colleague does not want to take day off

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I worked with a colleague who is in her 60's who seems has a lot of energy. She said she loves to work and would not want to take days off if she could. I asked her what makes her motivated to work everyday. She said jokingly if you see your bills that gets you kicked out of bed. She is hyperactive at work and she could work 12 hours all week without taking days off. I can get exhausted at the end of the day just like everybody else and working long hours is not my cup of tea. Is there something wrong with her? Is that an indication that she may be manic or ADD?

Specializes in SICU.

I wish i had her energy. at 27 i swear im turning into a glacier...

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

She sounds awesome. :)

She reminds me of a family friend who at age 81 took up kayaking.

At 91 when she had a leg off due to illness got herself a prothesis learned out to use it and went home where she continued to care for herself until she passed away three years later.

When she was younger, she was the first lady in New Zealand to take a climbing party up Mount Cook (our highest mountain)

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To play the devil's advocate here..... if I had a coworker who literally *never* took a day off, and truly and sincerely said they wished they could work seven 12's a week without a break.... well, I'd think there's something wrong with that picture, too.

It would have nothing to do with whether they were 22 or 72. Working without a day off (as per the title of this thread) is unhealthy and unsafe. I don't care how much spunk or moxie you got, sooner or later you gotta take a day off.

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Who said anything about missing money or meds??

Nobody before me. I didn't say this person was, either. What I said was that if I were looking for a cause of missing money or drugs, the person who never takes time off would be a priority for investigation. The little old lady in accounting who never took a day off and dies suddenly is always the one who's been found to have been siphoning off thousands of dollars per year ...

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Specializes in Oncology.

I wish that were me. Maybe if I could tolerate my cpap I'd be in better shape.

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Specializes in Oncology.
To play the devil's advocate here..... if I had a coworker who literally *never* took a day off, and truly and sincerely said they wished they could work seven 12's a week without a break.... well, I'd think there's something wrong with that picture, too.

It would have nothing to do with whether they were 22 or 72. Working without a day off (as per the title of this thread) is unhealthy and unsafe. I don't care how much spunk or moxie you got, sooner or later you gotta take a day off.

Very true.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
To play the devil's advocate here..... if I had a coworker who literally *never* took a day off, and truly and sincerely said they wished they could work seven 12's a week without a break.... well, I'd think there's something wrong with that picture, too.

It would have nothing to do with whether they were 22 or 72. Working without a day off (as per the title of this thread) is unhealthy and unsafe. I don't care how much spunk or moxie you got, sooner or later you gotta take a day off.

I agree, and I suspect the OP is exaggerating a tad. Most places would want someone to take a day off a week.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
Aww, you didn't even hold it against me that auto correct wrote with instead of without regard. :)

Ahhh, I did not even notice!

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Yeah, I think there is a little hyperbole going on with the OP. I don't believe for a second that any nurse of any age is working 365 twelve hour shifts in a row. ;)

I worked with a twenty something nurse who worked five 12s a week. Her husband didn't have a job, didn't seem to even be looking for a job, and he expected her to come home after her shift and COOK HIM DINNER.

I don't know how she did the five twelves and I dang sure don't know how she tolerated the couch potato either.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I agree, and I suspect the OP is exaggerating a tad. Most places would want someone to take a day off a week.

Yeah, I think there is a little hyperbole going on with the OP. I don't believe for a second that any nurse of any age is working 365 twelve hour shifts in a row. ;)

Agree. I can't imagine any facility being willing to pay out that kind of overtime. 7 12-hour shifts per week = 44 hours of work paid at overtime rates.

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People vary in their energy levels. A high energy person who wants to work a lot is not a problem for me. If they want to pick up overtime, great, that means fewer calls asking if I want to go to work.

Maybe she works a lot because she needs the money. From what I read, many people do not have enough money saved up for even a modest retirement. Even for people with savings, a business failure, divorce, health problems etc can wipe out most or all of your money leaving you having to work to regain.

Life involves trade-offs. I work per diem and willingly trade off money for time.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Yeah I took the OP to mean days off as PTO. I suppose I could be wrong but that makes mores sense.

Should we start a pool as to when/whether OP will return?

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