I've had it.

Published

I am ready to crack. I accepted a position that was to be three 10 hour shifts. I was told that overtime was not allowed. I have an hour commute each way. My first day off orientation I was scheduled for a 14 hour shift. I have been working two 14 hour shifts and one 12 hour shift per week for months. I have NEVER once worked a 10 hour shift, and they do not exist in my facility. They have expanded the clinic and the shifts have been getting longer and longer and I am now working 16 hour shifts three days a week, sometimes back to back. That leaves me LESS than 4 hours to sleep and come back the next day with my commute. I have asked for relief over and over for months and they keep saying they are working on it. I scheduled a meeting with the regional manager to let her know I cannot keep doing this. I was scolded told that I am not a team player. Where the heck is the rest of this TEAM she speaks of? I need a new job. She is right, I am NOT A TEAM PLAYER. And when I end up dead in a ditch because I am too tired to drive, or I kill a patient because I am too tired to do meds properly, which member of the team will step up then? I don't want to play for this team anymore.

Specializes in ICU.

When you have your meeting, i would say exactly that. I would ask them which teammate or coach is going to have your back when you make an error due to sleep deprivation. Ask which member is going ot pay for your medical bills when you are injured from falling asleep at the wheel.

I am sure they will have no rebuttal to that. or a very poor one at least and it will make them think. Hopefully.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would do what Esme12 posted and check your labor laws or even the hospitals policy itself.

Our hospital states that a person MUST have every other weekend off unless of course you personally want to work on the weekend or are on a weekends only schedule. You also must have 8 hours between shifts should you work back to back and if you work a double you have off the next day unless again you choose not to be.

A nurse manager on another floor was treating her employees like the way you are being treated. Especially the new grads who were eager and happy to have a job. Finally a few stepped up and went over her head with what was going on and she was fired within a week. Every employee then got a memo with the exact work guidelines written on it so there was no excuse for anyone to be working insane hour and you couldn't plead ignorance either.

Now if we could do the same for staffing enough people.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This meeting ALREADY happened and all these things were brought up. I was told I need to be more of a team player until they can figure out a solution. It has been 8 months and they do nothing to fix the lack of staffing. They have no positions advertised. They have had enough time to show me they are not trying to find a solution.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Well put, I feel you have a very valid argument here. Who will take responsibility when you eventually make an error? I don't care how long a person has been a nurse, sleep deprivation will put you in those shoes. I'm not saying to drop it this second, but start looking elsewhere. .

Not this facility, that's for sure. If something happened because of her schedule, they'd probably just punt her out the door and hire someone new...which given this job market they know they'd have no problem filling the spot :/

Sorry the job has gotten crappy, OP. I agree with the others--start looking elsewhere ASAP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

That is so dangerous. You need to tell them to decrease you to 2 shifts a week then and be prepared to submit your resignation if they will not do it.

Ideally you would find something else 1st or have saved up all that OT.

Is this dialysis?

Really sucks that they put you in this position.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac.

I started working as a nurse a little over 10 years ago when my hospital was always critically short staffed. Every night they asked us to stay over and many times had mandatory overtime. I was in my thirty's and was used to standing up for myself.

One night, they asked me to "volunteer for mandatory overtime". I said that "volunteer" and "mandatory" can't be used in the same sentence. I would not "volunteer" and asked if I would be required to work 'mandatory" overtime as I was tired and would like to go home. If you mention to management that you are tired, any errors that you make can be attributed to the fact that the knowingly required you to work beyond your ability. They decided that I could go home. The senior staff were ****** initially, until they figured out that our union contract required that any time a nurse was forced to work mandatory overtime, they couldn't asked that particular nurse again until ALL staff had been required to work mandatory overtime. Then senior staff loved it.

You should be filling out incident reports and unsafe staffing reports for each time you are forced to work beyond your ability. Calmly go up the change of command.

Good luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac.

another word for where the astericks are would be "angry"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Is this dialysis?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is this dialysis?

Yep. How'd ya guess?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

You should be filling out incident reports and unsafe staffing reports for each time you are forced to work beyond your ability. Calmly go up the change of command.

Good luck

This is GREAT advice. I don't know if there is a Risk Management department in your facility (I would think that there would have to be), but every incident report that you file goes straight to their office. They MUST take action. You should also be writing an email to your boss every time they ask you to work these ridiculous hours. For example, after your meeting (which I understand has already occurred), write a brief synopsis of your understanding of what was said:

Good afternoon NM,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. In review of our meeting, I requested that you schedule me for 10 hour shifts. You informed me that as of now, we are short staffed and I must work extra hours until you are able to hire more staff. I expressed concern regarding the 14-16 hour shifts that I have currently been working, most of these shifts being back-to-back. I remain concerned about these long hours, but will continue to be the team player that you asked me to be while staffing is augmented.

Respectfully,

You

This way, you are documenting what was said. You also have a written record of these meetings should RM call you to investigate further. Make sure that you include a 'read receipt' so that you have proof that you NM read the email.

It just stinks that this facility is guilting you into working yourself silly. Documentation is your friend!

I hope it gets better. :redbeathe

For now,

((((HUGS))))

Canes

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
Yep. How'd ya guess?

My last job was in outpatient dialysis and I quit on the last day of orientation.

Had a real bad vibe about that place. (and I'm still out of work since)

Hope things turn around for you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My last job was in outpatient dialysis and I quit on the last day of orientation.

Had a real bad vibe about that place. (and I'm still out of work since)

Hope things turn around for you.

Thank you! And for you as well! I can't quit til I find something else, so I feel trapped!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion