holidays=need to turn off my phone

[acerila]

I really need to turn of my phone

Seriously though, every other day when I'm off I keep getting phone calls from work or from people I work with (whom I never given my number to) asking me to work a specific day, switch shifts with them etc. It's soo hard to resist a $200 bonus to come in for a day but I really want my day off to relax. It's hard to say no to pleading co-workers, especially when you are new, but then again half of the time I'm already working on that day because work asked me to pick up an extra shift and I can't switch. The past two calls I just didn't pick up my phone, listened to the voicemail but never called back because I didn't want to/couldn't work. I feel like it's kind of a waste of time to call back just to say you can't work but maybe I'm being rude? I don't want my supervisors/co-workers thinking I'm rude by not calling back but I do find it intimidating to call and say no&I really don't want to get suck into working.

I'm sure you guys experiance the same thing. What do you do?

[oramar]

When it gets too overwhelming that is what happens, you start to engage in behaviors that appear to be rude. I have been there and done that. I am sorry to that people get offended. However, when it gets to be a point where I spend my days off answering phone calls about extra work, I start to tune it out. I feel for you. Just remember you have to save your own life first. A person very close to me went into hospital work three years ago. This is an older person that is a bit behind the times and always picked up the phone when it rang. After three years this person just bought his first answering machine and it screening calls for the first time in his life. I am suprised that it took three years.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

We turn off our phone at will. I no longer do shiftwork type nursing but my husband's job is incessant. We don't have an answering machine or voice mail. Home = sanctuary. It helps that I have no family and my husband is indifferent to any crisis that would occur to his. Unless your job requires that you have an open line, I'd turn the thing off without a second thought.

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

Don't ever feel as though you are being rude, they are showing up...uninvited into your home on your day off. No they are not there in person but I feel calling me is entering my home. I can choose who and when to talk to on my days off in my own home: I am not rude should I not want to chat with you. Oh yeh, phone solicitors are in the same category as co-workers begging you to switch days off.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

It is no more rude for you to ignore your phone than it is for them to call you at home for a favor... did that make sense? I've actually stopped being even "work friends" with a couple of people because the ONLY time they called me was to ask for a switch. It's like, come on. I've been doing this since middle school, when I was a nerd and the popular girls were nice to me when they wanted me to do their homework. I'm not stupid.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

If I don't want to come in I ignore them. They'll understand the message behind that.

[TazziRN, RN]

I remember a joke I heard once: You can tell a new nurse because they're always reachable. Old nurses check the caller ID first.

It ain't a joke........

[ERRNTraveler, RN]

Before I was a traveler, I used to get called to see if I could come in almost EVERY DAY I had off. It got to the point where, if I didn't want to work, I would change my voice mail to say "I can't come to the phone right now, and am not available to work today." Then I don't have to deal with calling back to tell them I can't work.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Before I was a traveler, I used to get called to see if I could come in almost EVERY DAY I had off. It got to the point where, if I didn't want to work, I would change my voice mail to say "I can't come to the phone right now, and am not available to work today." Then I don't have to deal with calling back to tell them I can't work.

Loving this idea!!

[bill4745, RN]

Just say "no".

[bethin]

I told the hospital where I work at that I no longer have a land line (which I do). I gave them my cell number in return and when 'that' number rings, I have a special song just for that so I know not to answer it.

I don't call back either. And I no longer trade days. Everytime I traded the other person would say "whenever you need a day, let me know and I'll work for you." Yeah. Ten people owe me favors and I've quit asking them after a year. They never paid up so I won't do it anymore.

[bethin]

If I don't want to come in I ignore them. They'll understand the message behind that.

I tried that. I got called by 4 different people in the span of 5 hours. I told the first person no, but 3 others still called. If they're that desperate then I don't want to come to work for my reg. wage and not premium like all other employees.