At Work With Migraine & Everyone Else Out Sick...

allnurses Guide · Jun 10, 2012

I don't know how feasible this is for you, but I would start looking for a job elsewhere.

I'm sure that you have developed some skills and work ethic you can market to a prospective employer.

There are some folks who would just walk away, call in or not pick up hours, so kudos to you for sticking with it (even when sick)...

BUT

The health of the employees is suffering.

There does not appear to be any interest, on the part of management, in the mental or physical health of the emplyees...

And what sort of concern is there for the clients, that more clients are being brought in with help already stretched thin?

This, as you well know, does not bode well for anyone and is flirting with disaster.

I know it may be hard to leave in that we often tell ourselves, "but my clients/residents/patients will suffer!"

Phooey.

Management will figure it out.

There are always plenty more who will fill your spot and I never heard of clients dying because someone quit.

I know it may seem harsh that I say "quit", but just reading your post made me feel tired and sick.

I sure do hope you get rest and feel better.

Darkstar1485, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jun 10, 2012

Wow. first of all... Here's a hug bc you CLEARLY need one.

:hug:

Your work situation is ridiculous. I agree with Hygiene Queen. Look for a new job. it's clear that there is no room for advancement, and the person in charge doesn't give a crap.

(My situaution is not as crazy as yours, but i thought id share)

At my job, i initially signed a contract to work ONLY 2 days a week. after a while, they were so short staffed that i ended up working 4 days a week. i went to school FT. it was killing me bc i would work 11pm-7am, and then have class from 8am-4pm. and then i would have to go back to work at 11pm. i finally put my foot down. i refused to work more than 2 days a week. they were PO'd and tried to hint that they may have to let me go (total crap) in order to stress me out and force me to keep working 4 days. but they ended up hiring 2 new workers. now we are short again and they make the new girl work doubles every week. it sucks, and i feel bad for her bc shes scared to speak up.

If im sick, I don't work. PERIOD. I used to tough it out ALL the time and be superwoman. You know what that got me? a trip to the ER and a pneumonia diagnosis! it was awful. i vowed that i would never choose work over my health again.

You have a great work ethic, and it seems like you are not valued as much as you should be. That upsets me.

I hope you have a better day today. :jester:

Skayda · Jun 12, 2012

I don't know how feasible this is for you, but I would start looking for a job elsewhere.
I'm sure that you have developed some skills and work ethic you can market to a prospective employer.
There are some folks who would just walk away, call in or not pick up hours, so kudos to you for sticking with it (even when sick)...
BUT
The health of the employees is suffering.
There does not appear to be any interest, on the part of management, in the mental or physical health of the emplyees...
And what sort of concern is there for the clients, that more clients are being brought in with help already stretched thin?
This, as you well know, does not bode well for anyone and is flirting with disaster.
I know it may be hard to leave in that we often tell ourselves, "but my clients/residents/patients will suffer!"
Phooey.
Management will figure it out.
There are always plenty more who will fill your spot and I never heard of clients dying because someone quit.
I know it may seem harsh that I say "quit", but just reading your post made me feel tired and sick.
I sure do hope you get rest and feel better.

Thanks for replying! I was sooo tired and hurting when I wrote that. Thankfully I got to go home this morning and collapsed in bed where I slept for a straight 12 hours! The resident manager called me the night before I got off work and apologized over and over and said any time I need it she'd cover for me since I did for her so much and she agrees that the owner doesn't know what she's doing half the time and that she, herself, is even thinking of quitting and she goes "We aren't spring chickens. We need a job that will give us benefits including sick leave and have enough staff on board to cover each other, etc!" She told me that the owner of the place is only 31 years old and still thinks she can party all night and still run two six-client AFHs by leaving them both to caregivers 24\7! I don't know what's going to happen if the resident manager decides to leave, she said she might feel differently after her much-needed vacation. Her and the owner were best friends for years before they decided to go into business together and basically her friend became her boss so now she has trouble standing up to her and it just makes s bad mix friendship and business. But, anyway, I said that if she quites and the house is out a resident manager I hope the owner has a backup up her sleeve cause I will never accept that responsibility in a million years! I know that it may come to it that I will need to start looking for a new job anyway if the owner doesn't get her crap together and if the manager quits and if so, so be it. I know that there's always going to be some nursing aide or even family members themselves who can help with the patients and all that.

