i feel guilty, help!

[anotherone]

Hello, this is a common topic posted about but I want more posts aimed at me to make me feel better, or worse if appropriate. So my floor is really short staffed. Some times I come in early, stay late, or come in on days off. Other times I say no, even to staying late when I am already there. I don't always have something to do. I just don't feel like working more hours. Some shifts are so bad the thought of 4 -8more hours is undoable. Then, i feel really guilty for not helping out more by staying when i am there, or comming in 4 hours early or on days off and knowing that the other nurses are now working short and i could have helped by staying.Since i work short often, i know how terrible it can be. Does anyone else feel this way? Should I stay/come in if I don't have anything to do?I feel like I do my part by comming in on my scheduled shifts and working a couple of OT shifts/ extra time a few times a week. (48-56hours). Why do I feel guilty about it? I think it is because I know i could have made a bad situation better but chose to leave instead.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Repeat after me: "No, I can't stay. I have plans."

[rn/writer, RN]

how can you leave them short, "you are putting patients in danger" UM NO I AM NOT, MANAGEMENT/ADMINISTRATION IS, BY CHRONICALLY UNDERSTAFFING!!

This is the rock bottom truth.

they keep calling and leaving message after message after message.

But what they mostly seem to do is try to guilt trip the nurses already working that day. Example you worked 3p-11p but they are short 11p-7am, managment will corner you and ask you to stay multiple times.

Trying to hound someone into picking up extra hours they don't want is unprofessional and smacks of a serious disregard for staff. If this is a constant battle, management needs to bite the bullet and hire more nurses.

In the event that you should ever make a serious mistake (more of a "when" than an "if") while working all the extra hours they 'd like to dump on you, I wonder if managment will let it slide. My guess? They'll protect themselves by canning you--but only after you finish your double shift.

Repeat after me: "No, I can't stay. I have plans."

Lather, rinse, and repeat as often as needed.