When they call you in to work extra shifts...

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jan 19, 2005

I too have been on both sides, and when I reach an answering machine I leave a message and don't call back. Most people I call have an answering machine...so it hasn't been much of a probelm. I am also not very assertive like others that call..if they say no, I say "okay well thanks".

I have made the mistake of picking up the phone the first time I found out they had my cel number..LOL! I had the receptionist asking me if I could come in right away to cover for a sick nurse. I was so saddened, but I had family visiting from out of town and it was about 1500 and we just sat back and having some wine and hard lemonaide.

After telling them I had relatives over and could not cover, I got another call from a high administrator telling me my job was on the line if I didn't come in and be "flexible" like they require! I was so embarrest to have to tell her, but did tell her that I had just had a hard lemonaide and can not work according to law alone! Man I was so ticked I had to tell them that...I was just settling down with some family and having a bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonaide on a hot summers day on my porch! Now I felt they would consider me a drunk!

Then the Admin had the gall to say "then what do YOU expect WE do about this situation", and I was very frank and said "I don't know what YOU are going to do, I know that I can't work...so that pretty much ties my hands".

Anyway the next day I had to go in I was so embarrest, and yes I got razzed like no ones business! But the nice thing...my supervisor and her boss told me not to worry, that they too have been called in and they have a glass of wine or whatnot and couldn't come in either...that helped! But to have to explain my goings on at my home on my own time shouldn't be an issue...I said NO, that should cover it!

I find it best just to NOT answer the phone with my facility...they will not take NO for an answer and do threaten!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 19, 2005

I'd call it harassment.

So would i.

(And God bless Caller ID. For 8 bucks a month i know who all called my house, and not nearly as many hang-ups on the answering machine. And i don't have to answer if i don't want to.)

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 19, 2005

All the nurses I know have caller ID and answering machines. I never answer the phone from work unless I want to work extra (geez, that would be NEVER). The phone in my bedroom has the ringer turned off, my answering machine volume is low enough I can't hear it in my bedroom.

Don't say yes or they will always call you first (unless you want to work extra shifts all the time). And I would communicate respectfully with my manager that if they try that thing about calling repeatedly during my sleeping hours for a shift a month from now I would not EVER help them out. If the manager was responsible for the repeated calling them maybe he/she needs to hear this some night around 1am.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 19, 2005

i agree with everyone who said to screen your calls. caller id and an answering machine work wonders! they have my cell number, too -- because call is required for this job, and i don't want to have to sit at home waiting for the call. but i have absolutely no compunction about saying no! this job requires that i be available for them 48 hours a week and that's already too much. i won't be working any extra!

ruby

SmilingBluEyes · Jan 19, 2005

turn off the ringer, and turn on the answering machine. Problem solved.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Jan 19, 2005

I would call it harrassment also!

oramar · Jan 20, 2005

I think you should take control of the situation too, but on your terms, not theirs. I would not answer the phone, but I would stop by the office on my way in to inform whoever called that I will NOT EVER be available if they call during my sleep time, which is X to X.I also agree that more than one phone call could be considered harassment.

Let me tell you how I saved my own life.

I have told this story before but I will tell it again. I was driven to a nervous near breakdown by these sort of calls. Here is what worked for me. I got two land lines at my house with two diffrent phone numbers. Work and anyone and anything associated with work gets the number of the listed phone that I will call number phone 1. Phone number 1 is at the end of the hall in an unused bedroom. I leave turned off most of the time with answering machine sound very low. I check it two times a day, right after I get up in the morning and right before I leave for work. Staffing secrataries can ring it till they turn blue in the face, I will never know. My phone I will call number 2 has an unlisted number which only family and friends know about. This is the one I leave on and answer when ever it rings. The day someone from work calls me on phone number 2 is the day the number gets changed. I also have a cell phone, no way in he** work is getting the number to my cell phone. They would just run up my minutes with frequent phone calls. You got to save your own life.

Mystery5 · Jan 20, 2005

I can't believe these stories! How awful. Well, I've never had this trouble. I just say thanks but no thanks. I work in a civilised hospital though.

WickedRedRN, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2005

Hard to believe how unrealistic some people can be when it comes to calling for coverage.

Years ago as a CNA in a nursing home, I was a part timer because I was in school. I had certain days I was available to schedule and that was it. Never failed, they called ALL the time (I lived with my parents back then, I was all of 18 and very naieve in the world) My mom (who is an RN) worked 3rds shift at the time and was NOT happy about all that racket with the phone ringing. Well, Mom started taking the phone off the hook when she was sleeping. My manager started commenting that she tried to call and it was busy all the time. I said, "well my mom works nights and she takes it off the hook when she is sleeping" The next time they tried to call me in, got the busy, and I actually got written up for not being accessible to them. Next time it happened, it went to a 2nd level warning (no union) and so on. My mom got so mad she shut the phone off for 2 weeks, then got a new number and told me in no uncertain terms to NOT ever give that number to work. I quit soon after. I wish something like that would happen now that I am older and know better!! :chuckle Like hell would they write me up for that!

Mystery5 · Jan 20, 2005

Who do these people think they are, Southern Plantation owners back before the Civil War? I can't believe this.

allnurses Guide · Jan 20, 2005

A bit off the subject, but if they try to get after you for a "no show" on the basis of a message on a machine: the courts have upheld nurses that unless they speak to you directly, you have not been notified to come in to work. This happened in a nearby city, when shortages were really severe, trying to enforce mandatory overtime, that if you were called 4 hours before a shift started you were required to come in. Needless to say, machine sales skyrocketed and the courts upheld it.

PMHNP10 · Jan 20, 2005

When they call you in to do an extra shift - do they call once & leave a message? Or do they call once & leave a message & then repeatedly call you up to 5 times to wake you up? I'm a fairly new nurse, but in my opinion I think calling once is good enough.. If i don't want to answer the phone because it's 6:00am and their repeatedly calling to obviously wake me up - isn't that impolite? Just wanted to see what happens elsewhere!???

I guess I have been fortunate because I have yet to receive a call asking me to come in for extra shifts; but maybe it has something to do with making it known that my phone just got disconnected because I refused to pay the bill, and it's going to take some time before I'll have service again.

In reality though I turn off my phone and turn the answering machine's volume as low as possible. Let them spend the money on long distance to talk to my computer-voiced answering machine; I don't care.