Burnout, bad hours, heavy patient load, what to do??

[Nurse Blondy]

Hi, Just wanted to run this by everyone. Let me set up the scenario. At my hospital, like everywhere else, the economy is bringing things down and there are a lot of changes being implemented. Work has become a little crazy. Recently there were layoffs and people seem to be hyper-concious these days about OT and scheduling. The patient case load is becoming more heavy and more inappropriate.

Where people used to gain a lot of overtime, this has been reduced and I see a lot of people unhappy with the fewer hours they are scheduled. On the other hand, I am a full time employee and do not wish to work full time hours (32) and have asked to have my hours reduced to 16 hours or per diem. I have asked this repeatedly since August and thus far I get a lot of empty promises. I remain scheduled the full 32.

Ideally, I do not wish to leave my hospital, as I like both my colleauges and the experience I get (I've been a nurse for almost 2 years now and this was my first job.) However, I have another full time position with better hours and better pay. I also have several per diem positions - all which pay more than the first place.

My dilemma is that I feel loyal to this job and the nurses I've met there. I've made a lot of good friends and mentors. However, the evenings (3-11) are killing me. The floor is heavy and we take a lot of inappropriate patients in order to fill the beds. There are a lot of changes going on, in attemtps to keep the ship afloat, if you know what I mean. Most of the staff is resistant to change, and it's become a miserable environment.

As far as I am concerned, I would prefer less hours. I am never home and can have no life outside of work. I have done the evening shift for almost two years now. Recently, with all these changes, I have mentioned to my manager that I do want to reduce my hours and she promised me twice that this would happen by the new year. January's schedule is out and nothing has changed. Except - I have been told that I am no longer allowed to trade shifts (I am an LPN so therefore I am paid less than 1/2 of what RN's make and therefore save money) and I am also scheduled to do the job of 2 people (As an LPN, I also do personal care and thus remove the need for one of the PCAs). My manager would never schedule an RN to do the same nor would the majority of them do this. I can honestly say 9 out of 10 nurses I work with on the evening shift, while nice people, are lazy nurses. On one recent shift, I was scheduled for 8 assignments. I had 5 patients as a nurse, and 3 as a PCA. The RN had 3 patients (I did the personal care on those 3) and the PCA had my 5. My 5 patients, by the way were total care, so I had to help the PCA with those anyway. She did ask the RN for help once, and was told that the person was "Not her patient," and to ask me instead.

Needless to say I am burnt out. I worked the last holiday and was told I would have this one off. (every other holiday is the rule). Now, I am scheduled for this holiday as well. I spoke up, reminded her I worked the last one and explained I already had plans and was informed "Too bad, there's no one else, you HAVE to work." There are however, per diem people who would love the hours and the holiday pay. My manager just doesn't want to pay them to do it. I don't see this as fair.

Call HR, you say? I have. They claim they don't know the policies on my floor, that LPNs aren't in the union, yada yada, yada, so basically I must abide by what my manager tells me.

The final straw is that after a horrendous evening last night at work, I was not able to sleep. I feel horrible today, sick with a sore throat starting. I called early this morning to report I was sick, and spoke to the secretary - which is normal protocol. The reason for calling at 830 was to give them time to replace me (there are plenty of people although maybe it might be a double shift and hence OT for some). My manager called me 2 minutes later and left me a message stating that I HAVE TO COME IN. TAKE SOME COLD MEDICINE. I NEED YOU HERE AT 3!

Is that appropriate? I don't know, but I don't think so. And I like her - by the way - I feel bad that she is in a jam. But I can't handle this! I am ready to forgo the 2 weeks notice and the hope for going perdiem and throw in the towel!

Thoughts?

[mentalhealthRN]

Lord you are wayyyyy more patient then I would be in your shoes. They are really taking advantage of you. I would be out of there......asap. Especially seeing as its not like you would be out of work. If you call in your boss can't refuse to accept your call in. HR needs to handle that and despite them not knowing the ins and outs of your managers unit they need to step up to the place. If you put your request in writing for a change to per diem status and give her and HR a copy, she needs to honor it. Most managers will make you finish the current schedule and it seems as though you have been patient but she can't deny your request. That IS an HR issue. And your patient assignment is nuts. I would not be sticking around for 2 years with the position the way it is. Personally I would be soooooo gone! I don't see enough "pros" to outweigh the huge list of "cons"-- I would not even stay per diem.