Skayda · Jun 12, 2012

Wow. first of all... Here's a hug bc you CLEARLY need one.
:hug:
Your work situation is ridiculous. I agree with Hygiene Queen. Look for a new job. it's clear that there is no room for advancement, and the person in charge doesn't give a crap.
(My situaution is not as crazy as yours, but i thought id share)
At my job, i initially signed a contract to work ONLY 2 days a week. after a while, they were so short staffed that i ended up working 4 days a week. i went to school FT. it was killing me bc i would work 11pm-7am, and then have class from 8am-4pm. and then i would have to go back to work at 11pm. i finally put my foot down. i refused to work more than 2 days a week. they were PO'd and tried to hint that they may have to let me go (total crap) in order to stress me out and force me to keep working 4 days. but they ended up hiring 2 new workers. now we are short again and they make the new girl work doubles every week. it sucks, and i feel bad for her bc shes scared to speak up.
If im sick, I don't work. PERIOD. I used to tough it out ALL the time and be superwoman. You know what that got me? a trip to the ER and a pneumonia diagnosis! it was awful. i vowed that i would never choose work over my health again.
You have a great work ethic, and it seems like you are not valued as much as you should be. That upsets me.
I hope you have a better day today.

Thank you! Yes, that hug was much needed! Lol! I know what you mean about the two day thing. When I first applied for my job I made it very clear to them that ten years ago I burned myself out working 24/7 at Adult Family Homes and as an IP (Indivual Provider) that my health started to suffer and I had to go on welfare as unemployable due to anxiety and bad kidney stones for several years. So, now, I know myself better and told them that my limit for working is weekends only! I'll work the weekend overnight Sat and Sunday doubles only but I want all Monday thru til Saturday morning off and they agreed. I mean, I don't mind covering once in awhile for someone who is really sick but not every day of the week! I was very glad when she called me to let me know she was going to be there this morning and I got to go home. When she called she said she was only worried about me and no one else other than the residents of course because she knew how much I'd been working and when I mentioned my migraine she said for me to take long breaks between client care/meals and to go lay down and nap when I could. Thankfully two clients were out with family so I only had three folks there and between meals and meds they can do for themselves. I only have to fix their meals, not feed them it. So anyway, I got to go home this morning where I unplugged my phone as suggested by my boss lol and fell into bed for a straight 12 hours or so! I now have a whole week off! I'm going to take full advantage of it too! Oh my boss goes weren't you sick than one weekend in March when you first started? I said yeah I worked it too. She goes only cause you were new and too scared to call in sick, I would have covered for you then! But just know that I owe you big time so just let me know if you ever need me to fill in for you in the future. So, there's redeeming qualities to the folks I work with. :-) thanks for replying to me about this! I'm so glad to be resting now! Lol! And my head feels much better! :-)

allnurses Guide · Jun 13, 2012

Glad you feel better!

Skayda · Jun 13, 2012

Glad you feel better!

