Dealing with nurses childcare problems

[Miwila]

I recently had a run-in with a superior over my refusal to change my shift after two nurses refused it because they have children. I am heartily sick of being yanked around, called in and asked to work overtime because other nurses cannot fulfill their work responsibilities because of their childcare issues. I am fed up with having to do the work of other nurses because they're pregnant. The final straw for me is the arrogant assumption by the charge nurse (a woman and a mother) that I "should" catch the slack of these other nurses because I am a single, childless male and hence my free time is more expendable.

Excuse me?? Having children is a personal choice. Not only that, having children is a personal choice that comes about through having fun in the bedroom so I am a little sick of working with nurses who act as if having small children is somehow their ticket to passing their slack to someone else. My brother owns his own business and up until now I have always thought his policy of firing women who continually call out and make excuses due to childcare issues as being harsh. I now realize he is not being mean-spirited - he is just exasperated.

I heartily agree with Dr. Laura Schlesinger - women shouldn't have children until they're in a financial position to stay home and raise them.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I agree with you.

Continue to stand up for yourself . Your manager needs some education in managing.

steph

[nurse_mo1986]

Oh man, I so agree with you. I can't count the times i've heard in my unit, "well, you're single, and don't have kids so you can work this overtime for us." UMMMMM Hello. It' not my fault you have kids and a family. You should have thought about that b/f you entered nursing honey. I personally feel that my personal life is exactly that...mine. I don't have kids, but that's none of the hospitals business.

And no, i'm not working all the extra shifts for you to sit at home with your child...

[I love my cat!]

Personally, a persons family issues should be left at the door. Having or not having a child shouldn't have any role in work hours and schedules if it negatively and/or unfairly affects other employees.

I know my view is probably the minority, but I have witnessed tons of problems with those playing what I call, 'kid-card'.

I'm confused why people with kids forget that the childfree do have lives and responsibilities. They have families, hobbies, pets, volunteering, second jobs, school, etc. They don't have "all of this free time"...a line that is often used by Parents.

Heck, even if they did have all the time in the world, it doesn't mean that it they are now responsible for bailing out others that have made choices in their lives that are making their lives difficult and/or "inconveniencing" them.

I'm all for people fairly trading shifts, but to expect a person without a child to pick up the slack, take on extra jobs, continually work OT, is a form of discrimination in my book.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I'm with you.... for me, it's the "You should work Christmas since you don't have small kids at home..." Excuse me, but not all people my age go out and party New Years, and I happen to have many family members to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving with!!

[Bill E. Rubin]

I think targeting any one person to take the slack because of an assumption about his or her personal time is just wrong. It isn't wrong for someone to ask to switch days with fellow staff members as a group for whatever reason, being it child-related or whatever, it's just the assuming that because you are a single, childless male, somehow it's your obligation to be the one to bail everyone out. We all have our commitments, family obligations and our reasons for needing certain days off. I am new on my unit and already, twice, I have been bailed out by female colleagues so I could play gigs I had committed to playing (I'm a jazz musician -- I'm the bassist, so the band can't easily make do without me). I am eternally grateful to these women for the switches and eagerly await the chance to return the favor to them.

A little compassion for our colleagues a goes a long way. I heartily disagree with most things Dr. Laura Schlesinger says; including the one quoted by the OP... Few women will ever get to be in a financial position to "stay home and raise" their children in our present society.