Forced to work longer than scheduled hours....

seaniapolis · Aug 12, 2012

I am a new RN at a long term care facility. I was called in after midnight on Friday to come in to work that Saturday morning to work for a few hours because they were short staffed. Even though it was my weekend off and I wasn't feeling well, I agreed to help them out and work half a shift. When I got to work that morning I told the supervisor that I would only be working for half a shift she asked, "who would be relieving you?" Of course I did not have the answer to that question as I am not a supervisor or staffing coordinator (I assumed they would try to find someone or the supervisor would take over as usual). However, when my shift was over and I tried to give report to the supervisor she refused to take the key. I called the staffing coordinator and DON and they both told me to hand the key over to the supervisor, but she refused to take the key because they were also short staffed for the next shift, which means she would be covering that shift also. She eventually took the key from me after the DON found someone that could stay over for the next shift. As you could imagine this was a very uncomfortable situation as the supervisor was very ****** off at me (I thought I was helping by coming in for a few hours so she wouldn't have to cover the whole shift). Has anyone ever had this happened where the nurse supervisor refused to take the keys? I would assume that it is their responsibility to find someone or take over the keys, not mines. Have anyone ever had this happened? What is the policy at your facility regarding this?
There is only one policy and procedure manual at our facility that is kept locked in the DON's office, which means it is nearly impossible to ever read it, as she locks it in her office when she goes home.

where I work they force you to sign up for 42 hs of on call duty a month. They never call anyone they just schedule you for your shifts you were forced to sign up for. Then after perpetual weeks of 70+ hrs you ask for time off that you have for PTO. Denied as they are short staffed. I gave my resignation, and took my vacation that I had asked for 60 days prior. They paid out my PTO on my last check and now want me back.

SuzieeQ · Aug 12, 2012

How long have you been there? I do not think that you did any thing wrong and it may have just been a miscommunication between you and your supervisor... If not, I think I would be searching for another job. Be very careful and CYA. If you need to document the dates/times/details of incidents with this supervisor, then do it. You never know when you may need your notes if she tries to make you look like the bad one.

sukiathome · Aug 12, 2012

You were manipulated. Hiding of the policy book? Manipulation and now she can say whatever she wants. Start looking for a new job today,.

Zapazol · Aug 12, 2012

Countless times I found myself after working 3-11 being FORCED to stay and do the overnight shift as well. Generally because the night nurse was sick, or absent and there was no one who would answer their phones to come in. Almost always I bite the bullet and stayed. That meant overtime for me plus if they could not replace me for my following afternoon shift the next that THAT shift became overtime as well. Generally management simply offered a pat on the back and said thanks, and went on to forget to pay the overtime.

Once I got a 10pm call that the night nurse who was to start at 11:00 was 'sick' and would not be in. As usual no once I tried to call would either answer their phone or simply said no to coming in. Now this time I could NOT stay overnight as I had to watch grandkids as my daughter was set to leave on a 1:00am bus to another city. I called the manager and told her this and that I would stay until 12:30. I told her that my our professional governing body that protocol was that I had to advise management (both RN's) and that it was then their responsibility to provide replacement, and not mine. And that I would be leaving at 12:30am as I was not leaving two preschool age kids all alone at home.

That elicited calls from the administrator, the DON, the district supervisor, and the DON of a second home owned by the same company all ordering me to stay. Again I said no. I could not stay. The DON said she couldn't possibly come in as she did not know how to give out medications using the EMAR system.

Eventually she showed up in a fury. The other facilities administrator suggested that I should print out the EMAR so my DON did not have to use the electronic system. I made sure to leave a copy of the professional guidelines on top of the 400 page printout of medications for her. Granted the management was peeved but there was no option in my case this time.

maryhollin · Aug 12, 2012

First of all a policy and proceedure manual should be available to the staff without going to your superiors.

Secondly, the facility has the responsibility to care for the residents with adequate staff. If in the event you are working and there is no replacement for the oncoming shift. The facility can mandate that you stay and cover that shift. Check your P&P. In my state you can be on the clock for 20 hours. This is usually enforced in times of bad weather.

Now keep in mind that most nurses have children and families and any decent supervisor will come in and cover or at least attempt to make call to other staff member to get coverage. This would be in fear of not receiving help the next time they call you.

If you agreed to a partial shift coverage and they refused to let you leave, then your supervisor is and a**. They need to understand that now you will not trust them to keep their word when you have agreed to help out.

I have made many "deals" to get coverage for shifts. My staff respected me and cared about our residents. I seldom had to cover full shifts but many times go in for 2 to 4 hours or even be in the building for QMA's to cover med passes.

If you feel strongly enough about this to confront your supervisor with your DON....do so. If not start you search for a new position.

Goodluck and good nursing.

