Dealing with calls from work

[Katniss88]

I'm a new nurse and I like my job, but I really enjoy my days off too. I work 3 days in a row and most of the time have four days off. On a occasion I'll have 3 days off. I work on a unit where it's mostly pain management and it can pretty challenging dealing with very demanding patients and some not so nice patients. When I get home from work I'm very tired. It annoys me to get calls almost every other week when I'm off to ask if I can come in to work. I don't mind helping out sometimes, mostly to help my co-workers who will be struggling with the patient load. When I do decide to come in it seems as if I get the worst end of the deal, "I'm thinking I came in on my day off to help out". The last time I came in I had 7 patients, our patient load is usually 5-6. I felt like I was drowning and had a hard time keeping up with everything. I was scared I would forget something. I have a hard time saying no. When I do say no or don't answer the phone I feel guilty. On the other hand, it's not my fault that they have staffing issues. When people do come it when asked they aren't able to get overtime because they get low census on one of the days and are left with just three days and no overtime. I have this horrible feeling that if continue to say no that my manager will find so way to get back at me for not wanting to come in. What does everyone else do in this situation?

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Don't feel guilty. If you want to go in on a day off, answer the phone and say "yes." If you can't go or don't want to go, either don't answer the phone or answer and say "no." Practice saying no and don't feel guilty about it, and don't let anyone else make you feel guilty about it!

There's not much to do about them giving you the hardest assignment if you agree to come in. I wouldn't make a stink about it, and hopefully they will figure it out that people are more likely to come in extra if they are given a fair assignment.

[FineAgain]

Thank goddess we have an email to text in place so they don't call me they just send out a mass text...I don't feel guilty that way!

[Brekka, ADN, RN]

I have a special ringtone for calls from work (Exorcist theme fit well) and I just don't answer it if I don't want it. For my first year, I volunteered and worked so much overtime, I burnt out and pretty much just refuse everything now. Don't feel guilty. It's great to help out if you want to, but unless your ran your coworker over with your car and then refuse to cover her shift, you have nothing to feel guilty about.

[schnookimz]

Ugh. I know how you feel. I literally get calls and texts about every 15-20 minutes on my days off. They're about absolute everything and anything. And what's even worse? We are strongly strongly encouraged to answer because we are a "team." And need to stand together.

[BlueDevil, DNP]

Simple: get a different phone for work (like a trac phone- one that doesn't text or take emails) and just don't answer it on your days off.

[Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN]

If my job calls me, I rarely answer. If it's important they will leave a message. 99.9% of the time they just want to know if I'm willing to come in to work, and my answer is almost always no because I enjoy my off days.

[rachel0609, ADN, RN]

I've gotten to where I turn my cell off during the days I'm off. I'm a HH CM and I will get calls constantly from my LPNs, other CM, even patients. You have to have downtime even from people you work with, I don't feel guilty.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

I don't answer the phone when it is work and they can leave me a voicemail. Or text me. That way I can say I just don't check my phone often. In fact, my old manager in the ER would text because people responded better that way.

[MoopleRN]

You're not required to answer the phone when work calls (that's what caller ID is for!) and you're not obligated to come in if you do answer the phone and are asked to come in. If you can't find a way to stop feeling guilty about wanting your days off actually off, then by all means, go in, get (maybe) dumped on assignment wise, and feel resentful instead of guilty. If you're scared your manager is going to find a way to "get back at you", it behooves you to stick up for yourself and come across as a reliable person who knows how to say no (or not answer the phone!). To do otherwise sets you up as their 1st choice to call and there will be no end to it. Be a team player, on YOUR terms… and by that I mean if you're called in when you're not scheduled. We should always be team players when we're already clocked in.

It's ok to say no (or not answer the phone/reply to a text)!

[edimo]

It's very common among new nurses (myself included) to feel guilty for saying no when called in during off times..but you come to learn that you need to take care of yourself first, otherwise it's going to affect your normally scheduled shifts.

I hardly answer the phone when work calls and they leave a voicemail. If I actually want to work it, I'll call them back.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Don't answer your phone if you don't want to work. No reason to feel guilty.