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 do agree that better boundaries need to be set. I'm just not sure that any radical changes should be made at this point since this DON is not going to be around much longer anyway.
Then why even start this thread? Please don't answer. This was strictly rhetorical
I will say that if being on-call ever does become an expectation of my current position, I will have no choice but to resign and return to a floor nurse position.
One thing I have thought of is looking for some type of job revolving around chart auditing. I feel like this would be something that I would probably be good at and could possibly accommodate my preferences for not being on call, not being responsible for staffing, not being expected to fill in on the floor for call-ins, not having to spend considerable amount of time addressing family/patient grievances or attending care conferences, and maybe even allow me to work evening hours, which is when I do my best work.
Not sure if MDS Coordinator would be something for me to look into or not. I took a couple of online modules on it, and while it is a lot of information, it seems like something that I may be able to catch on to. Our MDS Coordinator is also not responsible for staffing, patient grievances, or filling in on the floor. Problem is, any jobs for this or chart auditing seem to require previous experience, which I obviously don't have.
Anyone more familiar with these roles please advise, thank you.
Not sure if MDS Coordinator would be something for me to look into or not. I took a couple of online modules on it, and while it is a lot of information, it seems like something that I may be able to catch on to. Our MDS Coordinator is also not responsible for staffing, patient grievances, or filling in on the floor. Problem is, any jobs for this or chart auditing seem to require previous experience, which I obviously don't have.
Anyone more familiar with these roles please advise, thank you.
I've done MDS, and most require experience. Also, because of care plan meetings and family meetings d/t CMS, you are required to be there for those. MDS isn't an easy job to learn, if you miss one thing, you lose $$$, and generally can't go back to recapture
I’m not a manager and have zero managerial experience, but it just sounds to me that you need to leave work at work.
Stop answering your phone when you’re not on call. Ignore texts. Stop catering to everyone and letting yourself be a doormat. People treat you how you let them treat you. Set boundaries.
You’re not the only nurse who works there; the place won’t die without you. Quit trying to be a saviour because that’s the vibe you give off. Why can’t nurses enter in their own orders? Why do you have to deal with emergencies involving the other manager’s patients? Why can’t you leave work at a decent time?
Learn to leave work at work, and make peace with the fact you won’t get everything perfectly to your standards, and that’s okay.
I had this problem at my last job. Everyone would leave between 4 and 4:30 even though there was still triage to be done. I complained enough that finally we started scheduling a late nurse until 5:00 every day. It rotated per week and typically we only have one day per week to stay late. It solved the problem real quick.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
On 2/20/2021 at 7:55 PM, dream'n said:
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.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Boundaries!! Your posts all sound the same lately OP. And you have received sound advice over and over again.
Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
I work in a correctional facility. The DONs at the facilities in my region serve as administrators on call on a rotational basis for two weeks at a time (I started my second week this morning). I have taken calls when I wasn't on call, but my staff is solid and they generally don't call for anything that they should already know. Some other facilities have newer staff on duty, especially at night. I am often called if the staff on duty cannot reach the AOC to get an answer (one in particular seems to have issues with returning calls in a timely manner). I had rather the staff call me and do the right thing than guess and maybe do something wrong.
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
On 2/20/2021 at 6:34 PM, SilverBells said:
My frustration lies in that when I was a staff nurse, I did not call my managers or supervisors for every event that came up. I solved problems on my own, so it's frustrating to supervise staff that do not do the same.
I was just wondering if others took phone calls from work on their days off or if they felt guilty if they chose not to respond.
Me too in the way I was a Staff RN and as a frontline manager! However, as a frontline manager I have learned to set boundaries. I had an honest conversation with my teammates and my manger and I give myself a break. On the other hand, we are working and managing during COVID and so, for emergencies, I am available and I am available (for a few hours only) preplanned trainings and meetings.
Wash, rinse, spin. Repeat. How many times can you try to reinvent or rewrap the same (or almost a very closely related) topic???
You are NOT Saint Sister Mary Silverbells. Your place WILL continue with or without you. And ironically, it seems to be beset with problems even WITH you there spinning your wheels trying to be its redeeming Savior. Even though you're the one determining there's problems!
So for all your misplaced efforts, you're NOT making any headway there. THAT should be telling you something. You even keep on rehashing your own responses.
Your most prev responses have you possibly returning to floor nsg, then doing non-pt contact CHART AUDITING?!?!. In another thread, you state you're in a MSN program and thinking of a DNP. What's after that? A PhD? Running for Elected Office?
Even your last response here has you wanting to cherry-pick MDS. Not sure if you know that many MDS Coord positions also carry the RNAC title. Positions with which I've been familiar are multi-role inclusive - a lot more than you seem to grasp with very little wiggle room.
I really don't know if nsg is what you want - or maybe you THINK you want. I really DO think a career counselor could help you focus your priorities and goals. It's obvious that you're NOT happy in the directions you're heading now.
Good luck to you. I really hope you find whatever it is you're seeking.
Trust me. I know I am no hero. If anything, I’m the source of frustration for many people.
I only mentioned chart auditing and MDS because I thought they might be things I could do well at.
I do have to wonder if it is a mental concern on my end. For example, telling myself that I am only good at or am no use for anything other than charting, admissions, entering orders, etc might be making it so. In the very least, it doesn’t do anything for my self confidence
With that said, I do have an appointment to talk with someone next week. It appears as if anxiety that used to be under control is no longer being well managed.
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
Then why even start this thread? Please don't answer. This was strictly rhetorical