For those of you who are in a managerial or supervisory role at work, do you answer work phone calls on your days off, even when you are not on call?
In my role, I work Monday through Friday anywhere from 8-20 hours a day (usually ends up being 16-20). I am not designated as the weekend nurse manager or supervisor.
Yet today, my phone was blown up with calls and text messages from nursing staff wanting assistance with call-ins, how to deal with a fall, and how to handle a verbally abusive patient.
I slept in late this morning, so missed any opportunity to 'assist' with any call-ins. I simply ignored that text message since it was already too late in the day to do anything about.
Later, I got a text message from a nurse wanting to know the steps to take after a fall. Although this nurse has worked at the facility for awhile, they had a question as to who should be contacted. I had no problem answering this question.
After this, I was hoping that any contact from work would end for the day but instead at dinner time, I was called because a patient was being verbally abusive to the point that some of the nursing assistants were too upset to work with her. I really wanted nothing to do with this drama, as it is nothing new, it was my day off to be free from this nonsense, and I am technically not the manager overseeing the care of this abusive individual. Yet, I felt guilty by not responding, so I ended up calling back and spoke with the concerned nurse about possible solutions. I also did recommend calling my colleague/co-manager to see if she had any suggestions since she knows this patient better.
The thing is, all of this communication from work stressed me out on a day that I was supposed to have to myself and work on other things, or just relax for once. I was also not hired to work on weekends or to be on call. My pay/salary does not include compensation for on-call duties since it was not in my original job description. Yet, it seems as if the facility/staff members expects that I am available at any time, any day of the week even though I am not the DON and therefore, not responsible for the facility 24/7.
I really don't mind answering questions or helping out every once in a while, but my work weeks are already long enough without having to be pestered on my days off as well.
I'd actually thought about blocking the number to work on my phone temporarily over the weekends and then unblocking it starting Monday morning if only to obtain some peace and quiet, but wondering if that is too extreme.
I'd actually thought about blocking the number to work on my phone temporarily over the weekends and then unblocking it starting Monday morning if only to obtain some peace and quiet, but wondering if that is too extreme.
Not realistic. They'll just start calling/texting from their cells. Do a "do not disturb", then you specifically select who can reach you
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
To be honest and blunt. You have some issue with believing you are a more superior nurse than the others. Is it an ego or self-confidence issue with you? Do you NEED to feel needed. You have stated that you check over others work even when it isn't your job or even needed just because you don't trust them to do things right. You seem to feel that only you can handle things correctly. You are not allowing others to figure it out, learn from mistakes, or deal with the ramifications of their actions. I wonder why that is. Let it go. Let others be independent without watching over their shoulders. They have nursing licenses and I do not believe that they are all just big dummies.
To be honest and blunt. You have some issue with believing you are a more superior nurse than the others. Is it an ego or self-confidence issue with you? Do you NEED to feel needed. You have stated that you check over others work even when it isn't your job or even needed just because you don't trust them to do things right. You seem to feel that only you can handle things correctly. You are not allowing others to figure it out, learn from mistakes, or deal with the ramifications of their actions. I wonder why that is. Let it go. Let others be independent without watching over their shoulders. They have nursing licenses and I do not believe that they are all just big dummies.
I don't necessarily think I am a better nurse than anyone. I have some colleagues who, in many respects, are much stronger clinically as nurses than I am. I do like to feel needed (don't most people, though?), but that's not really the motivation for why I complete certain tasks. I see things that are important and need to be completed, so I do them. With that said, I do sometimes question the judgment of some of the floor nurses who ask for help with every unexpected event that comes up. For example, I do have to wonder why a nurse would contact a sleeping nurse manager at 2am asking what to do for a patient with chest pain rather than simply attempting to treat the symptom, calling a provider, or calling 911. And yes, that has happened. I also don't necessarily see it as me overlooking everything that others are doing when they are the ones reaching out to me by constantly sending me text messages or making phone calls. I'd love it if a weekend would go by that a nurse didn't feel the need to contact me at all, but that doesn't seem to be the case, and that's why I created this thread. I'm really not being paid to be on-call during the weekend, and yet everyone seems to think I should be available 24/7 to answer every question. And thus, the rotating cycle begins again...
