Changing schedule and not telling me

[nurse nessie]

I have been off work for 2 weeks on vacation since the end of the month. I looked at my schedule and was planning on working the next day. I called my work to see how many pts were on the floor, hoping that maybe I'd get another day off if the census was low ... Btw, I work 6 hrs away from home.

One of the nurses on the phone tells me that I'm not scheduled to work the next day. Funny since on my schedule it says I work and no one notified me that my schedule was changed. I ask if she is sure bc my schedule says I do, and she says yes she is sure. I call back an hr later hoping another nurse will answer the phone, and some one else does. However, the first nurse is in the background and I hear her yelling, "I already told her twice that she doesn't have to come in!"

I was so upset that the nurse probably thinks I don't trust her. My bf said to remedy the situation I should bring her candy. Why should I bring her candy for yelling towards me?! I was just making sure that I didn't have to work since MY schedule says that I do and no one notified me otherwise. Plus, if I did have to work the next day, I don't live down the street, I live 6 hrs away and the drive isn't easy.

[bagladyrn, RN]

I'd just take your copy of the schedule in with you so that she would understand why you were double checking. Tell her "It wasn't that I was doubting you, just thought maybe I was hallucinating my schedule"

[dontdriveangry]

I wouldn't worry about it. If she's a big girl she won't get her feelings hurt over something so trivial.

[lkwashington]

Next time this happens just speak to the Nurse Manager. Being off on the next day may be a plus because you wanted an extra day off and you wouldnt need to use any PTO. Overall, you did get your wish...right!

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

What if they'd have scheduled you a shift when you thought you were off? Bad news! I'd definitely talk to whoever makes the schedule.

Also, out of total curiosity.. how do you make working SIX hours away from home work?

[HealthShepherd]

As for your coworker: I don't think bringing candy is necessary, but next time I saw her I'd say something like "I hope I didn't offend you the other day. It's just that the schedule I was given had me on, so I really needed to make extra sure."

As for your manager: I would bring this up now, not just if it happens again. The next time it happens, it may be the other way around which would be even worse. Once a schedule has been published, it's rather antisocial to make changes to it without agreement (never mind without notification!) and is bound to lead to no-shows and wasted commutes.

[mjjlRN]

I agree with PP. I will add, that you need to speak to your manager about this. I had this happen to me at a previous job in another city 3 times, but I was coming back from vacation or time off, say my scheduled day back was Monday, and on Sunday night at about 7:15 I would receive a call asking me why I wasn't at work. Well, I said that I wasn't scheduled until the next night, but they said I was on the schedule. The first 2 times I came in anyway, because I felt bad that my co-workers were counting on me. after the 2nd instance, though. I spoke with my manager, and told her that my schedule, once posted would NOT be changed again without my written approval. The third time it happened, I had a copy of the original posted schedule at home, (that had been posted the day before I left for my 2 weeks off), and told them that I was NOT on the schedule for that night, I would be returning the next night as previously scheduled, and that I would NOT come in, no matter how short staffed they were. (and that they needed to call my manager who had changed the schedule if they had any other questions.) Turns out, my manager had to come in and work that night. But you better believe, after standing my ground, it never happened again!

[nurse nessie]

Also, out of total curiosity.. how do you make working SIX hours away from home work?

The place I work is rural and not my hometown. I have two places so on my off days I go back home. Our schedules are flexible enough that we get several days off in a row.

[tobesmartt]

6 hours away??? OMG is it worth it?

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Perhaps instead of calling and disturbing the nurses on the unit you should have called your manager for comfirmatin.

And why didn't you trust the first nurse? What is the second nurse told you Yes, you were working. Would you have called back a third time?

[nurse nessie]

Perhaps instead of calling and disturbing the nurses on the unit you should have called your manager for comfirmatin.

And why didn't you trust the first nurse? What is the second nurse told you Yes, you were working. Would you have called back a third time?

I only had one person's phone number, our ex-nurse manager who resigned and went back to floor nursing. I called her to see if she had an updated schedule and she said no. She actually told me to call back and if the same nurse answered to hang up. LOL. I trust the first nurse, but I was skeptical that she was correct since my schedule said I was on and no one notified me of the schedule change.

[nicole109]

Do you guys have self-scheduling, so that you can access the schedule online from any computer? That would alleviate the neccessity of having to call someone? And I second everyone else in saying that I would call the person making the schedule or the manager directly...if not, you will end up running into a he said/she said mess...