does this ever make you feel frazzeled?

[oramar]

Are you ever hounded on your days off by phone calls asking you to come in to the point where you feel as if you are just as aggitated and frazzeled as if you had worked? I think it can add to the stress of the whole nursing shortage. I felt guilty when I finally responded by disconecting the phone but no one is going to save my sanity but me.

[puzzler]

I am one of those who are making those calls. When I first came to this position it used to irritate me when no one would call me back to at least let me know that their answer was "no". I still would rather hear a "no" than not get a reply, but I have learned to live with it.

But I have had to call and beg so much recently that I think I need knee pads (LOL).

Should you feel guilty for saying no? Absolutely not!! Only you know how you feel. Everyone needs time off to regroup. The patients do not benefit from tired nurses or tired anyone (CNA, dietary, lab, resp care, all those we need to care for the patients).

But I just have to tell you this. I recently took 2 days off (scheduled) for eye surgery. I got home about 4PM and immediately went to sleep (did not check the answering machine). Woke up at 1AM and noticed the machine blinking. What was on it??? My co-worker (Supervisor) wanting to know if I could work the Labor Room 11P to 7A. Just had to laugh!!!! Did she forget?? No--she said she was just hoping I would be up to it and she needed staff for L&D. LOL, LOL. Did I go in to work the next day? Nope. Did I feel guilty? Nope!

We all have personal needs including the need for a little space some times. I used to work all the time, no longer. I am much healthier and happier this way too. I am not saying I do not pitch in when emergencies arise, I do. But scheduled lack of staffing is not an emergency in my book.

Good luck and keep healthy and happy.

------------------

Sheryl

www.CrosswordsForNurses.com

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited April 11, 2001).]

[oramar]

puzzler, your remark about emergiencies is the thing that makes me feel guilty. On three occasions in my career I was called about true emergency situations, one fire, one plane wreck and one bus accident. I think if I ignored a blinking light and found out later it was serious I would feel bad. However, like you I sometimes just really forget to check an answering machine. Other times however it is ignored on purpose.