days off- a rant

[Fruit Sucker]

My employer constantly calls me in on my days off, and it's making me want to lose it. I don't mean that they just call and say "can you come in" and I have to say no. I mean, they keep on calling and harassing me and texting and telling me how much they NEED me to come in. It's every freaking time I have a day off, and I'm sick of it. I end up working overtime that I don't want week after week.

Today, inevitably, I called in sick because I am EXHAUSTED and my body can't take this (I'm no spring chicken). Well, my supervisor got a big attitude with me and continued to text me during the day and tell me that she needs me to come in. I finally put my foot down, and she catches an attitude and tells me that I need a doctor's excuse. Unbelievable! The favors I do for these people, and this is how they act.

When I called in sick, I called in with more than enough time for the charge nurse to find a replacement, and guess what she did...she decided that the next shift would "just get by" and she didn't call anyone in. I've seen it happen before on my own shift, and the attitude appalls me.

Our "self scheduling" is a joke, because they change everything that you put in anyway. They don't schedule enough nurses, and then when our patient census goes up by two or three, we're already maxed out on patient assignments and have to call someone in. God forbid they should assign anyone less than a huge patient load.

I love my patients, but this crapola is making me dread going to work.

[BD-RN, BSN, RN]

I know the problem with setting your phone to "do not disturb" doesn't always work, due to multiple phones on the floor. But I usually can tell by the prefixes when it's the hospital calling. If I think it's work, I screen the call.

No, you do not have to "call back either way". If your manager badgers you the next day, simply say "I was unavailable to listen to my messages until much later. Naturally I was unavailable to come to work" or say "no, I do not have to talk to you on my day off".

When you call in sick and they ask for a Drs note, ask to see the policy that states you have to show them one.

One time I too didn't want to feel guilty about saying no, but I REALLY didn't want to work, so I ran across the street to the bar, called back, and said "I'm REALLY sorry, but I'm at a bar, so I unfortunately can't come in tonight".

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

One of the most beautiful things about your cell phone: You can block numbers. I also like the idea of having the ringtone set to zero for the hospital number and checking the voice mail afterwards. If it's your charge nurse who wants to check whether you really did just forget to chart something, you can call back. Staffing issue? No, didn't get that message.

When you begin your campaign to discipline them not to call you, expect the exact same response you would get from your teenager when you tell her "No." Escalation, escalation, tantrums, even threats. Remain calm. Do not sink to that level. Use the broken record technique-- just repeat, "No, I can't." Do NOT ever say, "I'm sorry, I can't." Women apologize by saying "I'm sorry" many, many more time in a day than men, almost by reflex. You have nothing to be sorry about. "No, I can't," and then hang up. Period. Do it.

You do not owe them an explanation or an excuse. Do not prolong the call by giving them one. Believe me, the minute they hang up the call they'll be calling somebody else without a thought to you.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Like others hear have said just don't answer your phone and don't give justification for why you don't answer/text back. The facility I work at is critically short staffed. So I frequently get calls and texts to come to work when I am off. If I want to work or if it's a real emergency I'll say yes but need to be paid double time so when HR calls me back I'll be right in (i live 10 minutes from facility). If they are truely desperate I get my double time and if they aren't they stop bugging me. One night the Night RN called off and they called me in to hang an IV. I got paid for four hours to do 30 minutes of work.

You can olny be intimidated if you allow others to treat you that way.

Hppy

Exactly! "Call me back either way???" Um, no. You do not​ have to do that. Nor do you need to provide a reason why. I don't have any children, let alone 5. According to that manager, this means I should come in and work OT because I have no "good excuse?" Ridiculous.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Looking at the bigger picture of this, I see a huge problem with employers that do this. If they are always short handed and they go to call somebody in and someone always goes in, they won't hire more people because they won't think they are short staffed. Then the employees get burned out and quit. Pretty soon there is a huge staffing problem. The people on your floor all need to stand up together and get these people to hire more people. I think this is also why in some areas new grads are having a hard time finding jobs. The nursing managers say well we got by this past month with 4 nurses instead of 5 so we really only need for. Meanwhile, the floor nurses are completely overwhelmed and people start quitting and making it worse. They think they will look better to the higher ups because they are saving money and their dept is making more money.

