called in sick, nurse manager calling back (inappropriate tactics?)

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Ntheboat2

366 Posts

He gave more than enough notice. I wouldn't have answered the phone. If he is sick then he is sick. The nurse manger should have stepped up to the plate and taken an assignment.

I agree. I took a test not long ago that had a scenario similar to this. It said, "If you were the nurse manager and an employee had to go home sick, what would you do?"

One choice was, "Take on a patient assignment so the unit is sufficiently staffed."

Another was, "Start calling staff to come in and cover the unit."

I chose "take on the patient assignment."

WRONG! Go figure. I'm not manager material, obviously.

tyvin, BSN, RN

1,620 Posts

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Union? Hmmm; yes I've worked for those types...it's harassment plain and simple. Now that he caved in both of you will never get rest next time this may happen (if "it" still works there). You had better have a plan on day offs now that "it knows" who caves and who doesn't.

I've worked at places that do this and places that don't. It seems to me about half will always try to hassle. At least now you know what type of place it is. Also, since someone brought it up, the last place I worked nepotism was rampant. It seemed like every other person was related to the next somehow.

Specializes in FNP, ONP.

Oh, completely off the rails. Why does she even have your cell phone numbers? She has no business texting you, ever. If my boss ever sent me a text message I think I'd "have a cow," as they saying once went. I cannot even conceive of an environment or circumstance in which that would be remotely acceptable.

Both of you should file separate complaints to HR, in writing.

(1) It should stipulate that she is not to ever text message you as a route for formal communications again, unless of course the institution is going to pay for the full cost of maintaining the device.

(2) Further, stipulate that you expect the institution to honor their own call-in policy. Once you call in sick, that's it. No return calls, ever. You are out for the day.

(3) Lastly, you and your spouse are separate employees. It is not appropriate for her to try to reach one via the other.

I am outraged on your behalf. I would want her formally reprimanded.

amygarside

1,026 Posts

I feel for you. It is somewhat unfair that this happened. If a person is sick then he has the right to not answer his phone.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD

2,315 Posts

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
I agree. I took a test not long ago that had a scenario similar to this. It said, "If you were the nurse manager and an employee had to go home sick, what would you do?"

One choice was, "Take on a patient assignment so the unit is sufficiently staffed."

Another was, "Start calling staff to come in and cover the unit."

I chose "take on the patient assignment."

WRONG! Go figure. I'm not manager material, obviously.

Interesting, in our unit, I know that "start calling staff" is the correct answer per the powers that be. What confuses me is why this would be done after one nurse goes home. In my unit, the first correct act would be to simply redistribute the patients. If we happened to have someone on call, maybe they would call them in. For the manager to consider coming in hades would have had to have broken out after a roomful of nurses had been taken out. Okay, not that bad, but we did have a horrible shift, 3 nurses down, babies falling out of the sky with nowhere to land, and with no one to call in and no one else answering the phone (including our manager for the first 3 hours we tried to get ahold of her) she finally came in.

I'm not manager material either. I am taking a nursing management course for my BSN and as part of our introductions, the instructor wanted to know what we wanted to learn. I wrote that I wanted to learn to understand the many truly mysterious actions my managers have taken over the last 20 years of practice. I'm almost 3/4 of the way through and I am still pretty mystified. Maybe I'm a slow learner.

Ntheboat2

366 Posts

Interesting, in our unit, I know that "start calling staff" is the correct answer per the powers that be. What confuses me is why this would be done after one nurse goes home. In my unit, the first correct act would be to simply redistribute the patients. If we happened to have someone on call, maybe they would call them in. For the manager to consider coming in hades would have had to have broken out after a roomful of nurses had been taken out. Okay, not that bad, but we did have a horrible shift, 3 nurses down, babies falling out of the sky with nowhere to land, and with no one to call in and no one else answering the phone (including our manager for the first 3 hours we tried to get ahold of her) she finally came in.

