No call no show, and feeling terrible about it!

In this article I am just trying to explain my no call, no show, and what other people think about the situation. It has never happened before and I feel terrible. I am also asking whether or not anyone knows of any other careers I can pursue that has no relation to nursing. I feel like I may need a change from the whole thing. I enjoy nursing sometimes but most days I do not. I am not trying to think of an excuse for myself, I just need some guidance from multiple people at once.

No call no show, and feeling terrible about it!

As a background; I have been a CNA since 2012 and worked in both skilled nursing and hospital environment. When I worked in the hospital I was a float CNA, floating between a couple different hospitals and floors. I have just received my LPN in May of 2016 and currently in school full time to get my RN-ASN and of course onto my BSN.

I have recently started a new job as an LPN working in a skilled nursing facility. I am PRN and only work one day out of the week, usually an 8 hour day. I have been with the facility for 2 months. Anyway, I do go to school full time and keep pretty busy with that.

Today, I was scheduled to work day shift. I forgot I was scheduled to work this shift because I have just gotten off an orientation and I assumed I was supposed to pick my own days to work. I picked up yesterday. Apparently they had told me in an email they were going to schedule me for today to work. I must have missed it with everything else going on and got confused with all of the emails back and forth and with school to boot.

I ended up not going into work because I didn't know I was scheduled to work. They had called me that AM and asked why I didn't come in. I was confused when they called because I had already picked up my one day a week to work and had worked it. I told them I never picked up, thinking they were the ones who had made the scheduling mistake. Anyway, I went back to sleep and woke up to another emailing saying I was a no call, no show.

I agree that this has all been my fault. I feel so bad. Anyway, I ended up emailing my supervisor right away, called twice but no answer, and told her about the situation and my mix up. She stated it was an honest mistake and I would just need to check my schedule more thoroughly with this app they have.

I feel so bad about the whole situation. I feel like I look like a horrible employee. I have never no called no show to any job in my life.

My question is, has this ever happened to anyone else?? After all this time in nursing and working with swing shifts and dealing with staffing and scheduling and working understaffed and making a mistake like this..I just feel like I want to throw in the towel and find a different career outside of nursing. I am actually getting tired of this and don't know if this is what I want to do.

I do not know if I can do anything else with my RN. Even if it is just sitting in an office. I would like to be able to have a set schedule and not have to deal with a scheduling person or staffing ratios. I am unaware that this whole situation is my fault. I guess I'm just trying to look for support.

I tend to take things seriously and now I just look like a lazy lump. I guess I am also asking if you know of any other types of careers I could pursue with an ASN in nursing. It does not have to be health related! I have thought about careers in the insurance business, but that is all I really know of. I have questioned some people about it and what they think I should do.

I am not sure that I really enjoy nursing. I am not sure how my article turned into me not liking nursing and wanting a new career, but its true. If anyone has any advice or has ever been in the same or similar situation, please feel free to offer some support!

Thanks!

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omha

About omha

Been a CNA for 4 years and just got my LPN May, 2016. In school for my RN. Specialty: 2 year(s) of experience in Med Surg, PINS, ICU, Oncology

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Well I think emailing a shedule change isn't the best way to communicate. I think for anything schedule related a phone call or in person is always best. I go days without checking my work email, especially when I'm off. If my work emailed me a last minute schedule alteration, there's no way I would've known. My work always calls for schedule changes.

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Specializes in GENERAL.

What can I tell you.

The one thing that has always been historically considered a mortal sin is the No call, no show stunt.

The reason for this is that when you commit

NCNS everyone's first concern is that something horrible happened to you and you might be injured or dead.

But when the staff finds out you were just a flat out I don't give a damn NCNS that's when you really have to worry about being injured or dead.

Simple as that.

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It seems pretty extreme that you want to quite your entire goal of being a nurse with one no call, no show. Do you have anxiety issues? Otherwise are there other things that make you not want to do this?

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

But when the staff finds out you were just a flat out I don't give a damn NCNS that's when you really have to worry about being injured or dead.

Simple as that.

Your characterization of the OP is incorrect. He said he felt terrible about what happened.

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Stuff happens! What's in the past is in the past. You apologized to your supervisor who sounds like they understood and accepted your apology. I assume now you will be extra extra extra careful about checking your schedule with the app they mentioned. Not much else to do but to move forward and be the best employee you can be! Schedule mistakes can happen in any and every job, it's no reason to quit the field entirely, that would be silly. That would be like accidentally knocking over a garbage can with your car and giving up driving all together. Just learn from your mistake and move forward.

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Listen, things happen. Don't throw it all away because of something so small. Things happen and believe me, you'll make worse mistakes like med errors. We are human so we are imperfect. Take it as a lesson learned and move on. :yes:

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One time I woke up at four in the morning and realized I was supposed to go in at 11. No idea what happened to the alarm. Called the supervisor immediately and asked if she wanted me to come in to finish the shift. She said it was ok, it happens to many. I honestly don't think she would have cut me any slack if I had not been a good employee.

Your mistake is understandable. I would learn from it. Emails are worse than phone calls for getting lost in the ozone or missed. Devise a way to stay on top of things from here on out and relax. You can work past this.

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Your characterization of the OP is incorrect. He said he felt terrible about what happened.

I took the poster's comment as a generalization, not as a characterization of the OP.

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I'm not sure how this is an "article"? ...but in any case, no call/no shows occasionally happen for innocent reasons. I was a no call/no show my first day off orientation as a new nurse, but I managed to gain some credibility by also showing up on days when I was not scheduled.

I literally look at the date and my schedule every day now ...even if I know I'm not working, or even if I know that I am. I'm just not good at keeping those things straight in my head, for some reason.

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Specializes in ER.

Just check and double check from now on. I've made the opposite mistake a few times, showing up when I wasn't scheduled. Two sides of the same coin, which is not double checking your schedule. It's an occupation hazard of nursing , with its erratic schedules.

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A few of my coworkers have accidentally not shown for a shift.

I had accidentally left work after 8 hours, thinking I was only there for 8 but really scheduled for 12 (a communication error with my manager plus a comedy of errors with the house sup contributed to that one). I felt so bad after realizing the mistake but I have come to realize that I am not perfect and stuff happens.

Being prn is also tough because your schedule varies so much and you likely have other responsibilities. Don't beat yourself up to much. It will blow over.

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