I cant argue anymore friends........

jurbyjunk · Jan 19, 2003

Meant to mention that I know what you mean about dayshift. I work permanent evenings, have for 11 years now. In the States, I worked permanent nights. I've always maintained that if God meant for me to get up at an ungodly hour of the morning to go to work, She would have made me a fisherman for a living.

When we acquired a new NM 7 years ago, she decided that I should be working days/eves, just like everyone else in the department. Despite the fact that I also was a university student (MEdu) and a type 2 diabetic. I'm inclined to the view that she just didn't like a member of her department to be better educated than she is. Anyway, it took 2 things to convince her to change her mind. First, one of my co-workers, my former evening shift supervisor, to literally "corner" her between the narcotic box and the med counter and inform her that under no circumstances was she (Mary) going to work additional evening shifts, which would happen if I was taken off of permanent evenings. The second thing was to be cornered by my GP and informed that my blood sugars and HgA1C were staying "below diabetic levels" because of my steady shift and was she "going to be responsible for screwing up Katherine's diabetes". Guess not.

Happily for me, after 7 years of putting up with this woman, she's just announced that she is leaving and will be setting up a similar unit in the much-ballyhooed private hospital so beloved by our DUI Premier.

ratchit · Jan 20, 2003

Wendy, I've read your posts for a long time now and you make really good points. I hope they fix everything!

The only problem I have with this situation in general (not yours- you have more things in your favor!) is that people who go to school or have kids or even diabetics shouldn't get scheduling preference over any one else. Taking a job means accepting the responsibilities of the job. It's not fair to expect other people to uphold your obligations.

If someone takes a job as a "day/night" rotator then says "I can only work days" that's just wrong. No matter what the reason is, it's still wrong.

There was a similar thread last month about Christmas/holiday scheduling- especially regarding how people with kids think I should lose my Christmas with my family instead of them. Nuh-uh- they took a job that requires holidays just like I did. We all have things we want to do outside of work.

Wendy, you have a union contract that spells out what they can ask you to do. Be noisy, make them stick to the letter of the contract. But Jurbyjunk, I don't know if you have a point or not. If your job description has been changed from eves to rotate, you have a valid gripe IMHO. If you were supposed to be rotating all this time and haven't been, then I don't think you have a solid position. I'm surprised that there aren't lots of day shifters who are happy to trade with you, but if you took the job knowing it required rotation, you should have to keep your obligations.

I can completely understand your wanting to keep your diabetes under control- but I just get irked by people that take jobs knowing what the requirements are then ask for special treatment that inconveniences other staff. I've been told I have to work all the holidays and that I can't have days I want off for classes or whatever because so and so can't work that day or has kids or whatever. It isn't fair for people to expect special treatment at the expense of others who have their own needs, too. I have no problem with people who make switches or find their own coverage. But if we worked together and were both supposed to rotate, I wouldn't do straight days for your convenience unless it was good for me, too. And I shouldn't be forced to because you're a diabetic (or because someone has a class or someone had a baby or whatever.)

But of course, that all depends on whether or not you took a eve or rotating job. :)

hapeewendy · Jan 20, 2003

I dont expect special treatment

I expect proper treatment in accordance with my union, which includes the option to use innovative scheduling and does not allow for the schedule/rotation to change at the whim of the unit administrator

she is not a law unto herself, nor is she the puppetmaster of all us nurses...

I have a problem with the fact that I had been granted permanent nights, to the benefit of yes myself but also my facility and now its just being taken away from me without any notice whatsoever....

I also dont believe that anyone should get preferential treatment, I do believe however that in some cases schedules will have to be altered, in the case of a diabetic person who is having trouble with their health my suggestion is to go to occupational health and visit your family dr and get them to write a letter on your behalf and have your schedule altered that way, by doing that none of your co workers can comment at all about the situation cuz its not as if youre being given special treatment.

and no one should have to work every holiday - kids or not - everyone has family and friends and should be able to spend time with them..

my other problem is that sure there are ample ppl who want to switch with me but now by changing my schedule she has convienently put those ppl to work on my days off, making a shift change impossible..

hospitals pressure you to go and further your education and then when push comes to shove you are not supported in any way, I know it wont earn me any popularity points to bring this up , but thats what I'm doing tomorrow...

sassynurse78 · Jan 20, 2003

A loss of a good nurse would defiantly be a loss, their loss not yours. School is way more important, don't be afraid to walk on this one. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do!:)

mario_ragucci · Jan 20, 2003

Aw wendy...wish I could give you the golden advice, but I am not even an RN, and don't want to disgrace you here by sharing too much here :-)

You have the option of not going to school and staying where you are. I know many RN's are floating, and the general census must be lower based on present economic conditions. Just hang out another season and the situation can change. Think about summer school. Just stay the beautiful person you are, and I don't have to say that because you know I'll always know that. more power to Wendy!

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2003

Good lucky Wendy and keep us posted!

renerian

ratchit · Jan 22, 2003

Wendy, I'm guilty of typing while tired. I meant to be very much on your side- you had been given a permanent night shift slot, you have a union contract that addresses flex scheduling for school, you were doing perm nights when the manager decided to shake things up.... You're completely in the right. Be noisy and make them do the right thing.

