I should probably let this go but...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

okay we had this bad snow storm in new jersey and i worked 3-11 when it started on sunday. everybody was calling out and they needed people for the 11-7 shift. they were asking everybody if they could stay and i initially said no but i felt bad and called staffing back and told them to put me on a "back-up". i was prepared to stay anyway as i brought extra scrub and food just in case nobody relieves me on my floor.

my reliever came and i was told i will be on another floor. i said okay as they really needed people. so i worked 11-7 shift and did not get relieved until 9am so i worked 18 hours straight. i had to be back at 3pm that day (monday) so i wanted to go home which i did at 10am and slept for 3 hours and got ready to go to work.

so i came to work for my 3-11 shift. there are two wings on my floor and the other nurse worked 7-3 shift that day and also doing 3-11 shift as staffing was really short. at around 8pm, i was informed by the other nurse that she was leaving and i needed to count the narcs and take over her 25 patients. i said what nobody told me about this. she said they made a deal with her that is why she was doing double and she had to go home because she had school the next day. i told her it was not fair that nobody told me about this and i also did double the day before and worked 18 hours and only slept for 3 hours.

i called the supervisor to confirm and asked her if i needed to take over the other nurse's patients and she said "yeah she needs to go home". i told her nobody from staffing or supervisor told me about this that i also did 18 hours and only slept for 3 hours. she proceeded to tell me that the other nurse needed to go and did not acknowledge the fact that nobody informed me i will be working by myself taking care of 50 patients. she said "talk to staffing tomorrow", which is today and is my day off.

i did take over the other nurse's patients and luckily nothing happened. i am coming to work tomorrow and i am still a little upset that the staffing did not tell me about the deal they made with the other nurse and that supervisor did not even acknowledge that i also worked 18 hours prior and had 3 hrs sleep. should i let this go as nothing happened anyway and the staffing were really short of nurses so they had to make deals with people? this incident is making me a bitter person and not wanting to help when they need nurses to stay over the next time they become short staff.

thanks for reading my vent.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I sympathise so much. That was a really rotten thing for them to do.

I work agency & went to a shift once where I had to look after 65 patients, plus supervise carers, etc. It was an absolute nightmare & I refused to go back there ever again. It's a different situation for me cos I do agency but if I go to a new facility, I do ask how many patients will I get, how many carers, etc. I try to find out as much info as possible so I don't put my registration (and patients) at risk.

I'd take the day off, call nursing HR & complain. They are probably trying to make u feel guilty as well, HR & NMs are good at doing that. They don't really care re your concerns, they just want the staffing filled.

Let us know how u get on.

0 Votes

Horrible way to treat someone who went above and beyond. If you felt you couldn't safely take over their care you should always decline the assignment. Better to lose your job than your license. I would take it up with staffing. Be calm and professional. Tell them it was unprofessional how they handled it. It was. It might make you feel better to get it off your chest. You deserve that. This is another example of no good deed goes unpunished.

Take comfort however in that the patients even if they didn't express it were grateful for your care. Next time don't be so quick to help out unless it is on your terms and you know the exact circumstances. Look at is as a learning experience and know your management is seedy when it suits them. That's good info for you to have for the future. Sorry this happened to you.

0 Votes
Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Having worked as house supervisor and defacto staffing manager, I can tell you that the staffing people have to sell their souls to the devil quite often. You were treated badly. I'm hoping we're talking about a LTC facility and not an acute care hospital with such terrible staffing. I hope you had some kind of help with all those patients. I hope you remember that if you feel unable to do what's asked you're ethically expected to get help or leave so as not to put anybody (including you while driving) in jeopardy. 18 hour shift, 3 hrs sleep, then back to work? I'd be seeing double. It's things like this that make staff stop coming in when you need them.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Another perspective: The other nurse who went home was a better negotiator for the extra hours she worked. It happens in many workplaces for days off, starting salaries, hours worked, etc.

