Just Dont want to be walked all over!!

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 11, 2007

I need a little more information to form an opinion. You say you are scheduled for 5 nights next month. How many days are you working total? Does that 5 shifts represent most of your schedule or only a small portion?

You wrote, "...which to me meant maybe 2 nights a month." It sounds like maybe you made assumptions without confirming what that meant to your employer. You also didn't mention what their policy for working holidays is. What did they tell you about your holiday committment when you interviewed.

In other words ... it sounds like you accepted the job without fully understanding what your employer expected of you regarding scheduling. You probably need to clarify that now and decide whether or not this is really the job you want. You can do that by discussing it directly with your manager in a polite way that doesn't sound like complaining. (Ask her to clarify the expectations and say that you may have misunderstood them at the interview.) If possible, you might want to get some input/advice from a senior staff nurse who can mentor you a little. Is there a preceptor or mentor that you could unofficially ask who could clue you in on what is normal for that unit?

Mulan · Jun 11, 2007

I was hired once for a day/evening rotation. Guess what that turned out to be? Three months of evenings, a token day shift weekend, and then the same thing all over again, and again, and again. This was as a civilian working in a military hospital, they did what they wanted. Actually, most hospitals do what they want.

If you are working two of the summer holidays, you should be off on the third, labor day.

Most full time employees work most of the holidays.

I think they pretty much do what they want with the schedule.

I would not work any extra.

Good luck.

dmn1012 · Jun 11, 2007

Hey llg,

thanks for responding, I was told one or two nights , 5 nights of the 10 days I will be working. I guess that was what I was trying to avoid, "complaining", yes I need to clarify (thanks). The other problem is I dont think there is a norm for this unit. (When other people I know ask what unit I am on, they roll their eyes at my response. Well I guess I am learning a lot after accepting my first nursing job. I almost feel as though they told me what I wanted t hear just so I took the job! Thanks again, and I will clarify..

LUVtxNursing · Jun 11, 2007

Well I guess I am learning a lot after accepting my first nursing job. I almost feel as though they told me what I wanted t hear just so I took the job!

Yep, same thing happened to me, I was told I would have 5 patients most of the time, and 6 occasionally. Well, it's more like 6 ALL of the time, and 7 -8 quite often!! I was also told I would have only 1 -2 high acuity patients, HAH!!! One day I had 7 patients, 3 were total care/very high acuity, and 2 were confused/combative, the other 2 had pain meds Q2H!!! :uhoh3: I too have learned alot from my first nursing job, so you're not alone, and if I were you, I would politely remind your Supervisor that you agreed to 1 -2 nights...not 5 and ask if maybe there was a change that you were not aware of. Good luck to you!

dmn1012 · Jun 11, 2007

Hi LUVtxNSG, not bad my second day off of orientation I was on nights 12 patients, and then when I gave report in the AM got blasted for not having a new IV bag on a pt! I dont know every place has their horror stories one worse than the next, I am dissappointed this is something I always wanted to do and I am very frustrated...