Thoughts on Covering Own Shift

[J.Adderton]

I work on a rehabilitation unit and most nursing staff have fixed schedules. My co-worker "Beth" is very dependable and has been charge nurse for several years. Beth had been experiencing eye discomfort and eye doctor discovered benign growths on both eyes. Surgery was recommended and scheduled for the next week. Beth called our assistant director and informed of scheduled surgery. She was told that since we schedule 6 weeks in advance, she would need to find someone to cover her shifts. I have enjoyed working on my unit, but this puts a bad taste in my mouth. In a case like this, shouldn't the unit managers make an effort to find coverage? This makes me feel less valued- we cannot predict life 6 weeks in advance. Are you required to cover your own shift if situation beyond your control? Would love to hear rationale from someone working in management.

[LadysSolo]

I had norovirus last November, my boss gave me a hard time because I was off for 5 days, 3 of which were spent throwing up and having diarrhea (often both at the same time,) and two days recovering enough to work. Such fun dealing with people who supposedly care about their workers -NOT!

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

Find your own replacement or what? Did they really want you showing up with noro? Really?

I seriously believe they would have allowed me to come in with it! I couldn't get 5 feet away from a toilet and literally called the DON from my bathroom lol.

They had guilted nurses to come into work who were puking throughout the day a few times. These were full timers so their "or else" was come in or we will find a reason to fire you.

[Crush]

I seriously believe they would have allowed me to come in with it! I couldn't get 5 feet away from a toilet and literally called the DON from my bathroom lol.

They had guilted nurses to come into work who were puking throughout the day a few times. These were full timers so their "or else" was come in or we will find a reason to fire you.

Horrible. Nope, just nope.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I seriously believe they would have allowed me to come in with it! I couldn't get 5 feet away from a toilet and literally called the DON from my bathroom lol.

They had guilted nurses to come into work who were puking throughout the day a few times. These were full timers so their "or else" was come in or we will find a reason to fire you.

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Manager: "I'm so sorry to hear that! Please take care and heal up well."

[Libby1987]

Manager: "I'm so sorry to hear that! Please take care and heal up well."

Exactly. I have had people call in and I'm thinking oh crap this is going to be a rough day (there is no agency that provides trained staff ready to go on short notice in my field and perdiem staff aren't available on an "on call" basis so usually not an option either) but my response is always, "I'm sorry you're sick, feel better!"

Unscheduled PTO is very hard from a manager's end and there aren't the viable options that employees might think are available but no one should made to feel guilty or doubted when they are ill.

[Skippingtowork]

Coming from a mgmt perspective the only thing I can come up with is that since the schedule is out, 1 week notice will still be considered unscheduled time off aka calling off unless she finds her own replacement and then it can be considered approved scheduled PTO.

But if you have eye problems and can't see....

[Buckeye.nurse]

I feel that this link is appropriate here.

Nurses say strict attendance policies aren't just a problem at Northeast Ohio hospitals - News 5 Cleveland

As others have said, ill call policies such as this that punish genuinely sick nurses who need to use their time are unacceptable. But they continue because they aren't challenged. And unfortunately, we don't have the option of desk job type people to work from home when we are feeling ill :/

[Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN]

Cautionary Tale of Dogma Bites

I went through this with a Director & covered my planned absence and all square. Then she decided during my covered time off to revise to change the schedule and called to tell me the week before (Thursday for that coming Monday) that my coverage wasn't able to work "not-my" shift. (I originally had not been scheduled Monday). I didn't answer the phone she left a message. I had been given a heads up on her plan from a several co-workers really early that day/night before. The Director had had vague issues (I think she just did not like me, not that I really care) with me for some time, but this was a new low, even for her. She loved *games* and I was tired of them. I had other things to focus at this time on besides pettiness and vindictive crazy. I tended toward quiet, direct and wasn't much of a suck up - bad qualities, I guess in some circles.

The schedule keeper (most connected person in the department, who was and still is a good friend) told me she overheard our Director talking to who was originally scheduled to work that Monday saying "I'm sure you just forgot that Monday doctor's appointment, it's an honest mistake and not a problem and I'm sure we can work out those holiday requests too". Now, that could have been meaningless. But, unlikely. This girl (who I'm also friends with and really like) did had seniority on me (but that doesn't matter now, but might have 6 weeks ago in the planning phase). But schedule changes are not approved on Wednesday before a forgotten need for Monday off, working 2 weeks in working mid 6 week schedule. Just no. Never happens. Others get their own coverage in those circumstances. Directors never redo the schedule. Ever. What is going here? So, Thursday mid-am my Director starts her crap.

TYPES OF PRIOR DIRECTOR CRAZY ---- She'd call me to the office with vague threats or complaints including my personal favorite that "no one likes working with you" and in the next breath she'd tell me these people "would follow you off a cliff". I pointed out to her those messages were sort of oppositional and confusing and I'd ask her how to improve. She'd recommend being more flexible. I swear to Dog. I worked 12-16 hours a week. Really? More flexible. Okay, got it. Can do. Plus all the anonymous complaints. Meaning - I feel threatened by you. Cause never a specific instance or day, time, patient, person.

I was written up one time in my 5 years with her for --- get this --- forgetting that I had my sunglasses on top of my head (violation of dress code). She had removed them the week before calling me "Ms. Hollywood"! I had forgotten they were on the top of my head, but certainly did not wear them in the building. No rhinestones/logos. Just non/descript plain black frames and very dark lenses. I have a very serious eye condition needing dark lenses/immediate sun protection. It was very bright out, I'd just set my things down, had been called in mid-shift, was taking report from the 7a-11a, so she could get out ASAP (covering for a sick call). It was 10:30am and doing a walking report and had not even clocked in when my Director plucked my sunglasses off the top of my head again. Twice in a week. Not even kidding. Wrote me up for a dress code violation. Just looking for any reason I guess.

