.com)

“Leading experts in sleep medicine, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and numerous public safety professional groups, such as the National Association of EMS Physicians, support napping on duty.”

— P. Daniel Patterson, Paramedic and Professor (triblive.com)

What’s next

Many EMS organizations already allow napping but don't have a formal policy. Codifying what crew members already do into official policy would show EMS clinicians that employers care and could reduce confusion by standardizing how the nap strategy is implemented.

The takeaway

Allowing EMS workers to nap during long shifts is an evidence-based solution that could improve patient care, worker safety, and long-term health outcomes for emergency medical personnel.