Changed my schedule 3 days before I work it...

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Oct 26, 2009

ok, this will happen. They have to schedule according to need and YOUR needs are not the consideration. It is a real bummer. I would certainly see if it is carved in stone. But if someone got sick and cannot work, then someone else has to fill in. They cannot just send people home to make it convenient for staff. Again, a real bummer.

caliotter3 · Oct 26, 2009

I would not start a new job by complaining about the schedule. Wait until you have been around awhile to have a heart to heart with your supervisor concerning what was said and what you want. You don't want to come across as a whiner so early in the game.

allnurses Guide · Oct 26, 2009

Just have to reiterate what's already been said; this type of thing is going to happen. Heck, it happens anywhere that you go; my husband works in restaurants and he has had to deal many times with his schedule being changed on him at the last minute.

Sounds like the person who is mostly responsible for getting the schedule out has been gone, from where you work?

Maybe this isn't something that will happen to you very often. For now though, best to suck it up. Sorry. =( Find something fun to do on the days that you are still going to be off.

misplaced1 · Oct 26, 2009

I first want to tell you that I am a new nurse and working in a non hospital setting by choice. But I must disagree. If this is a job you will love and really want then I understand your wanting to comply. Unfortunatly you are setting yourself up to be treated like this continuously. Consider if you had a child you did not have child care for two days from now and no way to get it. Then what would you do, go in anyway and leave your child at home alone? Perhaps you and your husband planned a 5 day vacation for just the two of you and have te tickets and reservations.

Sorry, you teach people how to treat you. From what I see lots nurses teach people to treat them very badly. Follow their path with caution. If you go in this time you will be the first one called and expected to go with it all the time.

I have a relative not in nursing who does what he is told no matter when he is called night or day he is in like a flash and his entire life has been on hold for whatever his current job is. His rewards? 4 lay offs, 4 failed marriages too numerous to count lost relationships and now he is ready to retire, to what?

We keep telling him he does own the company he works for but somehow I think he felt it his job to take on the responsibility like he did.

You only get one life you have to decide who is going to run it.

misplaced1 · Oct 26, 2009

I met he does not own the company, he is an EMPLOYEE. If the budget gets too tight he is out the door right along with the people that didnt go at the whim of administration. At one point he was covering the jobs of three people. Oh my I could go on

tvccrn, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

....and had not gotten past the "2nd Draft" stage because the charge nurse was gone for like 2 weeks... So I assumed I'd still work the same schedule that I put myself down for and made plans for this 5 day weekend I had coming up this Thurs-Mon.

***emphasis added by me***

Here is the problem: You assumed that you would be working the same schedule without having a final copy of the scedule to back you up. Unless you have something in writing about the agreement you don't have a leg to stand on. This is going to happen, we work in an industry where we can't tell our patients, "Sorry, we can't give you the care you need because we are short and promised Nurse Nancy that she could work with the same person she has been with."

It's not an ideal situation, but it happens.

misplaced1 · Oct 26, 2009

Oops miss the part about "assumed" would have the same schedule. That changes my vote to yes you need to go in. You can't make assumptions about your schedule.

AnnaN5 · Oct 26, 2009

Unfortunately this is a pain but I would just go with the flow since you are new on this floor. Does your hospital/union have a policy about posting of schedules? Our union requires that are schedule is posted 2 weeks before it is supposed to begin. We are on 6 week master schedules but they usually post the draft for a week in case we are over/under staffed so people can volunteer to switch days or they swap some people around then the final schedule is posted.

jeslynhatRN · Oct 26, 2009

Unfortunately this is a pain but I would just go with the flow since you are new on this floor. Does your hospital/union have a policy about posting of schedules? Our union requires that are schedule is posted 2 weeks before it is supposed to begin. We are on 6 week master schedules but they usually post the draft for a week in case we are over/under staffed so people can volunteer to switch days or they swap some people around then the final schedule is posted.

Yes, it's supposed to be 2 weeks... :/

KyPinkRN · Oct 26, 2009

Yes, it's supposed to be 2 weeks... :/

Then I believe that someone should have had the schedule finished... if whoever did it was off one of the other managers should have done it and had it posted in the specified time frame. Telling you that you have to work different days than you were expecting to work two days before you have to work them isn't fair treatment. I agree with the others that you have to go in or find a person to trade with... but I would definitely sit down with the manager who told you that you could have a certain schedule and tell them that its unacceptable to you.

wooh, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

It should have been done. But it wasn't. And you're new, so you don't want to be seen as whining. If you had important can't be helped plans, I'd say something. (Like your mother's wedding or something.) But if it was just a "I want to be away from work" plans, then I'd suck it up. Maybe a, "Since the schedule hadn't been changed yet, I made plans for this weekend. If you REALLY need me, I understand and can change them, but is there any chance I could go back to the original day?" But that's going to depend on your management. New grad, new to the job, it is really not the time to be making waves.

As for your preceptor not being there, well, you're off orientation. During orientation you should be finding people OTHER than your preceptor you can use as a resource. I know on some floors they can be scarce, but there should be somebody you can run things by that's there.