I love you boss ... BUT!!... - Page 6

Register Today!
  1. Sep 16, '12 by
    Quote from CapeCodMermaid
    Were you carried off in a ship in chains against your will and subjected to inhumane treatment?It's hardly a matter of semantics.
    Agreed. I can't stand the frequent references to slavery. Every single one of us could do a no call no show for our next shift with no repercussions other than getting fired. We wouldn't be beaten or have our children sold off to the neighboring hospital. In the U.S. or Canada, anyone working in what they consider to be slavery are doing do at their own choice. Sure jobs may not be plentiful, but they are out there.

    Back on topic, I have no problem saying yes or no when I'm called. I show up for my shifts and do what's required of me. Anything extra is at my discretion. Sure, working short is tough, but we all have lives outside of work. My home life is far more important to me than a job. I hope my coworkers feel the same way.
    Last edit by Aurora77 on Sep 16, '12
    wooh likes this.
  2. Sep 16, '12 by
    The reality is this: Nursing is not always an 8 hour job. There will be times if someone doesn't show up, inclement weather when staff can't get in, emergencies, etc. that you will be mandated. That being said, do what you can otherwise. If it's your day off and you just can't come in, then don't. If I work extra, I choose to come in early or stay later, than to actually give up a day off. Just remember extra help is always appreciated by your coworkers, even if your managers don't. And it's not fair to think "the younger People" should do all the extra shifts. Everyone should do what they can!
    hey_suz likes this.
  3. Sep 16, '12 by
    Mandate means, in this context, being required to stay over because you have nobody to relieve you.
  4. Sep 17, '12 by
    Quote from trai1971
    Mandate means, in this context, being required to stay over because you have nobody to relieve you.
    In many cases, due to the employer's fault . NOT WEATHER OR CALL OUTS. but short staffing. Then told to suck it up or threatened with those "patient abadonment " claims.
  5. Sep 17, '12 by
    Quote from Brekka
    the facility no longer hires PRN.
    Quote from anotherone
    In many cases, due to the employer's fault . NOT WEATHER OR CALL OUTS. but short staffing. Then told to suck it up or threatened with those "patient abadonment " claims.
    This is the problem. If it was an occasional thing, yes, most of us would "help out." But we're being treated like WE are the problem. Staffing should account for not just people on scheduled vacations (which right now, my unit won't even let us take off anything but pretty much Tuesdays and Wednesdays), but people that take a mandatory class, and yes, even call-ins. IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT NURSING STAFF TO NEVER GET SICK. We're around germs all day. We're working 16+ hours. Nurses will get sick, will call in, and yes, management should have a plan to staff accordingly even when we call in sick.

    How can they do that? HIRE MORE PEOPLE.

    PRN people. Enough people to cover the schedule when one person takes a vacation. Enough people to cover the schedule if one person calls in sick.

    Sure, multiple people calling in when two nurses are on maternity leave could be an issue that requires calling the regular staff to work extra hours. But one person calling in sick shouldn't be a staffing emergency. Covering for vacations when someone's on maternity leave can be handled way in advance, it shouldn't require mandating. Covering a maternity leave definitely shouldn't require mandating unless the person goes into labor at 30 weeks.

    Poor staffing is not the result of call-ins. Poor staffing is the result of poor planning on the part of the people doing schedules. My hospital has critical needs EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND long BEFORE anybody has called in. That is NOT the fault of staff nurses for daring to get sick and call in.
    dudette10, Aurora77, CrufflerJJ, and 2 others like this.
  6. Sep 17, '12 by
    Quote from wooh

    This is the problem. If it was an occasional thing, yes, most of us would "help out." But we're being treated like WE are the problem. Staffing should account for not just people on scheduled vacations (which right now, my unit won't even let us take off anything but pretty much Tuesdays and Wednesdays), but people that take a mandatory class, and yes, even call-ins. IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT NURSING STAFF TO NEVER GET SICK. We're around germs all day. We're working 16+ hours. Nurses will get sick, will call in, and yes, management should have a plan to staff accordingly even when we call in sick.

    How can they do that? HIRE MORE PEOPLE.

    PRN people. Enough people to cover the schedule when one person takes a vacation. Enough people to cover the schedule if one person calls in sick.

    Sure, multiple people calling in when two nurses are on maternity leave could be an issue that requires calling the regular staff to work extra hours. But one person calling in sick shouldn't be a staffing emergency. Covering for vacations when someone's on maternity leave can be handled way in advance, it shouldn't require mandating. Covering a maternity leave definitely shouldn't require mandating unless the person goes into labor at 30 weeks.

    Poor staffing is not the result of call-ins. Poor staffing is the result of poor planning on the part of the people doing schedules. My hospital has critical needs EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND long BEFORE anybody has called in. That is NOT the fault of staff nurses for daring to get sick and call in.
    Exactly. It's one thing to have a staffing emergency once in a while but when it's all the time, it's not an emergency, it's a chronic understaffing issue. Hire some of these new grads! Work on turnover issues. Make staff feel like you at least appreciate them picking up OT.
    Aurora77, wooh, and brandy1017 like this.
  7. Sep 17, '12 by
    On our station or unit, we started controlling the OT (mandate) to where we already knew who would cover our shift before we would even call in. If someone was short of hours, we would figure out who would call off to give that person hours. Or if someone was tired/couldn't make it/had family obligations, we would volunteer for their shift to cover. It worked out pretty good until they pulled people from another station who had their hours cut, and messed up our whole routine. Now, I don't answer my phone if work calls on my day off. I too feel that it is completely under appreciated.