Dedication

Davey Do · Jul 2, 2018

I say "AMEN!" to your post, KalipsoRed.

Some of us work to live and not the other way around.

JKL33 · Jul 2, 2018

I have known some very very dedicated nurses. Some that either love what they do so much, or their patients, that they keep their phones on them while one vacation, managers that allow you to call them on their days off, and women who will always pick up if we are short even if they have their own plans that day.

It may be dedication/personal sense of duty, financial need, personal enjoyment/preferred way to use time, etc. Occasionally it's more related to self-esteem or other psychosocial factors (poor boundaries, a need to be needed, a sense that things will fall apart without them, a need to be heroic/savior, etc). I'm not even sure altruistic dedication exists as a real thing; I think we most often have at least some form of personal motivation (and/or reward) for caring about/helping others.

Anyone else feel that the term dedication is to often use to manipulate those in healthcare out of their time?

Manipulation is one of those two-to-tango things. Life is so much better when you do what you think is right and don't worry about silly games. I have no interest in being manipulated, can see it from miles away, and for better or worse, that usually means the person/issue will make it onto my ever-growing list of things not to worry about.

River&MountainRN, ADN, RN · Jul 2, 2018

I know what you mean! Nothing pisses off employers more, it seems, than "sorry, I can't" when they're asking you to work overtime. It's like they think they're conveying you some great privilege to give up your personal time and come in, and how dare you be so ungrateful in saying "no". :rolleyes:

I've found this to be the case especially in LTC. You have some martyr nurses who will come in and complain (and, on 11-7, doze :mad: ) because it's their 6th or 7th shift in a row...but the posters above me are right when they say it's definitely a two way street. The complaining nurse had to have said "yes" and volunteered for those extra shifts, and the facility certainly isn't going to pay for an additional full-time nurse if they can get away with working their small pool of nurses into an early grave. Needless to say, I wasn't very popular when I pointed that out (and, oh, didn't "volunteer as tribute" for extra shifts beyond my 40).

retiredmednurse · Jul 8, 2018

As a new nurse, I felt I always had to say "yes". But then I started noticing that I was never acknowledge for coming in extra, co-workers just thought that I was scheduled to work that shift. I never got mentioned in my annual eval that I volunteered. And so, I started saying "no". Guess what?! The world didn't end. If the unit had to, they worked one short, or was able to float a nurse from another unit to help out that wasn't quite so busy. There were many shifts that were my scheduled shift that those of us on did work 1-, and rarely, 2-nurses short. We just pitched in and helped each other out. If ER slammed us with admits, the house supervisor would send a nurse (often times from L/D) to do the admitting orders for us. I got very comfortable saying "no". If it was mentioned that I wasn't a "team-player" on my annual eval, I would comment on my eval that I needed my time off to recuperate on my off-days to work my shifts. I rarely called in sick.

KalipsoRed21, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2018

Oh, I have rarely picked up in the last 4 years. I just think it is one of those things like not getting to eat or pee in a shift, that make me pause about this career. In general it is just asinine that medicine treats it's employees this way. Like please quit playing the 'saint' card. Or talking like because I wanted ALL my days off that I have a lack of what it means to put my patients first or be a team player. It is just one of those issues in nursing culture that I would like to see as a behavior in the past.

TriciaJ, RN · Jul 8, 2018

There are many threads on this site about whether nursing is a "calling", or are we just callous and mercenary and "doing it for the paycheque".

I'm reminded of an incident back in the 90s when the nurses in my home province went on strike. The misinformed public did not support them. An acquaintance of my mother's was heard saying "Some dedication!" (This same lady, who worked in the small local post office, was later overheard saying she liked reading while at work and felt annoyed whenever a customer came in.)

Hopefully the days are numbered of the public thinking we're special beings who need to constantly live up to our special-ness. Our employers, on the other hand, need to be shown the error of their ways daily. The milennials get a bum rap but the upside is they're less likely to be martyrs.

ponymom · Jul 8, 2018

I worked OT when I wanted to. If I didnt want to work it, I never, ever, ever (ever) said "I can't". I said "I don't want it, thank you".