Thanks! I am feeling much better! But I was home for two days before I get an email from the resident manager who was out sick all last week saying that the other girl called in sick and then was a no show/no call the next day and the RM said she called and left a message but that she's afraid the girl quit on her and if she doesn't hear back from her by 8am this morning than she will need me to come in and cover the afternoon/evening shift and do the sleepover and then go home at 8am and come back again all week in the afternoon/eve/sleepover and then do my regular weekend doubles cause if that girl decided to all of a sudden quite it will mean its just up to two caregivers, myself and the RM, to keep the place afloat. I am very very very close to saying screw it myself and putting in my own 2 weeks notice and looking for another job elsewhere! Another thing I don't understand is this; I was there during the initial application process of potential hire-ees and I saw abs got to meet a few of the people who applied for a job there. Out of the three women who applied only one was about five months pregnant and I'm wondering why, if they wanted someone to stick around, did they give the job to the pregnant girl and not any of the others? My guess is cause she was more qualified as a CNA and the others were NARs like me. But still. I know they couldn't come right out and say that the reason for hiring or not hiring someone is based on a medical condition but I don't know it just seemed weird to hire someone who was just going to turn around in a few months and take maternity leave to be a new mother leaving the business in the same position it was in before they hired her; trying to fill her space up again with someone new. Those poor residents; when I first started they refused to even speak to me or let me try to engage them in conversation at all because the caregivers working there would be there for a few weeks to a month before quitting for something else, (not that I blame them! Sometimes!), and so they had a why bother attitude about new workers like me cause they assumed I'd just be another for the revolving door of that place! I really hope the girl didn't just up and quit. I hope she will at the very leave do the 2 week notice thing to give them time to find a replacement ASAP cause I did not sign up to be on-call every day of the week! I'm only suppose to work PT and after my weekend doubles the rest of the week is suppose to mine to do as I please. I know it's my own fault for not insisting they have some kind of contract drawn up that states I won't work over a certain amount of hours. So, anyway, because of my work ethic I will get back to my RM and tomorrow/later this morning and find out if the girl really did quit or not and I will probably end up coming in for the afternoon/eve/sleepover with at least one silver lining; at least it's not the morning shift where I had to get up at five am to catch the bus there! Afternoons/eves means I only have to worry about dinner and bedtime so it's a little more restful and all the day's visitors have gone home for the day. But I was looking so forward to my days off so I am praying that there hasn't been any job-quitting and if so that they saved a few of the other caregivers applications and will be making some calls soon!

allnurses Guide · Jun 14, 2012

The pregnant lady probably was the best candidate and they cannot discriminate, as you know.

Unfortunately, for your residents, the type of work you do is not typically the type of work that people stick with for very long.

It is considered a "stepping stone" for experience in healthcare.

I always thought that was a pity.

I have always considered the hands-on care as invaluable, but alas, it does not require much in terms of formal education and pays next to nothing.

I used to do doubles every Sunday as a PCT.

Loved it!

I can't do that now as an RN and I miss it!

It's nice the residents have you and that you care.

Cheers!

Skayda · Jun 15, 2012

The pregnant lady probably was the best candidate and they cannot discriminate, as you know.
Unfortunately, for your residents, the type of work you do is not typically the type of work that people stick with for very long.
It is considered a "stepping stone" for experience in healthcare.
I always thought that was a pity.
I have always considered the hands-on care as invaluable, but alas, it does not require much in terms of formal education and pays next to nothing.
I used to do doubles every Sunday as a PCT.
Loved it!
I can't do that now as an RN and I miss it!
It's nice the residents have you and that you care.
Cheers!

Yeah, I know. She was the only one who had her full CNA and all of her other creditials of all the caregivers who applied. It turned out that she never returned any of the messages or texts that our boss sent to her and we don't even know if she may be laying dead in a ditch somewhere but even then someone would have called her work right? If she just up and quit without giving notice than that's not good business in the future she just lost what might have been a really good reference! And even though they can't discriminate and refuse to hire her due to her pregnancy they can find a slew of other unrelated issues to not hire here as so it's going to be hard for her to get another job anytime soon if she still plans on working up til the baby comes like she said. I hate that there are people who consider being a nursing aide to be a stepping stone, like you said, HQ, to other careers. To me being an aide IS my career! (Well, eventually I will go on to get my CNA and then LPN like my mother did but it won't ever mean that I'll ever think of being an Aide as just another job or not important in and of itself!). So, anyway, now it's only two people working back to back two shifts on, two off for the house, (thankfully its five residents currently instead of six!), until they can find and hire a third caregiver. So, I worked Wednesday 2pm til 9pm slept over and went home today at 2pm. I have to be back tomorrow at 2pm work til 9pm, sleep over again and off at 2pm and repeat with no days off for either of us til we get someone hired, which can't happen fast enough to suit me! My boss is also very POed. She was finally approved a two week paid vacation cause its been to hectic and understaffed for her to have any time off and she was suppose to start it at the end of this month but now she can't unless they get another person hired before then. Her wife is fit to be tied as she scheduled her own vacation during the same two weeks! So, not just for myself, I hope they can hire someone new and preferably reliable, soon! I'm missing being able to work my full weekend double and then have the whole week off! I know I'm going to really appreciate them once I get them back! Well at least I get to sleep in my own bed every other night and when I sleep there I donated my own sheets and pillowcases to the staff bed so it kinda feels like home. And I have my personal wifi card so I can go online when I'm there before bed. :)