Just Rewards!

YADA-YADA · Apr 20, 2000

By the wording in your post we can all tell you are a tad angry at this co-worker.

The fact that she stood up for herself and refused to do another overtime is not related to her poor judgement when it came to staffing your floor.

I have been working an overtime shift a week for 4 months, partly to help out and partly because I want the extra money. (Our overtime is at least 1 1/2 and sometimes double time.)

However, If I didnt want to do it I would not hesitate saying so. If we want "mandatory overtime" to stop we have to be willing to step up to the plate and refuse to do it, as she did.

Of course her messing up your staffing is a separate issue. This I would call her to the mat on. Ask her if she realized what she had done to the unit and figure out a way to avoid it from happening again. Better communication would be a good start.

SPEAK UP

CANRN, MSN, RN · Apr 20, 2000

You sound frustrated and righfully so. I can't imagine being FORCED to work overtime. But realize many facilities do just that. Personally, I would be the one to REFUSE to work overtime. Not just because I have a family, but the sheer exhaustion I felt after working a regular shift would not be safe for me or any patient I took care of

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited April 24, 2000).]

Palpitations · Apr 21, 2000

Your complaint says it all. You can't do the job or didn't want the job, but you complain that she "stepped up to do the job". You want her to be just like you "a team player". She's a "team player", she's just not playing on your team. Charity begins at home. She new that she would probably be more of a danger to that baby than a help, so that's why she went home. Fatigue plays a big part in nurse's mistakes. You mentioned that the state has stood up and said that you don't have do the mandatory overtime, but you continue to do it because you're afraid to lose your job. That's your choice. Her choice was to risk losing her job rather than be abused by management. If you can do the job better (house supervisor), you should apply for it. It sounds like you're mad at the wrong person/s. Take a look in the mirror.

Originally posted by nbicurn:
Forced overtime in Minnesota continues even though our state board of nursing says we don't have to stay. Why? Because how can anyone walk out when there is a vented premature baby with-out a nurse. Oh, but let me back up. Six months ago we had a nurse in our unit who DID refuse. She said that she would quit if forced to stay. So, the charge nurse called the house supervisor who "found" someone on ortho to stay, who freed up a float to come and help so there were enough nurses. This wonderful co-worker was then PROMOTED to house supervisor. Last night she messed up our staffing sending our pre-assigned float to Peds ICU. Of course, by the time we called (at 11:30 pm) they "just had no-one to stay." So there we were.
Message?? If you are incompetent and not a team player, you get promoted. If you give a rip about the patients and your co-workers then you just keep getting SCREWED!!