Oh, well. Back to the schedule problem.

So she leaves me a semi-abusive message that my shifts are not covered and IT IS A BIG PROBLEM. If I do not show or cover them they will be UNexcused for any reason, it will be "no call, no show" and YOU CAN AND WILL BE TERMINATED. Our day shift PRN pool was shallow. I made no attempt to cover them.

I had sold my soul to get coverage as it was for the published schedule that she tossed to chaos.

Well, that's a problem, I thought. YOUR problem. I'm due in U.S. District Court (Federal Court) and she knew it.

You're going own this one now. No more co-dependency for me. I'm done. All done.

This was the week I was finished with her crunked up games and I was officially sick of her nonsense. I was crispy.

As it was Thursday when she started her execution of me, I called and set up a private meeting with the Human Resources director on Friday afternoon. I had EMS pick me up in town and drop me off at the back of the hospital so she would not see my car on campus.

I then called her from a blocked outside line to discuss her message & the schedule issue with the HR director listening in on an extension from her office. I told her I would not be coming in, the schedule changes were made after I left on Tuesday and I reminded her I was due in court for a possible 3-4 week trial and the remainder of my shifts were covered in advance (I also reminded her it was not the official hospital policy, but department custom and everyone tried to be team players, but ultimately if someone has to change the approved schedule while we are mid-schedule, custom has them finding their coverage not creating a BOMB that blows everyone else up and you've never been involved in 5 years, why now) if you or someone altered it, it needs to be resolved by someone besides me. To be clear, I will not be there. I have the published FINAL and APPROVED 6 week schedule that we are 2 weeks in on. She let loose on me. After about 5 minutes of it, the HR director puts her hand up and motions *I've heard enough* and I think 'oh maybe' but that's just a sample. There had been so many issues in HR about this Director. So many. Well, now she had proof of just what some of the "non chosen" deal with and this was a 9 on a 10 scale for nasty. I let my Director get it out of her system, tell her that if anything changes with my availability I'll let her know, thanks for her support and have a good weekend.

I became a witness in a Federal trial about couple of months later and the U.S. Marshals served me at work. No it was not optional and there was little notice and I did not have to arrange my schedule coverage and had no idea how long it would take (it was 300 miles away too). Lol.

FYI - I became Teflon coated. Less than a year later my Director was fired (complete with being escorted out).

Do it by the book.

I started keeping copies. Recording meetings*. Recording phone conversations*.

*Make sure the laws of your state allow this, check 1 vs 2 party state laws. Mine is 1 party state meaning as long as I was a participant, I was covered. You cannot record unwitting folks that do not know that you not not participate. I did seek advice of counsel. As long as I did not need to verify what was said, yay, no one heard the tape, but honesty is best served by something like this when dealing with someone you know has been a bold face liar in the past.

Also, if you have to call, follow up with an email of what was said. Protect you. You have to look out for your interests.

Until the WRITTEN POLICY of the organization says to use sick time one must do this aspect of staffing (managerial role), I say force it. There is no staff nurse job description in the world that gives staffing as a role. Just saying.

Let's stop this madness.

Do not just call out in an EMERGENCY like this, call or whatever their procedure is, then follow up via a written email EVERYTHING - even if someone has to call out for you on your behalf.

Email your mananger and direct notifications (staffing office). Then, BCC (blind carbon copy) to the the HR office, HR VP, HR VP, CEO of the hospital, EEOC office, Presidents Counicil on Physical Fitness of Jumping to Conclusions (whoever) and another copy to outside email to you not just your staff email at the facility - and for the sake of all that's sacred have email that not partybny at whatever dot com.

I used to have a page of emergency notifications that lived in my date books needed to be done in the event I had an accident/died/decided to run away from home/was abducted by Aliens, etc..

These detailed the obvious -

Who I was. This has all important contact info.

Where I generally should be.

Who might be missing me & why.

Contact this bunch of folks & why regardless.

---- in this exact manner via this contact info (legal/job/bills) - do it just like this - no exceptions. Yep, there were "fail safes".

Some of these director/manager folks are out for themselves are quite sneaky and by the time you figure out what you should be doing, they have been doing ugly to you for years and you are conditioned to just go along, to get along.

Custom is not policy. Is not the law. It only matters when your back is against the wall. Don't wait.

:angel:

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

If something non-urgent comes up once our schedules are published, we are responsible for finding someone to switch with. I would take the PTO and not worry about it (out policy is that if you call out for a medical reason, only the first day is considered unscheduled, then you tel them how many days you are going to be out and they are considered scheduled). Not sure how FMLA works on short notice. I had short term FMLA for an elective sx procedure which meant it was not considered absences.

[MissourigalRN]

This is absolute ********! It sounds to me like management does not want to deal with it. A good management team would accept that "Beth" is already in a slump and help her get back to a healthy place so she can continue her work. I would not waste my time at a place that does not support me when I need it the most. Move on! Come back when there is different leadership.

[Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN]

It's our own fault.

We've conditioned management by this "custom" of finding our own schedule coverage (doing THEIR staffing job!) for vacation and scheduled PTO - that when we are SICK all we get is a NOPE, that is not going to be ALLOWED unless YOU can FIND someone to COVER for YOU.

Can anyone show an official policy that puts the responsibility on the staff nurse for using their PTO either scheduled or unscheduled?

Not custom, but OFFICIAL HOSPITAL (EMPLOYER) POLICY.

Often to get what you want, you have to give some institutions what they need.