Anyone else sick and tired of being asked to work every weekend?

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I do my one week of on call per month which is required. However, every Friday I'm asked and put on a guilt trip to work Sat. also. I have worked every Sat. for over a month, then did my week/weekend of on-call this past week and they still asked me to work this Sat. AGAIN and I said NO.

To me it's a management problem, but they always make it the nurses problem. It's not my fault they excepted 5 admits on Sat., refuse to move them, then want the nurse on-call to do it, but know they can't. That's when they start the heavy guilt trip...."you won't help out (so and so) boy wait until YOU are on call"..... Also, they cop a nasty attitude & tone in their voice if you say no.

Any suggestions? I don't want to work every weekend. Also we've had two nurses put in their 2 week notice, so things aren't going to get any better, but possibly worse.

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

That really stinks!!! We have 2 RNs and a LPN that work every weekend. We have 2 fulltime RNs for the weekend and the LPNs take turn working. We also have the RNs on call to back up if admissions get really heavy. Makes everyone much happier that way!

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That really stinks!!! We have 2 RNs and a LPN that work every weekend. We have 2 fulltime RNs for the weekend and the LPNs take turn working. We also have the RNs on call to back up if admissions get really heavy. Makes everyone much happier that way!

Do you usually have weekends off unless you're on call?

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

Yep. Our weekend visits are all scheduled to be done by the weekend staff. There is always a second LPN on stand by to work. We only do a scheduled admit or visit on the weekend when we are on call...and even then, it does not happen that often because of having the weekend staff. Once in a blue moon if the weekend nurse calls out or something then they ask us to do a visit or 2, but that rarely happend, and if you already have plans, there is not any guilt trip put on you. I think because of that the "regular" nurses do not mind helping out when they really do get in a bind. I honestly do not remember the last time I was asked though. And if we do work, we get a day off later in the week (we are salaried).

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Yep. Our weekend visits are all scheduled to be done by the weekend staff.

You are sooooo lucky!!!! I'm jealous. I'm going to have to do something about this soon, not sure what, but I want my weekends off without feeling guilty. I have no problem helping out once in a while, but I just can't work every Saturday- I don't want to and I don't want to work 6 days a week.

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In my agency we are suppose to take turns, we do have one nurse that works some weekends especially in the winter. But even then I still will be asked to do a open or see a pt or 2. I have not had a total weekend off in a long time. And of course we don't get the extra money that the oncall nurse gets. Not to mention of course I am spending hours on the weekend finishing up my weekly paperwork and getting ready for the next week. I do like home health but as my husband says if I added up all the time I spend at home doing homework I probably am making minimum wage. Such is home care I guess.

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Specializes in Home Health Nursing.

Does your agency ask for your general availability? This is actually a great subject to learn about, from the perspective of a home health owner, as scheduling visits is tough. Home health is a very flexible industry and so we try to schedule visits according to the available times our nurses have given us and spread them out evenly.

Do they schedule you according to the availabilities you have given previous?

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Does your agency ask for your general availability? This is actually a great subject to learn about, from the perspective of a home health owner, as scheduling visits is tough. Home health is a very flexible industry and so we try to schedule visits according to the available times our nurses have given us and spread them out evenly.

Do they schedule you according to the availabilities you have given previous?

My general availability is the days for which I was hired Mon-Fri and my one week of on-call that includes working that weekend. However, once I was hired I was told I was required to do a visit at 9-930 at night (not mentioned in my interview) for a patient who gets daily SNV at this time and nurses have to take turns, which turns out to be once per week (one time too many for me). As far as weekends go, I would rather help out "once in a while", not be asked every single week to work on Sat.- they know this, I have told them, they just don't care.

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Specializes in Home Health Nursing.
My general availability is the days for which I was hired Mon-Fri and my one week of on-call that includes working that weekend. However, once I was hired I was told I was required to do a visit at 9-930 at night (not mentioned in my interview) for a patient who gets daily SNV at this time and nurses have to take turns, which turns out to be once per week (one time too many for me). As far as weekends go, I would rather help out "once in a while", not be asked every single week to work on Sat.- they know this, I have told them, they just don't care.

I see. Yes, that is the toughest part. Is it because there is a shortage of nurses? I would like to try to avoid this problem as much as possible.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Two words: Baylor Nurse. It has worked beautifully for our office and I am much happier to take call since this was started in January.

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Two words: Baylor Nurse. It has worked beautifully for our office and I am much happier to take call since this was started in January.

I'd be soooooo happy if they would do this, however I'm not holding my breath. I do have somewhat of an update though since I posted this thread. The other day I had had it with the 930pm visit and being put on a guilt trip every Friday regarding working the weekend, so I requested a meeting with the DON and administrator I told them both I would be available to work whatever they needed when I'm on-call, however I will NOT be working any 930pm visits or weekends any longer, unless I am on-call. So far, I haven't been fired, so I guess they agree to my terms.

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Thats great, wish I could stand up for myself and say no more seeing some pts every weekend unless on call. I end up seeing 2-4 pts every weekend. I know that is not many but I do not get the extra weekend oncall money for them.

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