In some places like a retail setting or a restaurant this may work. But the customer service will suffer. In nursing this should not be done at all because people lives are at stake. There is more of a chance of med errors, nurses too busy to answer call lights and falls happen because an elderly person needed to go to the restroom and has now broken their hip, the list goes on and on. They need to hire more nurses on the floor if you are constantly being called and texted. They are desperate and patient care is going to suffer.

I really feel that mandated ratios should be implemented in every state. The bottom line for hospital administrators is for the hospital to make more money. The biggest cost to any employer is payroll, so that is the first place they look to cut. When I was in retail management, every year I got a new book on how many hours I was allowed each pay period. And every year they cut the hours I was allowed to use. By implemented safe nurse-to-patient ratios, care would be better in the hospital. The patients would get what they needed because nurses would be able to manage their time more effectively. When a nurse is not burned out and running around like a chicken with their head cut off, fewer mistakes will occur.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Voicemail can be your friend in this situation. You can't stop them from calling you, but you can choose whether or not you answer the call.

That being said, I would at least answer the first time, or call/text back once to say "No." Then they can't say you never get back to them.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Voicemail can be your friend in this situation. You can't stop them from calling you, but you can choose whether or not you answer the call.

That being said, I would at least answer the first time, or call/text back once to say "No." Then they can't say you never get back to them.

But even if you don't answer at all, and they do say "You never got back to me!" who cares? (Not trying to pick on you, just genuinely don't understand why people would be afraid of this scenario).

[DowntheRiver]

I would complain because previous jobs always tried to call me while I was asleep, and I'm a light sleeper. Whether I answered the phone or not, I was awake and usually couldn't fall asleep again. I like to leave my phone on in case of family emergencies, and I feel like having to spend extra money on a second phone and phone plan just so work doesn't wake me up is a little extreme. But that's just me.

I'm in the same boat. My MIL has A-fib and has constant medical problems so I always keep my phone on me and turned on in case of an emergency. I'm a very light sleeper, too. It's a lose-lose battle for me unfortunately.

[toomuchbaloney]

I'm in the same boat. My MIL has A-fib and has constant medical problems so I always keep my phone on me and turned on in case of an emergency. I'm a very light sleeper, too. It's a lose-lose battle for me unfortunately.

You are the very folks who need to invest in a cheap cell phone for work purposes only. That is the contact number that you provide your employer, the only number. It is turned off or ringtone silenced on days off and when you are between shifts and do not want to be disturbed by OT/extra shift/work related calls. Make it clear in your voice mail message that you check messages daily not hourly, and calls will be returned next day or end of day or earliest possible or whatever.

Employers who prefer to staff in this fashion are not going to respect your boundaries unless you require them to. Sometimes we must take extreme action (like a separate phone line) when employers are extreme in their disregard.

Unless you work in a unit or capacity where you must be oncall for your department you are under no obligation to be accessible by phone, text, or email during your unscheduled hours and any suggestion from the scheduling department or unit leadership to the contrary is a lie. It is a courtesy to accept a call from your employer on your unscheduled days, not a requirement.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

Phones are a convenience; they are not the boss of me.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

But even if you don't answer at all, and they do say "You never got back to me!" who cares? (Not trying to pick on you, just genuinely don't understand why people would be afraid of this scenario).

No worries :)

It's because I have encountered staffers who do comment to management about who they can--and can't--reach, and what's said always isn't positive. So I prefer to cover my rear.

[n.igmatic1]

I just had this happen to me today. I rarely answer the phone if it shows the exchange belonging to my workplace unless it is my scheduled day to work. No guilt, no shame. My time is my time to decide how I would like it spent. The OT would have been nice, but my physical and mental health is nicer.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm a strong believer in the phone is there for YOUR convenience. Make their ringtone silent, and forget about it. It's your day off, no need to be worried about going in if you're not on call.

If you are on call, just change the ringtone.