Need some advice - am I that unreasonable?

[ACNPmomof2]

I have hesitated to post this at all for fear of retaliation in a small town.

I work in rural America, I have my BSN, CCRN, CEN. I work in a cardiac cath lab and have taken up to 24 days a month of on call time.

Our staff consists of me (now cut back to part time since I am doing full time clinicals), one full time nurse, and one nurse that is split between ICU and cath lab. We have one CV tech who scrubs.

1 1/2 years ago I started back to school for my NP. I advised administration what I was doing and was told I had their full support "Whatever I needed"....

The lab is not yet staffed 24/7 but we are pushing towards it. The current A3 plan they have for 26 days of call/month included the addition of 4 staff members. We are no where near that.

We are being told to suck it up and do it. Our clinical coordinator/boss does not take call and has no plans to do it. Our CNO went to the rest of the cath lab staff and told them all that I refuse to take call because I am at ball games. Every weekend we have been on call - I am on. I take call 2 nights a week and every other weekend (and this is the part time schedule). She has been stirring the pot and talking badly about other team members behind everyone's backs.

I drive 50 miles one way to do clinicals yet still manage to take call and work and raise 2 teenagers. I am being told I am not a team player. I have never called in sick the entire 4 years I have worked there. I have worked other places, and have not seen such a toxic culture. I hate to leave as I really love the interventional cardiologist I work with, he is amazing and is counting on me to be his NP when I am done, but I just cannot stomach this anymore. Everyone else feels the same way, yet we are told we are a bunch of entitled nurses because we don't want to take call 24 days out of 30 with a 20 minute response time to the hospital.

There are other instances I don't want to mention as I could be readily identified in this post. But I have constantly put my life on hold and set my family life aside ~ putting my blood, sweat, and tears into this program we have built over the last 4 years. There is nothing more gratifying than opening arteries of patients experiencing heart attacks, especially when the nearest urban center was 50 miles away. But I fear that in itself is losing luster over my sanity and my desire to spend time with my family.

Am I whiny and just burned out? Thanks in advance for honest feedback.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

That call policy is completely crazy. Good luck in the future. And absolutely keep in touch with the doc. You never know when you'll need a good reference.

[ACNPmomof2, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Thank you so much everyone. It is so hard to leave because I have fought so hard for this program, but I am totally spent and just feel it's not worth my sanity anymore.

[canigraduate]

Dude (ette).

You need to jet.

That's ridiculous. I agree with everybody else. Let your doc know what's up, go to HR and tell them the shenanigans that are going on, and get the heck outta Dodge. Let your coworkers know what the manager is saying about them so they can go to HR, too. That behavior is purely unprofessional and straight up stupid.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Work your on call requirement. Think RATIONALLY.

Leave the emotional " blood, sweat, and tears " part out.

[nurseswholovenursing]

Sounds so awful! Just time to move on, take your talents elsewhere. And fortunately, there are other great Docs out there to work with, and learn from. Just an FYI, it always seems to me that HR usually backs the mucky mucks. They are supposed to be for the employees, but seems like the only butts they cover belong to those who rule. But if you do lodge a complaint, at least it will be documented by them because they can't refuse you. Good luck to you. Hang in there, "and this to shall pass"!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Dang, and I thought I took a lot of call at 100 hours or so per pay period. I'd be running from that place. 24 days a month is unreasonable for full time, let alone part time. Bad management, unrealistic expectations- not some place that's going to retain good employees.

[MunoRN, RN]

If you really feel like your only option is to quit, I'd first try utilizing the chain of command and be sure to include risk management. One thing that will make a risk managers ears perk up is when you say you feel like you are having to work in a "hostile work environment".

[ACNPmomof2, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Thank you so much for all the good advice. Trying not to be emotional about it, but I have grown close to my coworkers and it is really like a family. Glad I am not the unreasonable one -it's hard to see the forest for the trees when you are smack dab in the middle of it. I just need to finish my NP quickly!!!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

If you put up with this as an RN, what will you be willing to put up with as an NP?

Simply put - this ain't worth it! Unless there is a large interventional cardiology practice, your call obligations aren't likely to change. I too work in rural America. However, I work for a LARGE practice and we rotate EVERYTHING! So...its not too heavy for anyone.

So...unless this interventional cardiologist is part of a large group practice, your call will still be astronomical - I'd be looking to the future and lining up something different.

[MedicFireRN]

If you put up with this as an RN, what will you be willing to put up with as an NP?

Simply put - this ain't worth it! Unless there is a large interventional cardiology practice, your call obligations aren't likely to change. I too work in rural America. However, I work for a LARGE practice and we rotate EVERYTHING! So...its not too heavy for anyone.

So...unless this interventional cardiologist is part of a large group practice, your call will still be astronomical - I'd be looking to the future and lining up something different.

Yeah, part of me was wondering about this- You're close with this Cardiologist- do you think some of that is because he sees that you're always there working with him, and he is thinking that maybe he'll have less work to do if you work for him because he can pass a lot of it off to you? I mean, just look at how hard you work and how often you're there.... just some more food for thought. I also doubt it will get better once you're an NP in terms of call commitment.

[ACNPmomof2, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Yeah, part of me was wondering about this- You're close with this Cardiologist- do you think some of that is because he sees that you're always there working with him, and he is thinking that maybe he'll have less work to do if you work for him because he can pass a lot of it off to you? I mean, just look at how hard you work and how often you're there.... just some more food for thought. I also doubt it will get better once you're an NP in terms of call commitment.

You both have good points here (traumaRUs & MedicFireRN). I have helped start this program, so it's sort of my baby too, and I'm invested in it. He wants me to help develop another program once I am done with NP school. Our call commitment is due to lack of admin wanting to spend money on hiring more nurses. I am not going to take call for the lab once I am done, but may for cardiology patients in the hospital. One of the reasons I was doing NP was so I could have regular hours and no real call to speak of (at least not with a 20 minute response time). The place I have been doing clinicals at has offered me a full time job working side by side with intensivists in the ICU once I am done. It is looking better and better, despite the fact that it is a 45 mile commute. Thanks for your thoughts, and good points!

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Wow.. That call requirement is pure crazy! I cannot imagine. How are you supposed to have any sort of life away from work? I hope you can find somewhere else that is willing to work around your school schedule.

Good luck.