A friend of mine works with someone who telecommutes every day. Other employees complain that they telecommute only three days a week, and "Why does he get to telecommute five days a week"? Simply put: the telecommuter was a better negotiator/more persuasive in arguing his position.

I, too, was once questioned about how much time off I was allowed for maternity leave. Turns out that people upset with my time off never even approached their bosses with solid, persuasive arguments when they wanted it.

While it sucks, you could take it as a lesson learned, and you will probably negotiate better if you're asked to work a double again.

0 Votes
Specializes in FNP.

I assume this is a nursing home. In any event, I'd have refused the assignment, but in hindsight all you can do is complain and let them know if it happens again, you will refuse such an assignment.

Edited to add I agree with dudette. I just refuse to do things I don't want to do, and never, ever, bend. Everybody knows they can't screw me, so they don't try. The nurses who worked ahead of me loved it when I was scheduled to follow them b/c they knew bed mgmt couldnt screw them with a unreasonable assignment over b/c there was no effing way I'd accept the assignment at 7p, (having learned the hard way when I refused to accept the assignment and went home -twice in 8 years. They are slow learners and didn't get it the first time, lol. They did catch on and my life was much easier from that point on) Anyway, and then they'd be screwed for nightshift. Yes, I have a reputation as a malcontent. Do you think I care?

0 Votes

BTDT. UGH. Yeah, this has to be a ltc. I really hope that she got all the pm meds and tx done before leaving. Why couldn't the super take her hall for those few hrs?

I don't work at the place anymore, but I refused to do it after working short and doubling. The supervisor was told that she will have to take the cart/hallway. It would have been totally, totally unsafe for me to take those residents. I knew nothing about them and was scrabling to get my own hall done.

LOL...yep, staffing does have to sell their soul at times.

0 Votes
Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

Next time..do double if you want but work out your own "deal". Sad to say but it is a staffing fact of life!

Nothing gained from making a big deal this time but getting yourself all worked up..Just remember for next time and never fear..there will be a next time!

0 Votes
Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

thanks for all the replies. yes this is ltc. i learned from this experience and next time they need my help, i would have to think twice and it would be on my terms. but i know myself and i will probably say no from now on even if it makes me feel guilty.

0 Votes
Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
btdt. ugh. yeah, this has to be a ltc. i really hope that she got all the pm meds and tx done before leaving. why couldn't the super take her hall for those few hrs?

i don't work at the place anymore, but i refused to do it after working short and doubling. the supervisor was told that she will have to take the cart/hallway. it would have been totally, totally unsafe for me to take those residents. i knew nothing about them and was scrabling to get my own hall done.

lol...yep, staffing does have to sell their soul at times.

thank goodness she did. i only had to give a couple of meds such as ambien, etc... i would have been fine with it if i did not work 18 hours prior and only 3 hrs sleep. the supervisor did not help either by giving me the commanding tone "she had to go" and not acknowledging that i worked longs hours prior as well. oh well now i know how she is so i won't bend over and backwards for her.

0 Votes
Specializes in None.

man...i totally understand i wouldn't let this go for sure, because if and when you have another snow storm they may try to do the same thing to you being you didn't complain enough this time.

your a wonderful nurse!! :)

0 Votes
Specializes in Orthopaedic Nursing; Geriatrics.
thanks for all the replies. yes this is ltc. i learned from this experience and next time they need my help, i would have to think twice and it would be on my terms. but i know myself and i will probably say no from now on even if it makes me feel guilty.

this is one of the sad things about ltc. they typically treeat people differently! and the people like you, who came prepared to cover the next shift, get screwed over and end up job hunting. i may sound bitter because i am just like you. i will do whatever is needed for the residents and then fret over it later. i would definitely let upper management know how unhappy and unsafe the situation was. noy only for you but for your residents. that supervisor was getting paid to do something, she should have been taking over! good luck.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment