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

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jbaggins

21 Posts

Thanks everyone for your replies. I feel a little less crazy now. Sometimes it's easy to "get used to" this kind of treatment and to feel like you are being "whiny" for feeling mistreated or any sort of discontent. Our unit nurses are fairly accustomed to being pushed around by our management in this way, and hardly ever complain. Unfortunately, I feel like the NM has some leverage on our situation because he gives us the same schedule. This is valuable to us, as we live an hour away (gas $), and own a secondary business that requires us to have time off together. I know it sounds terrible that he ended up caving to the demands. It all ends up being a little political, doesn't it? We will most likely end up not taking any action with HR for the sake of preserving our personal arrangement and peace. I do feel for other nurses on our unit who do end up being coerced into working overtime and retracting their sick days as a result of these tactics.

To merlee: there are definitely facilities out there that hire couples and accomodate their scheduling requests, especially when it comes to travelers (which we aren't.) I don't see why it should be a problem when it comes to professional adults.

Re: cell phones, we don't have a landline, as others have stated. Texting comes with the territory, it's not a big deal. I do prefer receiving a courtesy text to having to pick up a phone when it comes to TB test/mask fitting/in-service reminders, etc.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN

1 Article; 909 Posts

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

@anotherone:

Okay, yes, fail.

I guess ignore is only way.

But, I still don't give out my cell to management. I have bought a lil' cheap Nokia Tracfone while with Fastaff, if "on call."

I just don't want to deal with being called in on "off" days. That is my biggest complaint with most hospitals.

I'm gullible, and can't say no, or if I can, I still end up being talked into a shift. If I stick by my guns and say no- I feel guilty and crappy, if yes, I feel angry, used, and abused. No Win unless I want the overtime, or a day off and expect I may get cancelled.

Otherwise I ignore. Cancellation is mostly a hoop dream anyway!!Another plus is I live rural. No service calls is a legible excuse here.

When they pay my bill, they can have 24 hour access to me.

Oh boy, I can sure sympathize. I shut my phone off most of the time so my voice mail picks up and I check it when MY SLEEP time is over with. "oh gosh I didn't even hear the phone ringing I was so tired and my poor husband, he is even more tired than I am being so sick and all. We slept right through any attempts to contact us, I apologize. Now What did you need?". A simple no way, "I wouldn't want him putting our patients health/healing at risk by taking a chance catching this AWFUL bug he has, not to mention infectiing other staff members". Ok so I am role playing here, lol. But that would be what I would have done. I used to have a boss that would try and bully me into covering all the time for the same people calling off, time and time again. In the almost three years I worked there, I only took two sick days. One of which, I made the mistake of picking up and she talked me into coming in 3-11. Sheeesh! All those shifts I covered for other people and I can't get one darn day off! grrr.. If we would not come in when asked/told to in order to cover for someone else. Um, there would be subtle retaliation; erroneous write ups, pick pick pick. In your case, sounds like blatant HARRASSMENT. Also sounds like my old mgr. who would never dream of actually taking patient assignments to help her staff out. (it's so hrs to respect someone like that!) When one is truly vomiting and running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. There is no way your head is in any shape to safely take on ICU patients, or ANY patients for that matter. If you are Union Greivence all the way! If no union, although it's tough we as caretakers must advocate on our own behalf because obviously in alot of circumstances our boss sure does not have our back. I am blessed now to have a Mgmt. team that does evrything in their power to see that we get the R & R we need when. Good luck to you and may god bless you with good health. =}

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B

9 Articles; 4,800 Posts

If I was awake because of my phone ringing, I would have answered. And said that my husband was up all night sick. Therefore, you had no say on the matter, but it was your understanding that he called out, and that should he choose to call back, he would. Unfortunetely, one hand washing the other is more than likely the culprit here. If they give you both the same shifts, then I am sure they feel "put out" if you all don't make acccommodations for them. And your husband was guilted into going in to work. And a number of you were tripled anyway. And your husband went into work sick. With critical patients. And the NM didn't work the floor, even though you ended up tripled anyways. Apparently, patient safety is not within your NM's management style, nor her strong suit. And if it is not in writing, but a deal you and your husband made with management to be scheduled together, then unfortunetely, I would expect that your NM will call in favors. Probably more often than not. Travellers write their own contracts. And can state that husband/wives work together, take it or leave it. Unfortunetely, when you make verbal deals, then the expectations could be different. So it was way out of line, it was playing on your husband's guilt, and I would say to the NM that you felt uncomfortable with her calling you regarding your husband. And if I were your husband, I would be angry that the NM called you after it was obvious he was not responding.

mindlor

1,341 Posts

I always get called in on my days off. I always say no, unless it is to work overtime and it includes a bonus. They hate paying the bonus but will do so when desperate....