[mtngrl, ASN, RN]

Whyyyyyyy do you work so much?? TWO full time jobs? And others? Of course you're burned out. Think about yourself instead of trying to be loyal to some job. You come first and sounds like you need a break!

[NJMike]

Hospitals and nursing homes will always take advantage of nurses if we let them. Take care of YOU.

[Mulan]

Call back and tell them you are sick and you will NOT be in.

They are using and abusing and taking advantage of you big time.

Put in your resignation, maybe then you will get per diem, maybe you won't. If she does change you to per diem, she will continue to try and take advantage if you let her, agree to work only the hours required for per diem and nothing more unless of course you want the extra shifts.

Good luck.

[JacknSweetpea]

You speak of being loyal to them, but it doesn't sound like they are loyal to you. I say toss 'em out with the trash!!

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

so you go in sick/compromised and an error is made? They wont show you the slightest bit of sympathy. It's your responsibility to NOT be at work when you're ill, compromised, contagious. No job is worth losing sleep over. You deserve the beating you're getting. Start taking care of yourself. Life is only so long, and you don't get a do over for all the time you were miserable. Good Luck and get happy!

[12hours]

do not use loyalty as a reason to stay in a job because they can just drop you off the rolls for any reason they deem fit or for no reason at all.

[notjustanurse]

What to do? QUIT!!!! Get out, and fast. I understand feeling loyal to a place, but you are staying with an abusive job and hoping "he'll" change!!

[malgosiaRN84]

that sucks. very hard to deal with. i think it's time to get your RN. you can do it!!

[canigraduate]

Why in the world do you put up with that? It sounds like they are screwing you big time. I would sit down with the manager and tell her that she is abusing her position with you and that you need to be treated fairly, she needs to keep her promises, and she needs to follow policy or you are going to have to leave. You can also tell her that if she continues with these practices, you will follow up with her superior.

It sounds like a tough situation for you. I hope you can do what is right for you. Good luck!

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I see this time & again on here. Ur nurse manager is putting the guilt trip on you to get u to work. No surprise there you say, but this is so common in hospitals I'm surprised people haven't caught on. It always amazes me that NMs are supposed to support their staff - that is part of their job - yet I've not heard of one nurse on here really praising their NMs for anything.

People are so afraid of losing their jobs in the this economy, they won't argue against managers or speak up (you did however go to HR), but I'm not surprised at all they weren't helpful. I've been in ur shoes too.

You are just being used. It's happened to me & probably everyone else.

Unfortunately health institutions, private or public ones, do not care a toss about you as an individual. I know people who gave their all to jobs for 18 years or more in nursing, and were 'let go' by these uncaring, fat, lazy NMs who said to them: 'You will always have a job here'. They disgust me and I've rarely come across a really good NM who knows and does their job, & cares about staff. They only care about STAFFING, and that is different.

And yes I've been deadly sick with strep throat etc due to stress at work, was called by my b***h of a boss re work left over, she told me to come in the next day (which I couldn't), threatened to sack me, blah, blah & when I went back to work, I told her if she ever rang & threatened me again, I would go to HR (I did but they were useless), then I would contact the police. She blanched at that & never did it again. She blamed me for being sick cos HR wouldn't give her anyone to cover my job! The employee always gets blamed for being sick...so I wouldn't let anyone threaten me. I've had another NM do it to me, I rang back right away after I got the msg on answer machine, got her paged, & told her exactly what I thought of her. If ur sick U R SICK, when will NMs get it through their heads! Also if u have a legitimate doctor's note, there isn't a damn thing they can do to you either.

I wouldn't stay in a job like that. I'd be updating my CV and looking for something else with better conditions.

And BTW, NO nurse managers are 'nice people', no matter what act they put on 2 ur face. They will just use u and grind u into the dust if they have to.