I don’t want to work extra!

Nurses General Nursing

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Lately it seems like I’m always being asked to stay late, come in early, or work on my off days because people keep calling out. I just want to work my scheduled shifts and be left alone, but I hate to say no when I’m asked to work extra. Anyone else feel the same way? How do you handle it? 

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
6 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Sadly, the state nursing associations and ANA don't give a rats butt, they're in the pockets of the owners/corporations. The only time that they make a statement is to throw "the negligent nurse" under the bus, then hit the gas. Then they investigate how to avoid again, and the blame always falls to the nurse. It's why healthcare is in the predicament that It's in. Owners/corporations don't care as long as the $$$ keep rolling in ???

I’m sorry to hear that. Our state nsg assoc is very good about that stuff. I hope, though, that not everyone conflates corporate greed with the very real problem of negligence by genuinely bad caregivers (not the ones trapped with no alternatives in poor systems/staffing caused by the greedy corporate offices). 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
6 hours ago, Hannahbanana said:

I’m sorry to hear that. Our state nsg assoc is very good about that stuff. I hope, though, that not everyone conflates corporate greed with the very real problem of negligence by genuinely bad caregivers (not the ones trapped with no alternatives in poor systems/staffing caused by the greedy corporate offices). 

I agree, there are plenty of bad caregivers to go around. But I've seen state walk in, look at charting,  leave and state "nothing here", at the most horrific places with caregivers who are there for a long smoke break. It happened while I was working, I naively made the call. SNA just shrugged and said state said nothing here. Very disheartening 

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
16 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

I agree, there are plenty of bad caregivers to go around. But I've seen state walk in, look at charting,  leave and state "nothing here", at the most horrific places with caregivers who are there for a long smoke break. It happened while I was working, I naively made the call. SNA just shrugged and said state said nothing here. Very disheartening 

Now that I think of that in the 25 years I worked in a SNF state was there plenty of times following up on a complaint. Not a single cite ever rose from those unexpected visits, not a single one.  Though they would cite us for the silliest things like a small scrape on the wall by the baseboard or the refrigerator temp check being missed one or two days  during their regular surveys. 

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I learned real early on in my nursing career to never just pick up the phone when work was calling (unless it was a scheduled work day, of course).  Instead of answering (and being guilted or pressured into something I didn't want to do), I just wait until the voicemail comes through.  If it's something that I'm interested in (or don't mind doing), I will call them back... if it's something that makes my soul cringe, I just go about my day and pretend that they never called ?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
3 minutes ago, ladedah1 said:

I learned real early on in my nursing career to never just pick up the phone when work was calling (unless it was a scheduled work day, of course).  Instead of answering (and being guilted or pressured into something I didn't want to do), I just wait until the voicemail comes through.  If it's something that I'm interested in (or don't mind doing), I will call them back... if it's something that makes my soul cringe, I just go about my day and pretend that they never called ?

???! I know EXACTLY what you mean!!???

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Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

Ah, the joy that lifted so many nurses’ hearts when answering machines came in. I expect a lot of staffing coordinators wept. This was far more consequential than caller ID, believe me. 

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
39 minutes ago, Hannahbanana said:

Ah, the joy that lifted so many nurses’ hearts when answering machines came in. I expect a lot of staffing coordinators wept. This was far more consequential than caller ID, believe me. 

I remember my first answering machine.  They truly changed everything in our line of work. 

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On 10/30/2021 at 9:31 AM, hppygr8ful said:

Yes and no. I once told a SNF supervisor over the phone that I would be leaving in 1 hour, replacement or not and would alert the local media about the continued staff shortages. The supervisor showed up and I left. I still had my job the next day and the next and the next. 

Hppy

 

Yeah I planned on saying that next time I get stuck for a double (which usually turns into 18 hours). I was about to call the corporate, no one was answering, no manager on call , no DON, no Administrator. I stepped out to my car to calm down for a few, then I went back and pushed through the 2 shifts. Signed up with agency as PRN next day . The place I work at is a mess, very toxic coworkers and bosses. I dread looking for another full time job due to my benefits (mainly my health insurance) is through them. I get quoted astronomical monthly fees is I was to sign up on my own. But regardless, I think my time has come to leave that place. 

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Specializes in retired LTC.
21 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

I remember my first answering machine.  They truly changed everything in our line of work. 

I was truly floored when I got my first cell phone. I remember the first time I ordered a pizza on my drive home! That was phenomenal.

It also made things easy if I needed to call back my work unit. I'd call ASAP as I would NOT be going in

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
3 minutes ago, amoLucia said:

I was truly floored when I got my first cell phone. I remember the first time I ordered a pizza on my drive home! That was phenomenal.

It also made things easy if I needed to call back my work unit. I'd call ASAP as I would NOT be going in

My first mobile phone looked like this...

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Good God - that looks like a Geiger counter! :))

 

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
4 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

My first mobile phone looked like this...

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Had one just like it!!???

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