I worked it if I was saving to do home/barn maintainance, buy something I wanted, etc. I abhor loans and buying on credit....I worked it if I knew I was going to be leaving a job soon. I'd work it as a CNA, sitter or nurse, didn't matter.

I made it clear when and when Not to call me for OT. Most of the time, all was nice and pleasant. Sometimes I had to reeducate the scheduler/caller/DON/unit manager, but never more than twice. And I genuinely started doing this from my first week of my first nursing job. I was never scared just because I was new.

If I didn't want to come in, I was pleasant about it, but I also didn't apologize. I just said I was relaxing at home, shopping, had to put up hay, at a horse show, party, gardening, cleaning the barn, going riding, biking, swimming, etc, and wasn't interested in the offer thank you. See you tomorrow...

Katillac, RN · Jul 8, 2018

Yep, heard 'em all:

"We'd like to think you're a team player so we need you to. . . "

"Your colleagues helped you out by filling in so you could go on vacation so I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you. . . "

"Your (self-righteous martyr) colleague has worked six days in a row. It would be great if you could step up and help her by. . . "

"Management really doesn't like to give time and a half for short notice call in in replacements, but I really need your help."

"I'd hate to need to mandate you to come in."

But the one I love the best is when staff who have worked extra time and time again eventually get fried and leave, and management sends out emails about self care and setting appropriate work/life boundaries in order to be successful, which is little more than a veiled smear on the people who they were only too happy to exploit until they left.

Also, please see my response in the following thread. I'm on a pro-worker roll today. :sneaky:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/compassion-fatigue-patient-1167337.html

retiredmednurse · Jul 13, 2018

I just want to add to my comment above. The shift supervisors for the hospital were the ones who usually did the calling. For the most part, I, or anyone, could say "no" and not get a lecture. They understood that we had lives outside of the hospital. They were just doing their job as far as looking and making the calls to see if anyone will come in. (They have annual evaluations also.) They took a 'no' better than a long made up excuse of why you couldn't come in. (A long excuse just took up time and prevented them to go on to the next name.) One excuse I heard from my co-workers most often was they just had a glass of wine. Having alcohol on board prevented one from coming in to work. One supervisor was tough to say 'no' to. She came in the same night that she had dental surgery and her mouth was bruised and swollen.

AxelNewRN86 · Jul 13, 2018

I feel like as a new nurse I have to be grateful for anything I get. For example I started a job at a hospital and was originally going to get full time but they changed their minds and gave it to a more experience nurse (I can understand that). But now I have less hours than originally promised. I figured I could get an on call job. However I got my new schedule now that Im done training and I am working practically every other night. I honestly do not know how long I can last with that as it will be an extreme struggle for sleep, managing toddlers and financially 2/3 of what I was expecting to make (I was originally hoping for 36 hours not 24). However, I feel as a new grad I am supposed to be grateful and pay my dues. I have read so much that you need to stay at your first med surg job for at least a year. So I am trying to keep a smile on my face.

Daisy4RN · Jul 13, 2018

I feel like as a new nurse I have to be grateful for anything I get. For example I started a job at a hospital and was originally going to get full time but they changed their minds and gave it to a more experience nurse (I can understand that). But now I have less hours than originally promised. I figured I could get an on call job. However I got my new schedule now that Im done training and I am working practically every other night. I honestly do not know how long I can last with that as it will be an extreme struggle for sleep, managing toddlers and financially 2/3 of what I was expecting to make (I was originally hoping for 36 hours not 24). However, I feel as a new grad I am supposed to be grateful and pay my dues. I have read so much that you need to stay at your first med surg job for at least a year. So I am trying to keep a smile on my face.

I agree, in general, that it is a good practice to stay 1 year if that is possible. I don't agree with that in your case because they have not given you what they promised (full time). I would start looking for something else, and simply tell them that you are leaving because you need full time, no need to stay. I always worked extra shifts when I was new until I learned that management just didn't care, they make you feel guilty and as retiredmednurse stated, no thankyou's etc. As soon as probation was over I learned to just say NO! Only worked extra when I wanted to for vacation money etc.