ANGRY! Forced to work??

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2006

With them being so short, they were taking quite a gamble ordering you in like that!

You gave them five hours - I'd check policy on that. What if you did opt for a sick day instead of a personal day? How is what you did worse than the person putting on the "frog voice", calling in and taking a sick day?

Wow. As a fellow mom, I applaud you for getting such last minute child care.

Blee

So I called in for a shift, and dummy me, made the mistake of saying that it was not due to an illness but my children. there was an outbreak of something at school I need to pick them up.
I was called a while later to say sorry but you HAVE to come in. No options. You have X number of hours to make arrangements for your kids and then you need to be here as we are 5 nurses short. Uh excuse me?? OK, so I am going to go in but I am kind of ticked. Can they do that? What about the other 4 nurses who are not coming in? Why is that that I have to? Was it that my excuse was not valid enough? Why is it my problem that they cannot staff the unit. Sorry, just a vent as I am not sure this is legal? Where I live we have no mandatory OT or call ins in our contract.............................arggggggggg:madface:

jen42 · Mar 10, 2006

That's ridiculous. What if you were a single mom and didn't have childcare? Are you supposed to leave them with the man next door?

tryingtomakeit, RN · Mar 10, 2006

I was faced with a similar situation a couple of times. The first time I wasn't even scheduled to work and had just worked three 12 hour shifts the previous three nights. I was scheduled to be off 1 night, then back the next (which really wasn't like having a day off because I work nights and would spend the day sleeping). My nurse manager called and asked if I could work my 1 night off because someone had called in. I told her that I was exhausted and that that would put me working 5 - 12 hour shifts in a row. She replied that there wasn't anyone else and that I would just have to do it anyway! So I did it ...

About two months later, I had requested a night off because my son was in a church Christmas play (the request was put in before the schedule even came out). She actually had the nerve to call me and tell me that I would have to work that night because we were short and no one else would return her call. I promptly told her that I was also the only mother my child had and that I wouldn't be there!

Luckily our hospital was bought by another company and there were so many complaints about her that the new company told her that her services would no longer be required as nurse manager of my unit.

Geeg · Mar 11, 2006

Thank God for caller ID and answering machines. The best way to avoid undesired shifts is never to be asked in the first place.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

Thank God for caller ID and answering machines. The best way to avoid undesired shifts is never to be asked in the first place.

I use it, too! That way you don't have to work when you don't want to. And no guilt trips! Unplug the answering machine, as well. That way they don't get to tell you to call them back about something "important" and then sucker you into working!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

Thank God for caller ID and answering machines. The best way to avoid undesired shifts is never to be asked in the first place.

Exactly. You can always say that you weren't home and didn't get the message until after the shift was over. They cannot punish you for not being home. If you are "on call" that is another story, of course. But if it is just a regular day off, they have no legal right to force you to work.

sharann, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

Why is this an issue? Why are people given the "benefits" of sick days and PTO when they let themselves get hammered into working? It is NOT our problem that the shift is short. "5 nurses short" Phenomenon said! How does that happen unless there is a serious problem in that unit. In my opinion, the person who called you back was out of line and will continue to have this problem. I guess they need to use agency nurses until they fix their probs.

I would NEVER go in after I called in nor would I be "forced" to work. They would have to come to my home and physically kidnap me to get me in those circumstances. Then they would REALLY have issues!

clee1 · Mar 11, 2006

Thank God for caller ID and answering machines. The best way to avoid undesired shifts is never to be asked in the first place.

:yeahthat:

clee1 · Mar 11, 2006

They would have to come to my home and physically kidnap me to get me in those circumstances. Then they would REALLY have issues!

Yup!:uhoh21: At my house, those issues would include a load of buckshot in the assets. :lol2:

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

i've learned over the years to be very quiet about personal things and just call in for a sick day when things arise.

people treat you the way you allow them to & this is no different.

next time, say NOTHING, just call in sick. end of story

icugirl33 · Mar 11, 2006

Hello,

That happened to me once a couple of months ago. After I cld, I rec a call at 8:30 pm asking me if I was able to come in at 11pm. I explained that if I had no one to watch the kids at 8, why would I have someone @ 11pm. She went on to say that I left them short, blah, blah, blah. I explained that they are always short so if there was nothing else I could do for you, good night. I never heard anything else about it. I don't like people trying to undermind me & act like I'm not telling the truth. Treat your nurses better & you won't always be short.