Nurses with children always go home early?

[Agatha12]

I know it is controversial topic. First I explain myself a bit. I would like to have children at some point but I dont have them at the moment as I deal with some health issues and I havent met right partner to be father.

Now main problem. Why staff with children always think that will have priority to go home on time and will refuse to stay longer if required only because they have kids? Childless staff also have plans, responsibilities or simple would like to have time to cook for a next day.

I believe some fair system should be in place. Once mothers go home early, on other occasion they stay longer and single people enjoy their time. Any thoughts? Am I wrong to think so?

[cockadoodie]

I don't know where you work, but my having a daughter under 5 NEVER gave me any kind of priority when it came to leaving. Would have been nice, she's an adult now.

[JoeRN8]

Read through half of this posting and just couldn't help but add my two cents in. I've worked many jobs where the people without children always are made to feel obligated to put parents before themselves and it has only been validated by half of the posters here. All of the parents are the first ones to come and push the propaganda of why they are more important. I voluntarily ask parents if they need certain holidays off, I try and be understanding of 'emergency' issues, and usually don't mind when random coworker needs to leave a bit early to make their life easier. I non-voluntarily have been taken advantage of on the same side of the coin. In a PAST job, I followed the protocol for holiday sign up sheets. Since I was out numbered by parents, management literally stated the schedule would not work for many people and made us fill it out again. Unsurprisingly, a brand new sheet was made while I had time off and to my disadvantage, I was forced to work every holiday. ALL of them. St.Patricks, 4th of July, and Memorial day included. This was of course against corporate policy that it be divided so nobody has to work all. When I made comment about it, they were sure to offer me a very very early or overnight shift the day after so my holiday would still not be enjoyable. I obviously do not work there anymore but was put in many positions where nobody cared because the group had power. This was in a LTC setting. I now work in a hospital setting which I have been in for only a few months but mostly is fair. Generally, we are responsible for our own patients to hand off to one person and we can leave. In the ER, report is not the same point of contention that it may be on the floor. Holidays are done fairly here so no complaint there but I have still seen people with children act as though it is THE utmost important thing and seemingly have no people on the outside to be responsible for their kids. -Keep in mind, this isn't inclusive of single parents who actually don't have someone, and actually more often than not they are usually less dramatic than the parents with abundance of family or a significant other.- Anyway, going back to my point here, I never check my phone at work. Im in the younger 'tech generation', but I don't text, call, Facebook, etc at work. Period. Parents often feel it is appropriate to handle personal calls and texts in clear view of everyone while at work. Not to mention, every sick child means they are going to sit on their phone and make arrangements while I do my work and usually have to check on their patients while they ignore every aspect of their job. How is this fair? I'll tell you. It's not. If it is a real emergency, then I'm shocked at how many nurses scoff at the not so critical patients that come in, but little Johnny's sniffly nose means they get to make the actual emergencies in front of us less important. I don't sympathize unless people have a legitimate reason to act in such a way. What did people do before cell phones? I imagine all the world's children were out there alone in crisis if that is how things actually are. I choose not to have children, you chose to have them. Accept that responsibility. If you HAVE to get somewhere on time, make it your priority to find a job that is more accommodating.

Sorry for the rant, but I've had it happen time and time again where my personal struggles and issues are ignored and children Trump everything. It's not fair and the co-workers with children who propogate this are the problem.

[Coloradonurse1983]

I love all the people saying if the job doesn't meet OP's needs and wants to just leave. The same could be said to the ones saying moms need special priority. If MOM's job doesn't meet MOM's needs as a parent, she should be the one to leave. Not the person who doesn't require special consideration.

[caliotter3]

I guess I've been lucky. The places I have worked ensured holiday signups were fair. People could switch or try to find someone to take a shift if they liked. Going home early is tracked so that we share the wealth of a bonus day or half shift off.

I have seen people get off early to handle the unexpected; a sick child, sick pet, spouse in a car accident, water heater leak, etc. Other RNs pick up the slack because in general our coworkers are our friends. Also we would want similar consideration.

I did have one coworker who would frequently ask me to cover a call shift because her family included small kids. However, she would never cover a shift for me. After the second time she declined to cover a shift for me I stopped agreeing to cover her call shifts. One time she asked me why I couldn't cover her call shift and I said "I have plans." She accepted that but had she pressed for details she'd have heard my plans were to eat supper with my wife and get a good nights sleep.

It has always amazed me how the people that you help out by covering a shift for them when they need it, never reciprocate. Then they have the gall to wonder why you stop playing their game. This turn of events seems to be the rule in human behavior.

[amoLucia]

... I do notice now (I work in a nonclinical nursing job) that since the boss has young kids that the nurses also with young children get more empathy then I did in years passed, but overall if you have work to do you stay to do it. Even if God is a dinner guest and is at your house waiting at your dinner table.

Had to smile with this post.

Had an Air forcer reservist instructor in nsg school. She had served in 'Nam and had stories to rival anything you could see on TV.

She was once telling us about 'mandatory' staffing. Said "even if the Pope were coming to dinner, if you're ordered to stay, YOU STAYED!

Early in my career, I didn't mind switching with the moms for the holidays. But after a while, that gets old. And my parents were getting older; I'd have like to have spent more Christmas Days with them.

All this post's conversation can also apply to the chance for working/NOT working a LONG weekend. I never seemed to snag a long 3 day weekend, but I noted others always managed to do so.