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
I understand seeing things that aren't done and won't get done if you don't do them and feeling like you want to take care of everything. It's not a good system if the only way someone will get their antibiotics is if you stay late to put in the orders. Is this something you can address with the rest of the management team? Maybe there is a need for an evening shift manager. Or at least a Friday evening shift where managers take turns inputing orders for the weekend? One person shouldn't be the only thing preventing residents from receiving poor care.
Maybe the staff nurses need training on how to handle emergencies and behaviors. There should be a clear protocol for who to contact when. The weekend manager would be contacted on weekends. Let everyone know you can't answer work calls on weekends and kindly direct them were to call, then follow through by not answering work calls. If you're worried about how the facility functions without you, try to set it up to be a place you wouldn't worry about on your days off. This requires buy-in and help from your co-managers. There is only so much you can do about the work ethic of others.
It's hard to stand up for yourself and set boundaries, but if someone is working 6 hours and you're working 20, and you're letting it happen, they're going to expect it and enjoy it. If your coworkers won't do their fair share of the work when you talk to them about it and you truly feel the patients will receive poor care if you don't work 20 hours a day, I think you should get a new job. It's sad that some nursing homes don't provide good care, and you may feel guilty leaving your residents, but if every Friday there are piles of work that no one else is going to do and your choice is to work 20 hours or know that patients will suffer, that's not a good situation and will eventually harm your mental health. I hope you can work with your team to make the workload more equitable and address the issues you bring up on this site = )
You're coworkers do this to you because they know that you'll do the work. Stop. Or, stop complaining on here if you're going to continue to do it. Your last 20 or so threads have the same theme. My answer: people will only walk on you if you allow it. Case closed...
I know, right? How many variations on the same theme can be written...? At some point either poop or get off the pot.
Is there not a supervisor there on the weekends or a designated on call person from administration? If there is then the only person who should be reaching out to people not on call is either the supervisor or on call person, period. All the situations described being called over are things that the house supervisor can handle.
You really need to communicate with all staff that they follow the proper chain of command when they encounter problems. Then you need to stick to your guns and only respond if they are reaching out to you appropriately, yes it's hard but if the place burns, it burns! At some point you have to let people either live or die because you cannot baby sit and spend 24/7 at the facility dealing with things that others don't want to.
You have got to accept that you cannot solve all the problems at this facility and you have to also show the humility to know that this place was standing before you were there, and it will continue to stand after you leave.
I work in a different environment- So, looking in from the outside.
The structure, as set up, is designed to fail. This is done, not intentionally, but with the knowledge of how committed nurses will react. If all nurses worked within the structure, it's weaknesses would be obvious, and it would fail. But, the only way that can happen is to allow negative consequences for patients. So, you work extra hours, work from home, etc... In other places, nurses work for free during lunch, clock out then document, etc...
As long as you prop this system up, it works and will not change. Having you, and other's work for free works out great for the bottom line, and patient's get cared for. What possible incentive does management have to change they system.
But, from what you have written, you know all this.
But, from what you have written, you know all this.
This, and the fact that you are a supervisor/manager, are the same themes of the 20 or so same threads you keep posting. Nothing ever differs, to include AN members giving you the same advice that has also been posted on other threads, time and time again.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
OP, you have already acknowledged that you micromanage and get involved in issues and tasks that you do not have to be involved with. You are not a savior, and you are not the only thing preventing the place from collapsing. This attitude, whether it's real or perceived, actually points to the idea that you're not a very good manager. I'm sorry, but it's true. A good manager empowers her staff to take care of issues, and trains them how to do it. A sign of a good manager is that the place runs smoothly, even when she's not around.
I strongly encourage you to do some self-reflection and ask yourself if management is really where your strengths lie. Because based on all your posts, I would say that it's not.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
And in answer to your question - no, I do not get blown up with questions when I'm not around. And if I did, unless the place is literally burning down, I would ignore them. Because work-life balance is important, and I can't be an effective leader if I'm burned out. Almost everything can wait until Monday morning.
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SilverBells, BSN
1,108 Posts
I'd actually thought about blocking the number to work on my phone temporarily over the weekends and then unblocking it starting Monday morning if only to obtain some peace and quiet, but wondering if that is too extreme.