confused as to what to do

Published

ok...i will try to explain this best i can.......first off..i am a new LPN,graduated in june and took boards in august.......sarted a state job in july in a very medical and frail mentally retarded house with 12 residents....i toured this place while in school and loved it and just knew that was the place for me.....i do love it there.......i only work 20 hrs a week....it is 8-4 sat and sun,6-10am on monday....now this is what my schedule says......and this is all i wanted.....they know this.....the staff at the house are wonderful and i love al the residents....i love going to work....the problem......they are always short staffed,they cannot keep anyone there...their turn around is unbelievable......its alot of work..we do EVERYTHING......there are no aides,only nurses.........so alot of new people bid out of this house to an easier house.......my problem is that i do only want PT hours.....and they are always calling looking for coverage.....someone is always calling in......or they are changing the schedule around....like yesterday......they called to see if i could come in for 11pm-7am tonight instead of my regular shift on sat 8-4....i said ok.....no problem.....but its when they call in the morning to ask me to come in for the 3-11 shift for that day........well..i didnt plan on it...i still have an 11 yr old who needs my attention after school...homework,dinner...and that.....along with my older son and husband.....yes..they can fend for themselves i am sure.....but i only took PT hours so i could continue to be a mom and wife...(been at home for 20 yrs)......when the phone rings i cringe now...thining it is work.....just htis mornig when i got up there was a message from work which was left at 11:30 last nite.......a resident went to the hospital and they are looking for hospital coverge......i like this job.....i dont need this job....i am there cuase i like it there....PT is what i want.....thats all they offer anyway....and thats another thing they cant keep people....no FT positions....so people are always looking for extra time....when they call me...i tell them to call someone who wants the extra and that needs the money.....if you cant find anyone....call me back....they usually find someone....not always.......so......i see this add in the paper at a fast paced clinic....they are looking for a full time LPN..hours are 8-4 weekend and holidays off with paid holidays...full benefits......the salary is like 3 dollars less......but that is ok with me......the hours are great hours....the thing is that i told myself i would look for a FT job til my youngest was in highschool.....but these hours are good......i would be home every morning before school....and an hour after he gets home from school.i would be able to go to all his sporting events and nite activities at school,i would be home on all the holidays with him,plus weekends.....i talked to my husband and he said it sounds good,but it is up to me.....then he mentioned the summer......i said we would do what every other household does when both parents work....get by with it......then i got thinking..what about summer.......yes...as you can see i have been blessed and spoiled....but i am getting over this.....i know i am....cause i am working more than my 20 hrs and getting by....its just that i want to rely on my hrs...not having someone call out of the blue.....i want to know when i have to work and when i will not......am i amking sense?? I have the application,i will be sending it out today.....if it was ment to be it will happen...if not...ok too....they want someone with dr office o clinical experience...and of course i have neither......but i do have age on my side...if that counts for anything...hehe....maybe for once it will......so any input from anyone would be great.....

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either don't pick up the phone when work calls or tell them no when they ask. this is a common problem.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

we nurses accept guilt so readily. Don't be fooled. SOMEBODY will either do it or the patient will be sent elsewhere.

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Screen calls and/or say no. Whoever staffs won't stop calling anyone they can if they are short staffed. They hopefully will address the ones that call in too much or figure out another plan for hiring to keep staff there. As far as FT or PT your choice and hope you get the position you want!

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
either don't pick up the phone when work calls or tell them no when they ask. this is a common problem.

Rehab is right. This is a very common issue that nurse's struggle with. I tend to get "guilted" into doing things too so now if I don't want to work I just screen my calls.

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Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

Life will go on, and somehow they will miraculously manage if you don't go in. Either use your caller ID, VM or answering machine, or don't pick up the phone. Don't fall into the guilt trap, they make you think you are the only one to save the unit, not true, somehow pts will get taken care of, trust me. Stick to the hours you were hired for and only if you want to occasionally help them out, go for it. Don't make any rash decisions yet, you may not want to devote your summers, school vacas etc for the clinic. Plus, many times you don't get out of a clinic until the last pt is taken care of which may be way beyond the 8-4 you think. I worked in a fast paced clinic once, sometimes would be there til 6 or later- hrs were 8-4:30, but in reality, clinics run late, emergencies come in, hours are not in stone.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

My facility did the same thing to me, and I ended up working 80 hours a week...until it finally dawned on me, as I ran off the road from falling asleep while driving home, who did the work BEFORE they hired me? Someone did, and if I'd killed myself by driving into a tree, guess what? The hospital would never have missed a tick, and kept right on running. Now I limit myself to only one extra shift per week, IF I feel like it, and since I've started the LPN to RN bridge program, I rarely do that. And know what? They haven't closed my hospital because I don't do overtime anymore....

