I work all week doing home health and as a favor to this nursing home I work every other weekend 7am-3pm.
Well, I was tired after running nonstop all week and thought I would at least get 7 or 8 hours sleep. I was sleeping peacefully and having a pleasant dream when the phone started ringing in my dream...then I realized the phone was ringing in real life. The answering machine came on and this dopey guy said, "hello, this is Bob from (blank) nursing center...I have the building to myself and need you to come in early to help." Then I have one of those annoying answering machines that beeps until you come and take the message...so forget about getting back to sleep.
The clock said 4:30am! Maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal but it threw my whole day off and I was exhausted all day.
This is the same guy who called a family's house and left a message on their answering machine that their mother died.
I know if you need help you need help (there are supposed to be two night nurses and one was a no call no show) but has anyone else who worked a day shift ever get called at some ungodly hour to come in early and it just made them want to kill the people who called?
Whats the fuss? What about day shift staffing that call night shift nurses during the day? THey could be sleeping, but that doesn't stop anyone, does it?
I am a dayshift nurse.
If I was called at 430 am, so be it. when would you like him to call? NOw, if he knew he needed someone at 8pm, but chose not to call you until 430am, thats one thing. but if he didn't know/didn't have a chance to call til 430, then thats how it is. he has to try to find staff, right?
turn the ringer off if you don't want to be called.
I shouldn't have to turn my phone off at night. I mistakenly expected a certain degree of intelligence/common sense/common courtesy from others, as I would have for them.
I have worked day and night shift.
This is beside the point, but he knew what he was up against at 11 o'clock the previous night. But to a flippant person this wouldn't matter.
Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
I'm feeling your pain, motorcycle mama!! Is it just me or is it common friggin' sense not to call someone before 0500??? Not to mention courtesy. We wait until 0500...that's the latest usually for call- ins, before calling people for needs.
Here is another perfect reason, why I refuse to buy an answering machine! I can ignore the caller id and tell the people I didn't know they called, but when you have an answering machine, it's like you feel responsible to call them back.
I worked nights for many years and my absolutely most favorite call was the one that came at 11 am after I had worked my 12.5 hour shift (usually w/o a break) from my manager and she would start out all chirpy: "you weren't sleeping were you?" Finally after several of these calls I finally reached the boiling point and told her "No, I'm the bionic nurse, I work all night and then stay up all day too. How would you like to be called at 2 am???" She never called me again!
Ditto.
Invariable you are also to be at work that night and they are calling to see if you can come in at 1500PM instead of 1900PM.
(Let me guess, it is the same NM that schedules mandatory meetings at 1100AM, or 1330PM - I've worked for her, too)
It is sad that you would have to turn off your ringer or unplug your phone to get a decent night's sleep, especially if you need to have it on in case there is a family emergency and you need to be notified. Do you have a cell phone? If you do, then you might want to give that number to your work. Turn it off when you want to get a decent night's sleep. That way, you won't have to deal with them calling that answering machine. Then, make sure you scratch out that home number that they have written down in their employee phone list.
Hopefully, your cell phone has caller id, so that even during normal hours, you don't have to answer it if you don't feel like dealing with having to say no to coming in.
Don't you have a superviser? Seems like the superviser should be coming in early to help with the staffing issues.
For some reasons, some staff has NO common sense about sleeping hours!! I work night shift and if someone calls in before 2300, believe me, I am on that phone (won't call later than 2200 though)! If someone calls in later than that, we will start calling at 0500 - NO EARLIER!! Day shift needs to see our clock the same as theirs!! 1500 is 0300 for us!! Or how about it is your 2nd day off in a row, back to semi-rest-of-the-world-sleeping schedule and they call you at 1800 to come in for a 12* night shift! CRAZY!!!! Common sense and courtesy just seems to escape some floor staff!!
I won't try to get daystaff (or call off or put on call) until 0500. Of course, during the day they have no problems calling me at any hour. But their lack of courtesy is no reason for me to be the same way. (Although I've made threats!!
Here is another perfect reason, why I refuse to buy an answering machine! I can ignore the caller id and tell the people I didn't know they called, but when you have an answering machine, it's like you feel responsible to call them back.
Why should their poor ability to staff properly suddenly become your problem? At my hospital (and I thought all hospitals) they figure out schedules and patient acuties at LEAST 12 hours ahead of time. They shouldn't make you suffer because of their own incompetencies. Good thing you didn't go in.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
You know, when I was a staff nurse, the facility had me from the time I clocked in until I clocked out and had their way with me. When I'm at home it's the other way around. Then, we play by my rules. For years, I've had a signal with my family that if they call me and don't get an answer they are to call back, let the phone ring twice, hang up and call again and I will answer if I am home. Otherwise, I don't answer the phone when it rings if I don't feel like it.
To the poster that asked "whats the big deal with being woke up?
Last time I checked, I pay the phone bill and I should not have to turn the ringer off to avoid work calls. I have two children that do not live with me so when the phone rings in the middle of the night, yeah I answer it.
I do have caller ID but the super usually calls from some cell phone that I don't recognize.
I also have elderly parents that have at times needed me in the middle of the night, so turning my phone off is NOT an option.
If I want to work over-time they will be the first to know, if they don't hear from me, don't call me, especially in the middle of the night because I promise you I will say No!!
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When I'm at home it's the other way around. Then, we play by my rules. For years, I've had a signal with my family that if they call me and don't get an answer they are to call back, let the phone ring twice, hang up and call again and I will answer if I am home. Otherwise, I don't answer the phone when it rings if I don't feel like it.
Jo Dirt
3,270 Posts
I shouldn't have to turn my phone off at night. I mistakenly expected a certain degree of intelligence/common sense/common courtesy from others, as I would have for them.
I have worked day and night shift.
This is beside the point, but he knew what he was up against at 11 o'clock the previous night. But to a flippant person this wouldn't matter.