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

[jbaggins]

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 :)

[anankhsunamun]

Vent away! The behavior was totally inappropriate....especially to call an employee on behalf of another employee. That is a blatant HR violation. I have been a supervisor and understand not wanting to come in and take the shift on top of the things that you are being asked to do by senior leadership, but in this case that supervisor should have came in and taken the assignment and worked in the trenches with the rest of the staff. Sick is sick....and I also have been harassed for being ill and calling out.... while sitting in my own ER waiting to be seen as a patient. The facilities need to acknowledge that we as nurses work in a cesspool of germs and diseases and that WE will contract one of these illnesses from time to time (or take them home to our families, whom it is our responsibility to take care of first and foremost). Notice I said that they need to acknowledge.....they already know this, but don't seem to care very much. That is, however, a nursing world that we all perpetuate by allowing the behavior to continue, and by not standing up together and saying no....and enough.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Well when nurses reward that kind of behavior by giving in to it, what can we expect?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I can't fathom having a home telephone. Ever. What a waste of money. If someone needs me, I have a cell phone. There is no reason this day and age for anyone to have a home telephone. But that's just my $0.02.

There are plenty of reasons! I keep my cell phone in my pocket and it ONLY rings/buzzes/beeps when it's a call I simply must stop and take. In other words, something of an emergent nature from my children's schools, or close family. Otherwise, my home phone fields calls from my volunteer activities, religious community, relatives who want to chat, personal bank/finance stuff, etc etc etc.

I don't get interrupted a half dozen times a day for non-emergent calls, THEY can wait.

My question is, to the OP why the hell do you keep your cell phone turned on all night long? My phone is shut off between 9PM and 6 AM, and if someone has died or there is an emergency, it can wait until the morning.

Holy mackerel, THIS is when you turn your phone off? "If someone has died or there is an emergency" is exactly the OPPOSITE of "it can wait until the morning" in my world. And precisely the reason my CELL is turned off/recharging but my HOME phone is ready to ring if there is a tragedy.

[RxOnly]

I think what's even MORE inappropriate is the NM using YOU as a means of communication with another employee. NM is taking advantage of your situation!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Tell 'em you're not speaking to each other. Bet they don't offer you counseling from the EAP :)

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Not to derail, but I simply cannot fathom not having a home telephone. I guess if you really cannot afford it, try this: get the $10 track phone and use that for the home phone. Only provide that number to your work place, and then don't answer it, lol. Let them leave a message and return the call at your convenience. I truly do not believe text messages are acceptable for professional communications. Disclaimer: I don't send text messages to anyone anyway, and I suppose that is another thread.

Tell that to my hospital, which uses a hospitalist text-paging system. It actually works quite well.

[JerseyBSN]

Nurses get sick and when they do they should stay home and not subject the patients and their co-workers to their illness. Whether they are contagious or not, if you're too sick to work, you stay home, period. It then becomes the employers problem to find coverage. If that means the NM works then oh well.....

[BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN]

Tell 'em you're not speaking to each other. Bet they don't offer you counseling from the EAP :)

This is wonderful advice !! Hahaha