I'm not manager material either. I am taking a nursing management course for my BSN and as part of our introductions, the instructor wanted to know what we wanted to learn. I wrote that I wanted to learn to understand the many truly mysterious actions my managers have taken over the last 20 years of practice. I'm almost 3/4 of the way through and I am still pretty mystified. Maybe I'm a slow learner.

My thought is just that after all the time spent calling people and begging them to come in...and the time it takes someone to show up, give report, etc. etc. that I could just do it myself and make it through the shift...however rough it would be...but I was wrong!

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN

1 Article; 909 Posts

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

I would never ever ever ever give out my cell number, if I am "On Assignment," they have the land line number to my room. This is harassment, and you guys must be very cordial-because that would not fly with 90% of nurses-especially the Disease Control Nurse!

DizzyLizzyNurse

1,024 Posts

Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

Just wanted to point out some of us only have cell phones. I don't have a land line.

Your NM was totally out of line. But make sure your husband is prepared next time the calls in because you KNOW the NM will be calling and harrassing him to come in. That's when you turn your ringer off.

What do you mean you got tripled?

morte, LPN, LVN

7,015 Posts

Three patients. Doesn't sound like an ICU that is well run, nor safe for the patients.

Just wanted to point out some of us only have cell phones. I don't have a land line.

Your NM was totally out of line. But make sure your husband is prepared next time the calls in because you KNOW the NM will be calling and harrassing him to come in. That's when you turn your ringer off.

What do you mean you got tripled?

My husband and I work together as RNs on the same unit (ICU) and we work the same schedule. No problems on that front so far between us, staff, or management. Neither of us has called in sick since signing on 18 months ago.

Yesterday, he called in sick for the first time ever (vomiting and diarrhea.) He gave plenty of notice, calling both our nurse manager and charge nurse at midnight. Our shift is 7a-7p.

At 4am, our NM called my husband. My husband was ill, and could predict that it was a plea to retract his sick day, and decided not to pick up. Then, the NM texted my husband "please call me back asap."

Ten minutes later, the NM called my cell phone. I of course happened to be finishing my last precious hours of sleep before showing up to work at 7am. I did not pick up! Five minutes later, the NM texted my phone: "please let your husband know to call me. we will need his help at 11. thank you."

Then, between 0400-0430, NM proceeded to call us BOTH one more time. He proceeded to leave a message on my husband's phone: "we will be needing you to come in as several nurses will be tripled."

What????!

My husband did end up going into work (i know, i know :( ) much to our charge nurse's dismay. It turns out, had he not retracted his sick day, the NM would have ended up coming in to take patients. My husband ended up working while he was sick, and three nurses were tripled anyway (I was one of them.)

Is this a typical tactic in nursing these days? I feel that this was inappropriate behavior on our NM's part, and can't help but to feel somewhat violated - on my husband's behalf, and that the NM was disturbing my sleep when he knew I would be working in several hours?

Not sure why I'm posting, just trying to vent and find some solidarity I guess. Thanks :)

Where I work we get some pleas and mandated but none as pathetic as this, I suppose. I think by your husband going in , "management" might think he wasn't really that sick. Know what I mean? Not that that matters, but any little thing can set them off in terms of raises, evaluations, lay offs etc...I am not suprised they texted you in order to get a hold of him, but for something like this , they could have left voice messages. If i was getting texts from work , " call asap" repeatedly I would expect it to be something VERY important relating to pt care , otherwise I would expect a message. This is exactly what I feel will become par for the course in nursing. This happened in my retail jobs so why not in nursing?

beeker

411 Posts

Don't you have caller Id ? Your husband just reinforced this bad behavior by caving in. Next time ignore the messages and texts, turn your phone off. Now that nm knows they can guilt your fam into coming in, guess what will happen every time now? Not only should your nm know better, but as grown adults you should. Know better than to give in o this type of behavior.

I would never ever ever ever give out my cell number, if I am "On Assignment," they have the land line number to my room. This is harassment, and you guys must be very cordial-because that would not fly with 90% of nurses-especially the Disease Control Nurse!

I don't have a landline phone. Many people don't. .

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