An answer to them calling everyday!

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Hello fellow nurses,

I love the people I work with and my floor that I work on now. I work three 12's a week. Lately I have been scheduling them three in a row. A handful of us do the same thing on this floor. I have been off for 6 days due to my schedule. THey have called me at least 3 if not 4 days to come into work. It's not just this week. If I'm off 3 they will call 2. I work what is considered full time as well as most of the nurses. I'm looking for an answer for this, because I'm not the only one getting aggervated by this. I mean, my days off is my days off. I have things planned and I also work night shift. 7p-7a. Would you think that working 4 hours on top of the three 12's or every other week work an 8 help with this? Some floors do this. Or my solution, just hire some more people! Anything will help. so I can put it in the "suggestion box". Any suggestions are better than nothing. Alittle vent here, but what do they expect us to do on our days off sit and wait by the phone to not be doing anything. I have told them I'm making soup and getting ready to go to the store. Cooking relaxes me, and stocking up my freezer for meals during my work days are alot more important that making more money that I don't have time to spend anyways! I feel better! Send me the suggestions! :banghead:

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
This is what agency nurses are for.

It is not your responsibility to staff a short-staffed unit - it's not your problem, so don't let them make it your problem. That's why managers get paid the big bucks.

Caller ID, and saying 'no' consistently and without guilt.

Enjoy your days off.

Whenever my former manager asked me to work overtime even after I had just worked two extra shifts, I would say "its not my responsibility to staff PCU and I cannot single-handedly do it on my own"

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Sometimes they will switch some days around such as work today and have Saturday off or whatever. It will be a stretch for incentive pay which is $10.00 roughly on top of your hourly pay. The new schedule is coming out and I hope that it isn't as bad as this one. One night we had NO techs scheduled after 11pm. NONE. Charge nurse did some deals and it worked out, but that is the type of thing that I am busting my head against the wall about now. There is a new person doing the schedule so it might help. I like the raffle thing. Everyone gets called even on their vacation. Who wants to come in on their vacation that they scrimped and saved for? Thank you for your ideas and I'll float them to the managers. If you see a fireball hit the sky you know what happened! :lol2:

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Agency comes and goes. At one time no agency and last month they had to let one come in for hours. Float pool is on our floor alot. I know most of them by name and face.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Sometimes I think once you start picking up a bunch of OT, management looks to you to pick up more when they are short. Example, last summer I worked 6 12 hour shifts in a row. It seriously didn't matter to my assistant manager because she asked me to work a 7th 12 hour shift. Of course, I said no because after day 5 I was a zombie. They don't care that you are putting your license at risk they just want to make sure the "numbers' are even.

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I think I get called every day I'm off. Yesterday I got home from there at midnight and the phone was ringing at 6 a.m. I just let them talk to my voicemail. Our secretaries know that most of us nurses aren't going to answer. If it's important or I want to work, I'll call right back. BTW, no incentive for picking up extra.

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Sometimes I think once you start picking up a bunch of OT, management looks to you to pick up more when they are short. Example, last summer I worked 6 12 hour shifts in a row. It seriously didn't matter to my assistant manager because she asked me to work a 7th 12 hour shift. Of course, I said no because after day 5 I was a zombie. They don't care that you are putting your license at risk they just want to make sure the "numbers' are even.

ha.. reminds me of Lumbergh from the movie, "office space"

"Mmm, yeah, I'm going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Saturday, yeah could you come in on Sunday too?":rolleyes:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
ha.. reminds me of Lumbergh from the movie, "office space"

"Mmm, yeah, I'm going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Saturday, yeah could you come in on Sunday too?":rolleyes:

I especially like when they took the fax machine out in the field and hammered it to pieces. It was great.

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I don't mind when they call.. I rather like it.

Keep calling!

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Specializes in ICU.
Of course, I said no because after day 5 I was a zombie.

Worked 6 long days in a row once, (7 till 19:30) due to staffing problems and an inability to say no. I know what you mean about being a zombie :yawn:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
Worked 6 long days in a row once, (7 till 19:30) due to staffing problems and an inability to say no. I know what you mean about being a zombie :yawn:

It was actually 6 12 hour midnight shifts which made it worse. I was sooooooo exhausted. I needed the money though but I will never risk my license or the safety of my patients again.

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