Being called in extra....do you go??

[IloveSnoopy]

Hey all,

I am the only full time night nurse on our unit, therefore I get many calls from the supervisor....asking if I can come in extra because they are short, too busy, or someone has called in sick. I actually just got one of these calls lastnight..uggghh. They called at 9:30pm and wanted me to be there at 11pm. Granted...i would make time and a half..which is nice..BUT...I already work every other weekend and like my weekend off to really be my weekend off...u know? If I can know far enough ahead of time....I'll go....but like lastnight...I had gotten up early yesterday morning...was busy all day...and was actually ready to go to bed when they called...so I said no. I guess I should just go because when I say no...I spend the next few hours feeling guilty for not going in. How do you guys feel about this and do you usually go? We have some nurses that always, always come in extra and then there are a few nurses...like myself I guess....that cherish their days off away from work and very seldom come in extra....(but then feel guilty about it ) Just curious on what everyone does at their facility... Thanks

Hugs,

snoop'

[bluestar]

I go when its for my benefit as well as theirs. Particularly if my wife tells me to do it.

I can dig it brother.

[LoriAlabamaRN]

I know what you mean... as night shift supervisor for an LTC facility, when 7a-7p nurses call in, I get the dubious pleasure of calling all unscheduled nurses starting at 5am. I get to feel like a horrible nuisance for about an hour and a half. I actually prefer the answering machines to most nurses picking up, that way I can just leave a message and not have to get snapped at by a tired person whom I have just woken up on their one day off. I can tell you though, when someone agrees to come in and work that entire shift, they are NEVER forgotten by me, and I make sure administration knows that they helped us out of a jam. I have come in on my own days off several times, I don't work Friday or Saturday nights, but when our weekend supervisor calls out I have gone in anyway- at least the floor nurses get overtime for working extra shifts! I'm salary so I don't see a penny for working those hours. No overtime at all! I also get no holiday pay (I am expected to not come in on holidays) but I come in anyway. Otherwise the floor nurses have to cover call-ins and deal with crises while they are trying to pass out meds, and I don't want that to happen. One good thing though, the floor nurses know that I am not getting paid for that and that I do it for them. It makes them more likely to help ME out when I need someone to come in during the night. Kindness really does pay off!

Lori

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

. . .as night shift supervisor for an LTC facility, when 7a-7p nurses call in, I get the dubious pleasure of calling all unscheduled nurses starting at 5am. I get to feel like a horrible nuisance for about an hour and a half. I actually prefer the answering machines to most nurses picking up. . .I'm salary so I don't see a penny for working those hours. No overtime at all! I also get no holiday pay. . .but I come in anyway.

We must have worked in the same place! After exhausting the list of unscheduled nurses, I had to start down the list of nursing agencies. By that time is was already 6am or later and the agencies never had anyone ready to go to work at a moment's call at that time. I hate staffing. I hate staffing. I hate staffing. Did I mention that I hate staffing?

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

Oops... I feel terrible now!!! I called in tonight, two hours before work- I would have called earlier, but I slept all day without meaning to. And debated whether or not to call in... now I am glad I did cause even with that sleep I feel tired and drained besides being sick, but I still feel very bad. I didn't realize it was such a hassle to get someone else when someone calls in... I won't call in any more unless it's extremely bad! Sorry...

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i bought my first answering machine (in 1984) because while i was on my honeymoon after marrying a float pool nurse, work kept calling at the start of every shift:

"hello. we're really short. can jack come in?"

"hello. we're really short. can ruby come in?"

"hello. can either of you come in? if you both come in, we'll put jack in the micu so you can work together."

this happened every eight hours for the four days between the day we got married and the day we left for cancun, and again every eight hours from the day we returned from cancun and the day we were scheduled to go back to work.

after that, i've had no guilt about not working extra except in special circumstances. (the entire "a" weekend staff got food poisoning from the potluck they had at work. i need extra money so i can leave my abusive husband. a co-worker was killed by her abusive husband, or a co-worker's husband had a heart attack and is in er or her child was seriously ill . . . special circumstances.)

you are entitled to decide for yourself if working extra will benefit you or not. if yes -- even if it's just feeling good for doing someone a favor -- work extra. if not, don't. and don't feel guilty.

ruby

[RNKPCE]

I almost never work extra. I work to live not live to work. My working extra impacts my whole family most nights.

However I rarely ever call in sick. I have had only one sick day in almost 3 years. I work evenings, if my kids are sick my husband can come home early so I don't have to take time off for sick kids.

If I were a manager I would rather have an employee who is has low absenteism than someone who works extra a lot.

At my hospital you only get 10% more for coming in extra. If we got time and half for being called in I might be more willing. :)