Anyway, I asked my NM straight up.......what are you trying to do burn me out?

The bottom line is that we are resources. They do not care about us or recognize the fact that we all need balance in our lives....

We must advocate for ourselves because no one else will. I have made it clear that I will not work three days in a row, nor will I work more than 4 shifts in a week.

As a result of having a balanced life, I seldom get sick and have never had to call off. Many coworkers will work 6 shifts one week to help out and then call off 3 shifts the following week d/t exhaustion......

Seriously?

Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Because it's soooooooooo obvious that someone with N/V/D should be working with critically-ill patients, right? :rolleyes:

So sorry that your work environment is so non-supportive!

TopazLover, BSN, RN

1 Article; 728 Posts

Turn off your phone when you sleep. That is a normal response to anyone who has a cell phone. Charge the phone when it is off.

I understand your hesitance to go to HR since you are getting a sweet deal about shifts worked. That does not mean you are at beck and call 24/7. Once your DH had called off both phones should have been shut off. Now you know that what will happen, calls and texts all night.

Turn them off.

T-Bird78

1,007 Posts

If he's working in the ICU, around pts who are already frail, he doesn't need to be dragging his vomiting self into work and risking the pts health even more. As to the manager--oh, hell, no. If it's the first time calling out and giving plenty of notice and to multiple sources, then he owes nothing further. Calling you to tell him to come in--um, no. What if you weren't married, they wouldn't have that option, so it shouldn't be an option anyway.

I called out once when my son was sick, running a fever, so he couldn't be in school and couldn't be at a daycare, so I had to stay home with him. The clinical director, over all 200+ employees, called to see if I could come in. I explained what was going on and she was fine with it. The next day, a coworker was griping because she had called out and they called her back in after talking to me; the coworker had called out because her boyfriend had been in the ER and clinical director said sick child trumped boyfriend. Coworker was mad at me. A year later I called out because I was throwing up, clinical director called me an asked if I could come in anyway because we had a heavy schedule that afternoon. I told her I couldn't because I was literally on my way to the ER to get fluids. I was pregnant and that was the first of 4 visits I'd make to the ER. I wound up getting intermittent FMLA during my first hospitalization and missed 3 weeks of work in one month between hospital stays and home health--hard to work when you're hooked up to an IV. Three months after I was back at work on my normal, full-time schedule (wearing a medication pump for a month of it) I got my annual review and was docked several points for my attendance--I hadn't missed a single day since I had gone back to work, and my absences were all protected under FMLA. I got so mad that my attendance was a negative and affected my raise when I had FMLA to protect me.

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN

1 Article; 2,816 Posts

Totally inappropriate. He called in sick, end of story.

On cell phones, I don't have a land line either. Gave it up years ago when it didn't make sense to pay for two phone bills. Also, I like texting. It's often a far more efficient form of communication than a phone call.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I would report this to HR. It was inappropriate to call you at all, since you are not the employee who called in. Technically it was like calling any other nurse from your unit. It disturbed your sleep which put you at risk for fatique syndrome when working. And if I call in sick that means I am sick and not coming in. Next time do not give her any positive reinforcement by dragging in. Just stick to what the HR policy says about sick calls.

Dragonfly777

59 Posts

I agree with you and support your point of view. Must be really nice to work together with your husband on the same floor and same schedule. On the NM behalf, I think she was desperate...but nevertheless inappropriate.

RoseRyan

44 Posts

Specializes in ICU.
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.

1.I agree

2.I agree

3.I agree

1000 percent

Believe it or not, nurses are not machines. We get sick and injured just like anyone else and if your spouse was sick with stomach flu, he had no business being at work. I sure if you asked the nurses on your unit, they would probably rather triple up for the day instead of catching the stomach virus

Hope you al are feeling better

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