So I'm a relatively new nurse, been at my facility for a little over 2 years. Not too sure of myself still and not too keen on managing people. The charge nurse role rotates among the nurses on a nightly basis, and I've been CN about 3-4 times a month in the last 6 months. There's no difference in patient load or pay, but the CN is responsible for assigning admissions and is the go-to person for problems that night.
There's one nursing assistant that has asked me if she can leave early, about 15 minutes, at least four times in the last 2 months. The first two times I said ok, as long as your work is done and your fellow nursing assistants are willing to cover you. The third time another nursing assistant complained to me that it's not fair that she "constantly" gets to leave early. So the last time she asked I said yes just because it was busy and I didn't want to deal with it but I found out the reason why is that she wants to catch an earlier bus home. I thought about it later and wrote an email to her stating I will not be letting her leave early as her shift ends at midnight and if she needs to be home at a certain time she will have to find alternative transportation. Once in a while is fine but not on a regular basis.
She approached me after that and said she only asks to leave early once every 3 months and no one says anything when she doesn't have time to take a break or cuts her break short because the other nursing assts are late to work. If she takes the next bus, she has to wait 40 minutes. I don't know what to do. I don't know how often she's asking the other CNs to leave early; she says "everyone else" lets her leave early.
Is this something that should be brought up with my manager? Just this past month during evaluations my manager told me as a nurse I need to supervise the NAs, no matter that they're older than me, been there longer than me, etc. What's the next step if I want to be be diplomatic but keep good relationships? If one NA is already complaining about her leaving early, I don't want it reach my manager's ears and then be held accountable as to why I let it happen. Thoughts?
Can you not understand why her coworkers are disgruntled about this? As a CN you cannot arbitrarily grant exceptions (ie: leaving early) to one and not expect others to have some sort of negative reaction to this. You've put yourself and others that rotate into the CN role into a bad position. If they refuse the request are they now the bad guys in this employee's mind and how would/could that affect the care their patients receive from this NA? The role of the CN is one of increased responsibility and accountability without the autonomy.
I think it's great that you understand why this person makes the request, however this is something SHE should discuss with the unit manager. That is the one she needs to discuss and possibly come up with a solution/compromise with. Nothing wrong with providing suggestions to another employee on how to handle a situation like this instead of usurping authority that you don't have.
Missed breaks and lunches have no bearing on this, it's a whole different issue. Any employee is entitled to compensation for this. Actually I can count on one hand the number of times an NA missed a break or lunch in all the years I've worked with them. Not saying it doesn't happen elsewhere, it's just rare in my personal experience. Consider this, when do nurses get to leave early if they miss a break or lunch? We don't.
I'm thinking it all depends. At the end of the shift, are they just about done? Do they get mandated if the next shift doesn't show? For the most part, the CNAs work together as a team and would have no problem with someone else leaving a few min early to catch a bus. They are just watching the clock anyways. BUT, if mandation is an issue and she is trying to skirt it....well that is another issue.
We have difficulty keeping good CNAs and if this would keep a good CNA around, I would let her go early.
I would also bring this up to higher management and see if she could come in early to make it up, but then again...she is punching out so she isn't getting paid for the 15 minutes.
I agree with the above posters about adjusting her time, maybe letting her come in 15 minutes early or letting her work thru a 15 min break to leave early. If she has no other transportation other than the bus and she has to wait 40 min for the next bus. Where is she gonna go for those 40 minutes while she waits? I say this because I am concerned for her safety at a bus stop at night. We had a nurse get mugged in the parking lot of one of the local hosp when she was walking out to her car. after a night shift.
That would be the only thing that worry me..making sure she gets home safe so that she can be at work on her next scheduled shift.
I would also suggest it to your NM to see what type of accomidations can be made for her? If her hours can't be changed would someone be willing to give her a ride home after work? That would be another alternative to riding the bus at night.
I think this is a difficult situation and I can see 2 sides, it is so awful having to rely on the public transport to get home and if it makes a difference of 40 mins you can understand her wanting to leave early the working day is so long as it is.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
There are two rapists in my area that prey on women standing at lone bus stops. Neither has been caught, yet. And, I suspect, due to the hours, that many of these women are nurses, CNAs, and other service professions where the work demands are 24 hours a day, weekends, etc...
Cab drivers are a shifty bunch. I now take cabs twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) rather than more often like I used to, when I work late clinic to avoid chances of being a victim to a crime. There are cabbies waiting in front of the hospital and while I have regular drivers who recognize me, there are the few that don't and really try to bump up their prices, especially in bad weather. One, in particular rubbed me the wrong way Tuesday evening. I get in, tell him my destination and when I get to my doorstep, I take out my traditional $12 to pay, and he tells me "Yesterday, you paid me $13". I had lost my mind and became VERY arguementative with this moron because he was playing with my intelligence. I only take cabs the days I mentioned, and this was Tuesday. Monday, I took the freaking bus! I told him that because I thinks I am stupid and this was for the difference of a dollar, I certainly will not pay and did not. Got out of the car, went home and that was it. But...imagine arguing with a total stranger during late hours when no one else may be around to hear what is going on? Some cab drivers are as bad as the demons we try to escape in the dark.
I do believe that more investigation should take place regarding this CNA. Is she reliable? Does she play staff against each other in order to get her way...other things that can help make or break her defense of the schedule accomodation. Also, however, I believe that we do have to at least try to take into consideration the situation of our co-workers. Just the other week, here in New York, what will be happening is the raising of car fare (no suprize), but are also reducing the service of mass transportation behind this economic crisis. This will mean even less bus and train service during off hours. We already have severely reduced hours in certain neighborhoods as it is...as few as one bus an hour...heaven forbid if you have to transfer to a second bus! At night, the busdrivers are speeding so quickly that even when they see the transfer bus coming, they do not wait! So, what could have taken an hour to get home can lead to three! By then, you are off the clock, and vulnerable to the elements as well as the human vermin waiting to prey.
DusktilDawn
1,119 Posts
Can you not understand why her coworkers are disgruntled about this? As a CN you cannot arbitrarily grant exceptions (ie: leaving early) to one and not expect others to have some sort of negative reaction to this. You've put yourself and others that rotate into the CN role into a bad position. If they refuse the request are they now the bad guys in this employee's mind and how would/could that affect the care their patients receive from this NA? The role of the CN is one of increased responsibility and accountability without the autonomy.
I think it's great that you understand why this person makes the request, however this is something SHE should discuss with the unit manager. That is the one she needs to discuss and possibly come up with a solution/compromise with. Nothing wrong with providing suggestions to another employee on how to handle a situation like this instead of usurping authority that you don't have.
Missed breaks and lunches have no bearing on this, it's a whole different issue. Any employee is entitled to compensation for this. Actually I can count on one hand the number of times an NA missed a break or lunch in all the years I've worked with them. Not saying it doesn't happen elsewhere, it's just rare in my personal experience. Consider this, when do nurses get to leave early if they miss a break or lunch? We don't.