I do disagree with you on one point, though. Anyone who asks for special scheduling IS getting preferential treatment. I don't care if the reason is child care, diabetes, chemo, ANYTHING. If the reason is good, other nurses will lend a hand. But no one should be FORCED to.

We all have occasional requests for doctor appointments, weddings, etc etc. And if someone gets hurt at work that is a totally different story. (As is your situation!) But if I had a job as a day/night rotator and the other person who had a rotating job refused to rotate, that would force me to do more of some shift I didn't want to work, without my consent. And that's not right.

I'm speaking hypothetically here- I don't know what Jurby's situation/job description are and I'm REALLY not trying to be critical of her. But *IF* she is supposed to rotate and is refusing to, she is expecting her coworkers to be forced to work around her on a permanent basis. That's special treatment. No MD letter is going to change the effect that demand would have on the coworkers of a rotator who won't rotate.

No one should expect to make demands that affect someone else's life. If someone needs a permanent shift, they have to be in a permanent shift job- not a job where everyone rotates BUT that person. I think this is true of shift rotation, holidays, and days of the week worked. No rotator should be able to say "I don't rotate", no one should be able to say "My holidays are more important than yours" and no one should be able to say "My commitments are more important than yours- soccer practice is Tuesdays so I won't work Tuesdays". School is a little bit different- it's job related. But still, I shouldn't miss out on my events so that someone else gets EVERY Tuesday and Thursday off for 4 months. And that's happened to me- couldn't take a class because coworkers could only work certain days a week. (Again, with the contract, your situation is different.)

Go get 'em, Wendy!

Agnus · Jan 22, 2003

Ratachet, I disagree with you on one point. If an employee has a medical condition complete with a Dr.'s note this is call special accomodation and is required by law and is not considered special treatment though it may feel like it when you are the one who is required to make accomodation.

hapeewendy · Jan 22, 2003

well I wrote a letter to our unit manager and have a meeting with the unit rep this morning from 8am -10am - should be interesting, I will keep you guys posted

and as much as I respect your opinion ratchit and I too get frustrated when it seems as though I am inconvienenced by ppl with special scheduling needs. However two points for you to consider, the first being that in my situation no one else is inconvienced at all, no ones shift is being altered in order to facilitate my schedule, infact I am serving a need on the unit, namely that of chronic short staffing on nights. Also it sounds as though you have been burned many times from the shceduling needs of others, I dont know your situation at all but I would suggest that the next time something comes up that you want to do that you pursue it and cite all the times that you might have "filled in the blanks" while others did their things. Also, in the case of someone who is ill, it really is no different than someone who is injured on the job - shceduling wise that is. One of the good things about nursing, well in most places anyway is that if you are sick , your scheduling needs must be met. Where I work ,its not as though specific nurses are asked to fill in the gaps left buy those of us who have "special needs" , our schedule comes out 6 weeks in advance, what we do is we plug in the lines of full time RN's , fill the gaps with part timers and then if more gaps exist then we use what few casual staff we have, its not like nurse A constantly has a brutal schedule because I'm going to school.

It sounds as though you might be in an unhappy working environment, I think you should address your concerns about scheduling with the "higher powers" that be and hopefully get what you want/need out of your schedule, in the meantime , dont blame those of us who are speaking up while you accept the junk they throw at you

I was very much like you are , stuck at the mercy of my more "outspoken" co workers , doing cruddy shifts, all this drama when it was holiday time etc, if you dont start saying what you need out of your job then you're always gonna get the

S H A F T

:kiss

sjoe · Jan 22, 2003

Hope the meeting went well this morning. Glad to see you protecting your own interests. You've obviously figured out long ago the meaning of my sig:

Shell7280 · Jan 22, 2003

3rdShiftGuy-- "That's awful. Come down here. There is no Union, but we bend over backwards, and turn flips, and do anything for the students. They can write their own schedule and their own tickets. Some of them get paid 40 hours for working only 16, just so they can stay in school and succeed."................ Where do you live and work!?!

ratchit · Jan 23, 2003

Originally posted by Agnus
Ratachet, I disagree with you on one point. If an employee has a medical condition complete with a Dr.'s note this is call special accomodation and is required by law and is not considered special treatment though it may feel like it when you are the one who is required to make accomodation.

I am no HR rep or lawyer type but I don't believe an employer has to accomodate a person with an illness in their CURRENT job. I think the employer has to make reasonable accomodations but I don't think they have to keep them on the unit. I could see a hospital saying someone could have a permanent shift on a unit that staffs with perm shifters, not rotators. I could absolutely see a unit creating a perm 3-11 job if there was a need. But does the law require the hospital to allow someone to say "I will work HERE and ONLY these certain hours"? I don't think so.

I only have time to log on before bed and don't think I've managed to type what I'm thinking. I am all for employers having to support their workers. I just think that consideration is often expected and issued selectively.