PrincessO, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 12, 2012

I was not scheduled to come in for that day(It was my weekend off)....I was asked if I could work a few hours since they were short. The supervisor was actually there at the desk. The supervisors sits at the desk and if we are short staffed they usually work the floor. In this particular case we were short staffed by one nurse so I agreed to come and work half the shift so that the supervisor would either only have to work the other half or find a replacement(I made this agreement with the staffing coordinator). I should not have been forced to stay as the supervisor was at the desk and she is capable of working the floor. However, the supervisor was mad that she would have to work the floor so she refused to take the keys because she said that the staffing coordinator knew ahead of time of the staffing issue so she should have found a replacement. However, that should have nothing to do with me as I am not part of administration. I always stay over when they need me too, but I have learned my lesson. The supervisor did not care that I have stayed over for her many of times, but I made sure to let them know that it will be the last time I agree to help them out because no one should be tricked into working. I work about 70 hrs every pay period, which is an indication that they are always short staffed!

PrincessO, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 12, 2012

SuzieeQ,

I have been there for a little over a month. We are always short staffed there. The staffing coordinator is the one who asked me to come in for a few hours. The supervisor claimed she was not aware, however, when she spoke to the coordinator the coordinator agreed that she only aksed me to come in for a few hours. I guess the supervisor was tired of being short staffed so she refused to take the keys from me. However, it is not my fault as I am not part of administration....I only agreed to work for a few hours because they sounded desperate for help! I thought I was doing them a favor. And now like one of the poster said, I will not trust them in the future. I will not be so quick to help them out! :rolleyes:

CrazierThanYou · Aug 12, 2012

I am a new RN at a long term care facility. I was called in after midnight on Friday to come in to work that Saturday morning to work for a few hours because they were short staffed. Even though it was my weekend off and I wasn't feeling well, I agreed to help them out and work half a shift. When I got to work that morning I told the supervisor that I would only be working for half a shift she asked, "who would be relieving you?" Of course I did not have the answer to that question as I am not a supervisor or staffing coordinator (I assumed they would try to find someone or the supervisor would take over as usual). However, when my shift was over and I tried to give report to the supervisor she refused to take the key. I called the staffing coordinator and DON and they both told me to hand the key over to the supervisor, but she refused to take the key because they were also short staffed for the next shift, which means she would be covering that shift also. She eventually took the key from me after the DON found someone that could stay over for the next shift. As you could imagine this was a very uncomfortable situation as the supervisor was very ****** off at me (I thought I was helping by coming in for a few hours so she wouldn't have to cover the whole shift). Has anyone ever had this happened where the nurse supervisor refused to take the keys? I would assume that it is their responsibility to find someone or take over the keys, not mines. Have anyone ever had this happened? What is the policy at your facility regarding this?
There is only one policy and procedure manual at our facility that is kept locked in the DON's office, which means it is nearly impossible to ever read it, as she locks it in her office when she goes home.

I don't have any answers for this situation but I think there should be some other way to deal with these kinds of things. I work 3-11 and we have a girl who works 11-7 who is late every single shift. Literally. Everyone one of them. So, one of us is always stuck waiting on her to get her a** out of bed and get to work. Sometimes she doesn't show up at all. Of course, nothing is done to punish her for this behavior yet the company doesn't want to pay us when we have to stay over. I just recently discovered that one of her co workers is clocking her in on time even if she isn't there so it is looking like we're staying over for the heck of it.

People do have responsibilities outside of work that must be attended to. I really don't think it should be left up to the person on the previous shift to take responsibility to cover the shift. Perhaps the managers should be made to come in and cover? This is especially true at my company since there is no attendance policy that I can see and people miss work all the time at their whim. We have a couple of employees who work only a couple of shifts a week and ALWAYS, without fail, call in for at least one of them. Yet, they are continued to be scheduled week after week and nothing is said to them about missing all the time.

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Aug 12, 2012

I never agree to half a shift unless I know the other half is covered.

Simply for the above reason.

JZ_RN · Aug 12, 2012

When I was in orientation at my very first nursing job ever, I agreed to work the first half of a 3-11 shift for another nurse so she could stay for the end of her own son's birthday party. It was a hall I've never worked, knew nothing about, had never even been in. I was left alone with 2 aides and over 50 patients, none of whom I ever saw before, and they were not wearing ID or anything, some couldn't speak, were confused, etc. I struggled for hours passing meds and was still sooo behind when 11 came, and the nurse never came. She never called either. She called a nurse from another hall and simply said she wasn't coming in, she didn't "feel well" anymore. I was not prepared to stay all night, there was no breaks, no food, nothing, and I only agreed to work 4 hours. I was struggling alone, a brand new nurse in a brand new hall with zero, absolutely NO training, and she STUCK me. I called the manager and she said she would report me to the board if I left and it was patient abandonment and blah blah blah and I'd lose my license. I guess one of the other hall's nurses took pity on me because she finished med pass in her hall and came and relieved me after a couple hours. I quit the next day, over the phone.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Aug 12, 2012

It was a rotten thing to do. But....it seems everyone assumes the supervisor doesn't have kids or other obligations. And, to the poster who said your governing body only requires you to notify someone else that you can't stay? That doesn't sound right. I think once you accept the keys/responsibility the duty is yours until someone relieves yiu in person. A phone call to management isn't sufficient.