Lied on at work....

[RN3121]

I have been working on a busy Orth-Med/Surg unit for about 5 months now. Though it doesn't have the most ideal working environment, I've been trying to remain positive and make it work. The other night when I was on call, I got a phone call about 8pm (shift starts at 7) from the night unit supervisor stating that they needed me to come in right then. It was very last minute and I live 45 minutes away, so I told her I would be there as soon as I could, but would definitely be there before 11. I got there around 10:30 and it was a complete mad house. Three nurses had called in that night, leaving us with 3 nurses, no tech, and 15 patients. The night supervisor told me that the dayshift unit supervisor had tried calling me earlier that afternoon for me to come in but couldn't get a hold of me. She also said that the dayshift staffing supervisor stated that he had talked to me earlier and I had told him that I couldn't come in. Neither one of these things were true. I was at home all day that day and my cell phone was on and not one person called me from my job. I know they have the correct contact info, because they called me not to long ago to call me off work due to low census. I later found out that had the night supervisor not called me in that night, I would have been written up and possibly fired for being a no call, no show. When the night supervisor told our manager about it the next morning, she basically shrugged it off and said "oh well, you know they're trying to cut out overtime due to budget cuts and haven't you worked short staffed before?" She said nothing about the fact that these 2 supervisors lied on me and could have cost me my job.

To be honest, though I'm upset, I can't really say I'm suprised. There is so much backstabbing and drama that goes on between my coworkers (I try my best to stay out of it) that you really don't know who to trust. I go to worked completely stressed out now and things aren't getting any better. I know the job market is tight right now, but I really don't know how much more of this environment I can take. I've never had any problems on a job before and I've never been one to job hop, but I'm seriously considering leaving this job..... sooner rather than later.

Thanks for reading my vent

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

But they did get ahold of her at 8pm...

Ah, I missed that part...my bad This is what happens when I come on AN while exhausted.

[caliotter3]

I am essentially "on call" for my second employer. I don't get a shift until they call, so when I am at my other job, I bring along my charting supplies for my second job, so I don't have to go all the way back home if I do get offered a shift that starts after I finish my first shift.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'm just surprised that when you're on call, and they call you at 8, you can say "I'll be there by 11" and then show up at 10:30. Where I work now, we have a rule that you must be within 60 minutes of work when you're on call, and where I used to work, it was 30 minutes.

ETA: I see this has been addressed by others. Still very surprised that that's acceptable to roll into work 2 1/2 hours after being called in.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

She also said that the dayshift staffing supervisor stated that he had talked to me earlier and I had told him that I couldn't come in.

This part discredits the "wrong number" theory.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

This type of thing happens all the time at work. Supervisors have a lot to keep up with and unless you have ever done staffing you cannot imagine what a nightmare it is. Write a quick note to your manager just telling him / her that you were called only once and the action that you took. Period. If something comes up, you can always get your cell phone records to prove that you were called only once. I don't think that people always "lie" with intent. They may have actually thought they did call you. The only time you have to answer and keep up with calls is when you are officially on "ON CALL" status and your facility should have a policy regarding "ON CALL" and how quickly you are expected to respond and how you will be paid. Otherwise, you have no obligation.