People will treat you just as badly as you let them...

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thanks everyone.......

well...work called 2x today......there are 2 residents in the hospital now,so that means we will be short 2 workers at our house cause someone has to stay with our residnet in the hospital.......the supervisor called me the other day to see if i could work the 11pm-71m shift for tonight instead of my shift saturday(8-4)...i said ok...cause saturday is going to be anice day and would like not to work.....work called today around 5 to see if i wanted to do any hospital duty for one of the residents....i am doing 10-3pm on monday...good hours...home in the morning plus at dinner time....work called back again to let me know i will probably be mandated for tomorrow 7am -3pm.....***......IF i would of known that...i wouldnt of said yes to this midnight....AAHHHH......she said she went thru the whole list with no responses.....hopefully someone will listen to their anwser machine and want extra hours so i dont have to stay.....all night,then all day....i am too old for that.........:uhoh21:

no one treats me badly for not wanting extra hours.....its just i feel bad for saying no all the time....they all know paula doenst want extra hours.....hehe

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
thanks everyone.......

well...work called 2x today......there are 2 residents in the hospital now,so that means we will be short 2 workers at our house cause someone has to stay with our residnet in the hospital.......the supervisor called me the other day to see if i could work the 11pm-71m shift for tonight instead of my shift saturday(8-4)...i said ok...cause saturday is going to be anice day and would like not to work.....work called today around 5 to see if i wanted to do any hospital duty for one of the residents....i am doing 10-3pm on monday...good hours...home in the morning plus at dinner time....work called back again to let me know i will probably be mandated for tomorrow 7am -3pm.....***......IF i would of known that...i wouldnt of said yes to this midnight....AAHHHH......she said she went thru the whole list with no responses.....hopefully someone will listen to their anwser machine and want extra hours so i dont have to stay.....all night,then all day....i am too old for that.........:uhoh21:

no one treats me badly for not wanting extra hours.....its just i feel bad for saying no all the time....they all know paula doenst want extra hours.....hehe

You say that there are no aides, only nurses working here. Does this mean that when a patient is admitted to the hospital that an LPN has to stay with the resident? Just curious. In any event, caller ID can be your best friend. Only give them the number you want them to have, screen your calls and only answer if you do in fact want to work. I do this and have not felt the slightest bit of guilt. If I am not there, it is not my problem. Some people only give their jobs their cell numbers, others give a home number, whatever it takes to be able to screen in peace. Usually, once they get you on the phone it is harder to say 'no' (although I have STILL done this with no guilt).

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

Just say no. You took the job part time and they shouldn't expect any more from you.

I would also put caller ID on the phone.

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yup..only nurses work in the house...no aids.....and yes,one of the nurses has to go to the hospital.....its a state regulation of some sort....

i do have caller ID.....it is me who called them back the other day cause they left a message asking me to work the nite shift instead of my regular....after listening to the message and talking to my husband,i decided to do it.....in the meantime...2 went to the hospital and more calls....my husband answered this time....he had the phone in his hand at the time so he answered before caller ID showed up.....DARN HIM!!!!.

i guess that is what it comes down to....dont answer(i dont when i see it is work)and DONT DONT call them back!!! I will not feel guilty...i will not feel guilty.....:yeah:hopefully it will sink in......thanks again everyone.......it is all over i see....every work place does this.......remember...i am new.....esp new to working at all......i will catch on.....:banghead:

it is 10:30......off to work i go.....

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

What really annoys me is that the people like yourself who are willing to do a little bit extra get taken advantage of and used up. I see it happen all the time at my work, those that say yes to extra shifts and overtime always end up being expected to do it, and then when they can't they get treated like dirt.

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