I never want overtime period

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I work full time nights in a LTC facility. I want to be left alone so I can sleep. My sleep gets disturbed almost everyday because my Mom has alzheimer's disease and always wakes me up for any phone call. It seems that almost everyday there is a "staffing emergency" on evening shift. They have about 15 nurses who are part time/ perdiem in addition to the full-time staff. What's the best way to tell them to "Leave me the hell alone." :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

Change your phone number at work to a cell number and leave it off when you sleep. Tell them you've done away with your LAN line altogether and are wireless only. Either that or change your LAN line number and don't give them the new one. Give them the cell number only. Not sure if that would complicate things with Mom's alzheimer's, but it's just a thought.

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Believe me, I tried to tell them off too! I was very clear that I was not to be called after 9 pm, since I worked day shift. Nonetheless, I did receive calls at 2 am by staffing several times.Yes, I was sound alseep at home at 2 am!Staffing waits until the last possible moment to see if I could come in early at 4 am (when I was scheduled to work a dayshift that day). :angryfire No, I did not go in! The frequent and irregular calls from staffing resulted in the purchase of caller ID in our home (so I can at least screen if I am awake). I also started unplugging the phone when I went to sleep at night. The downside, of course, is that you can't get phone calls. Love the cell phone idea! Wish I had thought of that.

Kona

I work full time nights in a LTC facility. I want to be left alone so I can sleep. My sleep gets disturbed almost everyday because my Mom has alzheimer's disease and always wakes me up for any phone call. It seems that almost everyday there is a "staffing emergency" on evening shift. They have about 15 nurses who are part time/ perdiem in addition to the full-time staff. What's the best way to tell them to "Leave me the hell alone." :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire
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Change your phone number at work to a cell number and leave it off when you sleep. Tell them you've done away with your LAN line altogether and are wireless only. Either that or change your LAN line number and don't give them the new one. Give them the cell number only. Not sure if that would complicate things with Mom's alzheimer's, but it's just a thought.

This is exactly what I did about a year ago. Works great. Work doesn't even have my LAN number. I do turn off the cell phone when I sleep, and since it has caller ID, I don't answer it when I'm awake if it's work calling.

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Cell phones are definitely the way to go. That is the ONLY number I gave my work. I just turn the volume off while sleeping, and when i'm awake, I just check caller ID. I don't get what the overall problem is though. Why are these people (my job included) waiting till the night of to get people to come in and do OT? Don't they know when they do the schedule that only 15rn's are slated for that day? Why not ask us a few days in advance?!!?

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Cell phones are definitely the way to go. That is the ONLY number I gave my work. I just turn the volume off while sleeping, and when i'm awake, I just check caller ID. I don't get what the overall problem is though. Why are these people (my job included) waiting till the night of to get people to come in and do OT? Don't they know when they do the schedule that only 15rn's are slated for that day? Why not ask us a few days in advance?!!?
Because they are always operating in "crisis mode". Just take care of the next 12 hours. Move people off of the day after tomorrow, in order to get them to work tonight. "We'll think about that tomorrow." No long-range thinking, just short-term "solutions". Which is also why they don't pay any attention to retention, only recruitment.
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Because they are always operating in "crisis mode". Just take care of the next 12 hours. Move people off of the day after tomorrow, in order to get them to work tonight. "We'll think about that tomorrow." No long-range thinking, just short-term "solutions". Which is also why they don't pay any attention to retention, only recruitment.

Ah the old Scarlet Syndrome. I"ll think about that tomorrow.

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Specializes in insanity control.

I turn the ringer off on my phone and use an answering machine with the message that if you are calling befor 5:45 PM that I will not be answereing the phone. Leave a message and I will get back to you when Iget up and not before then. Most people I work with know this and will just leave a message. If the don't hear from me by 6 pm then they know I aint coming in. works well for me.

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I posted a list in my staff's lounge of "holes" that existed in the next schedule (when I put the schedule out) and asked the nurses to sign up for time if they could pick up. Seems to be working because several of them have signed up for extra hours. Maybe you could suggest this to your staffing people. We still end up making calls for spots where no one signed up, and to cover call-offs, but it reduces them. And at least staff know ahead of time that they're working extra, so they can arrange child care etc. I also start on Monday working to cover holes in the next week's schedule. Waiting until the last minute gets you alot of "no's" and puts everyone in a panic.

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Specializes in ER.

I have worked with staff who put a notation "Do not call on days off, ever"....or "will never work extra, so not call"....and mean it by their phone numbers in the staffing office and on the roster in the department. Answering machines or automated voice mails work well too. We recently got a second phone line for our computer and use the computer on our "old" line, and gave out our new number to a select few people. Work ONLY has my cell phone number.

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My office is near the staffing office -- can't believe the phone calls I hear! (Of course I only hear what these gals say -- both while on the phone -- in their nice voices and then after they hang up -- in their catty voices) When I have suggested that maybe robbing Peter to pay Paul may backfire and cause shortages for the next shift/day etc, they tell me that isn't their problem.

I work when I am scheduled -- call off in EXTREMELY rare situations and even then give as much notice as possible. It is inconsiderate to do otherwise. It does put the staffing gals in an obnoxious situation when they get last minute calls -- and I am so glad I am spared having to make those calls -- but there has to be a better way.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I worked nights for a long time. I turned off my home phone when I slept and my kids knew to call my cell phone. That worked for me.

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