Entitled Generation

Published

I am a DON in along-term care facility, and I am having a difficult time finding both nurses and CNA's who are willing to work the evening night shift/weekends/holidays etc. The new graduates who apply all want a day job with no weekends or holidays. They think that I am crazy to expect them to work these other shifts. I had one girl even ask the day nurse--(who had worked 10 years on nights, and 6 years on the evening shift before finally getting the day position) why she thought she should have the day job, and not her. She had just passed her boards. When I started in nursing 20+ years ago, it was known that we would be working the night shift, weekends, and holidays, etc. It seems that this is the general rule for the younger generation now entering the health care field, or am I the only one who is experiencing this?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry.

Thats odd. I'm graduating in May and would almost prefer to work nights. And I fully expect to work at least some holidays and weekends. However, I don't expect to work all of them. I think there ought to be some kind of rotating schedule for weekends and holidays.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If a facility has good working conditions, pays well, treats me with respect, provides the resources needed to do a good job, has mgmt that rewards good employees and gets rid of problem employees, and does not expect me to attend meetings during the day when I've worked all noc, I'll work all nocs/holidays/weekends.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

To the OP, I do think this is the entitled generation and I am speaking as one!.....On the other hand, I do know a lot of newer nurses who work nights and are not considering going to days. For myself, a day shift job would be nice, but I could not handle it. Too many people around to deal with.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Out of curiosity, why were these people hired without knowing what would be expected of them in terms of hours?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

These people were informed of what the hours would be when they were interviewed. The one I wrote about, was hired for the night shift, and after she went through our orientation program-which lasted about 6 weeks, stated that she had really gone into nursing for an "Office job". Others start, and after anywhere from 1 day to 6 months they will quit, and when asked for the reasons why, they state that they don't like working nights or weekends etc. When I went into nursing school-the instructors told us to be prepared to miss holidays, weekends ect. with our families. Everyone that we hire is informed of what is expected of them, what hours they will be working. they are put on an every other weekend, and every other holiday schedule. Some will always call in when it is their holiday to work, etc. then they do not understand why others are mad at them--it is because the other staff had worked their holiday, and then ended up working the others too-because they called in. Like I said, it is just like they think that they are entitled to have all the weekends/ holidays etc. off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, CCU.

Actually one of my old instructors (and mentor) is a nurse manager and gave me some words of wisdom related to this. She 100% believes that new nurses have this "entitled" frame of mind because we go through school hearing about how we will never have a problem finding a job and how in demand nurses are. So a lot of people graduate thinking they can go out in the world demanding whatever they want.

Her advice to me was to accept that seniority exists and to take what is expected of me (nights, weekends, holidays) when first starting out and that eventually I'll be higher on the totem pole. I don't know why more people can't see that the nurses who have been at their jobs the longest have earned their shifts/days off/etc.

And yes, at my new job my manager told me she was ONLY hiring for nights in her unit and that she wanted to hire me for nights. I'd be stupid to ask for days, plus i hate waking up early :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Midwifery.

I have just been rostered on my 5th weekend in a row. I have been with my current place of employment for just over 4 years although only 1 year as an RN, I work nights too (though not as many as some). I have not complained, and will work my rostered shifts public holidays or not.

;) Have faith we are out here.

Nicky.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I read an article a while ago (I'v been searching to find it to post a link, but of course I can't find it again) that talked about the younger generation that is entering the work world now and how there is a feeling of entitelement. The author went on to explain that this is how we have raised our children- to believe they are worth the best, they deserve the best, not to put up with things that are sub par. We have taught them to find better jobs then we had. They have been told that family and friends are the most important things in this world, secondary to work. As a result, they don't want work to take up too much of their lives. They have been taught to say no to 60 hour work weeks and mandatory overtime. On top of that, there is also a feeling that parents can act as a safety net by allowing them to move back in if things really got bad. As a result, as this generation has been taught, don't be afraid to say no at your work, because if you loose your job you can move back in with Mom and Dad for a little while.

The article ended reinforcing that this is how we raised our kids, now they are working with us and we have to learn how to deal with how we raised them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CMSRN.

Where I work they do not need anymore nights/weekends. Or at least that is how it was a few months ago before some people quit or went on leave. We are the moms with school kids who want extra money and want to be at home for their kids when they get home. Many people around here like the nights. I do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I have never expected to get a day position when I got out of school 6 years ago. We were also taught that most of us would start out working nights and holidays. We have had some that wanted days but hired in on nights and stayed on a list to go to days then when it was their turn they went to days, but everyone still has to rotate holidays.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree that is hard to find reliable help these days. The younger generation wants the weekends and holidays off so us older nurses end up covering those shifts most of the time. I have been at my place of work for quite some time and I still do not have the privlidge of taking weekends and holidays off. I have worked every weekend straight since July of last year with all the holidays, and yes i too have children and am becoming very tired of this. As soon as I think I am going to get a weekend off, someone calls in SICK. I have teenagers and they have part time jobs, I have been teaching them the importance of showing up to work on time and not using the I'm sick excuse for not showing up to work, I want them to understand that people are depending on them. My boss has compensated me well for my time and is a wonderful person. When some of those younger nurses are complaining about their small paychecks, I remaind them that it could be a lot larger if you would actually work more.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion