Contacted multiple times for same empty shift

NsugaBuga · Jun 29, 2017

If they are demanding that you call them back it is in your best interests to do so. Obviously once you are on the phone they plan to try and guilt/ pressure you into accepting the shift. Be ready to politely and firm restate "I am unavailable".

The guilt trip doesn't work for me any more. When it's anyone in nursing I turn it around and ask them what theyre doing at that time cuz most of the time, they don't work the floor much. They need to learn...

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jun 29, 2017

When I was in the Army, I couldn't say no and I didn't make any extra money in overtime. And the "I'm sorry, I've been drinking" schtick can backfire if they send you to a substance abuse program after using that excuse too many times, haha. So I learned my life wasn't my own, and dealt with it. Once I became a civilian nurse, I said NO with gusto! Sometimes I'd come in because hey, I was actually making overtime as a civilian nurse! Bonus! But as we've heard, "No" is a complete sentence.

rescueninja1987 · Jul 2, 2017

This is one of the reasons I quit my old job. They chose to hire too few people, then chose to provide those people with poor working conditions, then chose to allow any worthless idiot with a pulse to stay on because "a warm body is better than nothing". That's nowhere near even a little bit my problem. My days off are mine, I owe my employer nothing and if I'm not there I want no contact with them.

AvaRose · Jul 2, 2017

Now I'm having the opposite problem. I haven't worked since Monday since they keep calling off my shifts for low census. Goodbye paycheck. Good thing I can cover all my bills in one paycheck each month. It might be time to start looking for a new job though since census is projected to be low until about mid-September.

amandanicole · Jul 2, 2017

That sucks i know where your coming from my work calls me almost every week, but i've also been on the butt end of having to call people to come in for a shift. I call everyone just so my coworkers know i covered all the bases for them. I usually ask them to give me a call back with a yes or no just so

A.) i know i have the right number on my list

B.) i can tell my boss i already tried and this is why they can't come

C.) they have to tell me they can't sometimes guilt brings them, Sorry i know thats wrong but i hate for my residents or coworkers to do without.

feelix, RN · Jul 3, 2017

Most of the time it is individual shift charge nurses, not managers who get carried away. If this is true in your case, talk to the management that charge nurses need to do it right.

One charge nurse woke me up at 4:00 am to remind me I was scheduled to work the 7:00 am shift, which I knew already. This kind of irresponsible behavior is not to be tolerated.

Eschell2971, BSN · Jul 3, 2017

First, all of the above suggestions were great (and funny). I agree with you, in that my time off is my time off. I don't have to answer or return calls because A: this is my phone; B: I am not on duty, with a pager; C: I already told you I was not going to come in, whether I am able to or not, I CHOOSE not to.

I don't like saying, "I'm sorry," either, because there's nothing I've done to be sorry about. This language is typically used by females (I am a female), but, generally, males don't use this language. They are more to the point, much more declarative. Also, the notion that calling back or continuously answering a request is being, "Kind." How about accepting the first "No, I am not coming in," as being professional and "Kind," and not badger an employee who's spending his or her time off with family, friends, resting, or just dancing in the shower.

But, I especially love the response above, "This is my job, not my life," as I've said this many times, to other nurses, some of which were astounded that a nurse would say such a thing (usually, the ones who work as much overtime as their base schedule). Just in the last 48hrs, I was talking with two friends who are almost burnt out and disillusioned only after being nurses for 2 1/2 years-go figure. As I told my friends, I will say here, "Nursing is my profession, not my identity."

If you choose to go in to work for a request, fine. If you don't, that's fine, too. Guilt not necessary, nor warranted.

TriciaJ, RN · Jul 3, 2017

this was how it was for me at a previous facility. They would send out texts-which is fine. but then charge would start personally calling people individually. Asking questions like WHY cant you come in etc??

"Because it's my day OFF, which means it's the day I DON'T come in."

TriciaJ, RN · Jul 3, 2017

Just to be fair and hear the other side of this issue is to recognize that the staffing coord or nsg supervisor is being EXPECTED to make the calls from the higher PTB. So that person has little choice except to make the call. I've been THAT person many times.
Also there is no real effective way to keep track of any previous calls made. So again, calls are made.
And yes, I have made phone calls to folk on vacation. My error and I apologize. But there could be worse things to happen.
Just don't answer the phone or let technology handle the call.

I've had to make the calls too. Keep a list of the people called and the response. Hand it to the next person who has to make the calls.

To keep getting called about the same shift you've already declined? It's called harassment.

TriciaJ, RN · Jul 3, 2017

Back when I worked nights, I used to have a manager who'd call me in the middle of my sleep period to try to guilt me into coming in at 1500 instead of 2300. "What 're you doing?", she'd ask. "Sleeping," I'd say. "Must be nice to sleep all day", she'd say.
/QUOTE]
"Must be nice to sleep all day"? I would so love to ring that person's phone at 4 am and remark how nice it must be to sleep when it's dark out.

audreysmagic, RN · Jul 3, 2017

I've had to make the calls too. Keep a list of the people called and the response. Hand it to the next person who has to make the calls.

I've never understood what's so hard about that. I have to make those same calls when I'm supervisor...I always keep a list of who I called and their response if it carries over into the next shift. I can get calling people who didn't call back, but there's really no reason to call someone who already said no unless it's one of those special situations where you know they'll only say yes for certain people and one of those people comes in (which happens a lot with some of the personalities at my current job)...

I also find that the way you handle the "no" makes a lot of difference. Not to that shift, but in the future. I try to always say "thanks anyway" and I refuse to badger them or demand why - because I know that when it's been me GETTING the call, I'm much more likely to consider it next time if they were cool about it and just petty enough to say no again next time out of spite if they were obnoxious about it.

audreysmagic, RN · Jul 3, 2017

I used to work at a place that would offer callback time as an incentive. That would sometimes get me to cancel my yardwork plans in favor of time and a half.

Believe me, there's a lot of times I'd be happy to reschedule my plans if my employer offered a decent incentive... I never understood why employers who offer nothing but the extra hours are so surprised when it's hard to get people to come in. Not all money is good money, but sometimes money DOES talk, and quite persuasively at that.