Seeking commiseration and chocolate, will accept honest assessments of whether I'm being a total princess about this. ?
Just got my schedule for the next few weeks, and I got scheduled to work four 12s in a row that I in no way, shape, or form requested. Now, I am an absolute bear after three in a row, especially now that I've got a practicum for my MSN to schedule into the mix. I prefer to spread my shifts out a little bit - work two, off one or two, then work one or two, etc. - but I know I'm not the only person my manager is trying to accommodate while staffing the unit, so I totally get it when I don't get what I requested sometimes. That said, I've never done four in a row, and my past managers typically never scheduled them unless someone specifically requested it.
I'm not gonna make a big stink about it, though I may see if anyone is willing to trade a shift so I can get a little break somewhere in there. Just curious, especially from managers or unit coordinators - do you often schedule staff for four in a row if they didn't request it? Does anyone LIKE having them all packed together like that? I am honestly dreading the whole thing, especially since our unit is super small with a lot of us in clinicals, so I doubt anyone is going to be able to switch. ?
Work 5 12's in a row at the VA - where the Emergency Department is "catch-all" for primary care that is incompetent of doing their job. Then I'll consider buying you a drink
That's pretty much every military hospital I've worked at, but not PC incompetence, just too many people and not enough providers. And people trying to get appointments for their kid who's had a sore throat x 1 hour (as soon as she woke up) with no redness, exudate, fever cough etc.
I don't mind 3 in a row when I get 4 days off after or before.
But I feel like the dread before 3 (or 4 days on) is the worst part of it (for me anyway - maybe you too?)
Like the idea of having to do those 3 or 4 is actually worse than going through them, unless it's just a really sucky assignment.
When other nurses are doing 6 or 7 in a row I ask them how, they usually answer "I am installing a new bathroom" or something like that.
The hospitalists do 6-8 in a row then have 6-8 days off. I can kinda see the appeal in that. I love those 4 days off...2 days off just don't seem enough.
I agree about the idea of having 4+ in a row is worse than actually doing them. I've never really had 4 bad shifts, and that's including NICU where I often would have the same babies all 4 shifts. And I've been lucky enough to work at places where 99.9% of the staff I worked with was easy to work with.
I wonder how the OP did back in February when this happened. 4-12s is rough but as some said, they don't mind....I would hate it.
LOL, OP ended up calling out for one of those shifts because she was half-dead and about to lose her damn mind. ? I hated doing it, but I really tried to switch, including with night shift, and by day 3 I was already running on fumes. Good thing is, I've never been scheduled for four in a row again, so maybe something good came of the situation.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
4 hours ago, NightNerd said:
LOL, OP ended up calling out for one of those shifts because she was half-dead and about to lose her damn mind. ? I hated doing it, but I really tried to switch, including with night shift, and by day 3 I was already running on fumes. Good thing is, I've never been scheduled for four in a row again, so maybe something good came of the situation.
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Nunya, BSN
771 Posts
That's pretty much every military hospital I've worked at, but not PC incompetence, just too many people and not enough providers. And people trying to get appointments for their kid who's had a sore throat x 1 hour (as soon as she woke up) with no redness, exudate, fever cough etc.