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Discussion

Feeling guilty for not going in to work, when called for extra

I work in a mainly respiratory ICU and can't help but to feel guilty lately when my personal circumstances or preferences prevent me from going in to work extra nights when called. I already worked 36 hours this week and got called this evening because the unit is shorthanded. I had stayed up most of the day after working all last night to do christmas shopping so it was 8 pm and I had only had 4 hours of sleep in the past 24, so I didn't feel safe going in for an 8 hour shift. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still feel guilty like I'm letting down patients or my coworkers.

Anyone else ever have these feelings?

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    • Do you ever feel guilty for not going in to work when called in? 17 members have participated

    1. 1. Do you ever feel guilty for not going in to work when called in?

      • yes
        63%
        28
      • no
        36%
        16

    Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

    Featured Replies

    I never feel guilty for not working on my days off.

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    Your employer doesn't own you. If you want to go in and are rested enough to do so, by all means, grab the extra hours. But if you aren't rested or you just don't want to take the shift, let them call someone else.

    You're a lot less likely to burn out if you take sufficient downtime.

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    • Experts

    I know far too many people who work excessive and even ridiculous amounts of overtime (and then call in sick for their regularly scheduled shifts, but that's a whole different issue). The staffing clerk knows that if s/he calls So-and-So they're most likely going to say yes because they like the money. There's rarely a thought given to the safety of our patients or of coworkers. I know that when they get down the list far enough to call me, that they're truly desperate... I have never worked an overtime shift for them in my 9+ years there. While I do feel something for my coworkers who are working short all the time, I feel nothing but disdain for a system that will continue to ignore the elephant in the room... the fact that there are not enough nurses on our staff to properly run the place. All these excessive OT-workers are doing is enabling this to continue, slapping a Bandaid on the problem and pretending it doesn't exist. This sceanrio is self-perpetuating because when they do hire new staff, it isn't possible to ease them into the chaos and after they've experienced a couple of shifts where they're shoved in a corner with no supports and a crazily hectic assignment, they run for the exit. They've probably spent several million on OT this year, and close to a million on orientations for new staff who didn't stay till the end of their orientation, but little has been done to recognize this, much less correct it. So I won't work OT and I won't feel bad about that either.

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    OP, I never ever feel bad. You have to take care of yourself and your family first before any job. It's more important for ME to feel well rested and WILLING to work safely and effectively for the patients then to worry about someone else's feelings. I'm sorry if it sounds selfish but like my coworker says, "XX Hospital is not my house." The facility needs to staff accordingly.

    OP, are you a new nurse? If so, I see why you feel the way you do. I'm 3 years in nursing, which is still young but I've learned and you will too.

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    Nope I feel pretty comfortable not going in :)

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    • Moderator

    OP, I get it -- because I know how hard it is to be on the other end of the equation, the short-staffed side. I feel guilty, too. But I get over it when I realize I don't get paid overtime because I'm in the military. They can actually order me to come in, but that hasn't ever happened ... knock on wood. LOL

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    • Author

    OP, are you a new nurse? If so, I see why you feel the way you do. I'm 3 years in nursing, which is still young but I've learned and you will too.

    Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I am a new nurse btw. Only off orientation now for a month. I do agree with several of you about it not being my house and my responsibility being to take care of myself and my house first over "their house."

    I do suppose it will be something that I'll just get over eventually.

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    I don't feel bad saying "no". They don't own me, I am allowed to make plans on my days off. That being said, I do tend to have a problem saying "no" :lol2:

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    Hellz no. I work two jobs and am in my last leg of nursing school. I am already stretched thin so I won't do extra.

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    My work recently made a decision (with NO input from staff) to cut our night staffing on certain nights. Well, then one nurse who used to work those nights every week left and they were SOL as we were basically starting 2 nurses down. I got called frequently on these nights and I always said no because I felt like, they made their bed and now they needed to lie in it. I get offered crappy deals when I get called asking if I want to come in... if you call me to work Sunday night on a week when I'm working days and all you have to offer me is to take me off Tuesday day, sorry, not inconveniencing myself when there's nothing in it for me. My floor does not pay overtime... if they did, I'd be more likely to help them out.

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