16 Hour Shifts

[missnursingstudent19]

My manager keeps texting me on my off days asking me to work 16 hour shifts. I find 16 hour shifts extremely brutal, and the drive home is not safe at all. How do I set healthy boundaries? I feel bad not agreeing to come in when asked. Although I don’t know why because I don’t see the other nurses on my floor agreeing to it.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

The easiest way to set a boundary is to simply say "No.", you are not obligated to work a second more than you are required to by your job when you accepted the position. It is NOT your responsibility to staff your facility beyond your scheduled shifts, so don't feel guilty. If you say no to overtime enough, usually they stop asking you. IF you want to help out or get the extra hours make a "counter offer" when they ask you to work by saying what hours you would be willing to work, for instance working an extra 4 hours instead of 8 hours, if they're desperate enough they'll work with you. Also, if your employer offers incentives for overtime, ask if they will throw that in, for instance I've worked at places that offered "critical" or "premium" pay if they were desperate enough, and if they agreed to give me that sometimes I'd pick up a shift.

I agree that 16 hour shifts are brutal, and argue they are even unsafe. Take care of yourself, because if you drop dead of exhaustion, they'll just scrape you off the floor and replace you with another person before rigor mortis sets in.

 

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

You are also free to ignore texts if you are not on call. It's your personal time. Do not feel guilty! You are under no obligation to work beyond your schedule, period. Self-care is important, and that includes setting boundaries. 

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

How many times has your manager picked up a 16 hr shift on the floor?

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

3 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

How many times has your manager picked up a 16 hr shift on the floor?

Ha! How many indeed. 

[JKL33]

Just ignore the texts.

If your phone has the capability of turning on/off read receipts for individual contacts, consider turning them on individually only for the contacts whom you wish to have information about whether you've read their message or not.

7 hours ago, missnursingstudent19 said:

I feel bad not agreeing to come in when asked.

I mean this kindly: That is not rational. You are independently subjecting yourself to a double-standard: Do you presume to be able to guilt your workplace into meeting your personal needs? Do you frequently and regularly make requests of them that are above and beyond their employment agreement with you? Do you believe they would feel compelled to stress themselves over your needs and requests? (No, no, and no ?).

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I wouldn't be the best for advice because for the past three and a half years, I've been the sucker coming in at all times when they're short because I feel badly. My position is only 32 hours, but I usually work 48-60 hours a week. I feel responsible when my coworkers have to work short staffed, which is completely ridiculous because there are almost 30 of us in our unit and some people never pick up anything beyond their scheduled hours. And that's not a bad thing. They are entitled, as am I, to use time not scheduled at work, for whatever they (or I), want. As others have pointed out, your place of business has no loyalty to your personally. When you're the person working short, do other people, and your employer, make an extra effort to help? Probably not. I agree that 16 hour shifts are brutal. I'm usually 7p-7am  and the times I've worked 7pm-11am I am completely wiped out by the time I get home. I've already told my assistant manager that I will not be picking up beyond my scheduled hours for a while. My work/life balance has been out of whack for years and I owe it to myself and my family to make some changes. Good luck!

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

I have learned to write back something brief and clear. “I can work 7am to 7pm if that would be helpful, but I am not available after 7pm.”  You’ll have to write the exact same thing the next time she asks you too, and she may never stop asking you. But you don’t need to explain anything or apologize. 

[missnursingstudent19]

My manager called me in to work a 16 hour shift. At the end of it I was feeling really nauseated from lack of sleep and threw up all over myself on the way home. Therefore I called in for tonight, and I’m told I have to work my next Saturday off. That is such BS when I’m good enough to come in to work an extra insanely long shift. I have plenty of sick time and PTO and I should not be penalized for using it. Nice to know my workplace treats employees so well.

[Davey Do]

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."                -Mary Angelou

[Sour Lemon]

52 minutes ago, missnursingstudent19 said:

My manager called me in to work a 16 hour shift. At the end of it I was feeling really nauseated from lack of sleep and threw up all over myself on the way home. Therefore I called in for tonight, and I’m told I have to work my next Saturday off. That is such BS when I’m good enough to come in to work an extra insanely long shift. I have plenty of sick time and PTO and I should not be penalized for using it. Nice to know my workplace treats employees so well.

I worked in a place with a similar policy. If you called in on a weekend, you were automatically scheduled for the next weekend. I worked every weekend anyway, so the joke was on them.

Start looking after your own needs with regard to working extra hours. Your employer will look after their own needs, after all.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Just. Say. No. 

Although I prefer to not say anything at all as I owe them no obligation to say yes or no to their short staffing. I don't respond texts or phone calls about working extra unless I want to.

I do agree with the above poster though regarding the weekend call off - I have worked several places where if you called off on a weekend or holiday, you had to "replace" that shift by working another weekend or holiday. This was to prevent repeat offenders from always calling off for their weekend or holiday simply because they didn't want to work a weekend or holiday.