Nursing Supervisors=Telemarketers

RN1989 · Nov 18, 2007

Ahhh, a nurse after my own heart. And my mother has complained for years about why I spend money on caller ID. I always have a phone with caller ID and a ringer that you can turn off.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 18, 2007

I'm here to tell you, it's not much fun on the OTHER end of that phone, either. I've been yelled at, hung up on, and cussed out........most often by the husbands/boyfriends of staff members. To say the least, I don't enjoy calling people in to work on their days off, but sometimes it's necessary, and once in a while I'd appreciate the courtesy of an answer, or a return call---even one saying you won't come in. You don't have to justify it, you don't have to tell me why..........just respond and say No so I can go on to the next person on the list!

inshallamiami · Nov 18, 2007

I'm here to tell you, it's not much fun on the OTHER end of that phone, either. I've been yelled at, hung up on, and cussed out........most often by the husbands/boyfriends of staff members. To say the least, I don't enjoy calling people in to work on their days off, but sometimes it's necessary, and once in a while I'd appreciate the courtesy of an answer, or a return call---even one saying you won't come in. You don't have to justify it, you don't have to tell me why..........just respond and say No so I can go on to the next person on the list!

mjlrn you sound SOOOO nice! Why can't I ever get a supervisor like you? I promise to mend my ways and in the future will try to be courteous and answer or return the call (if I can get another job!)

RN1989 · Nov 18, 2007

If all sups were like you, people would probably answer their phones. Unfortunately, many sups like to do the wheedling, guilting, begging, coercing thing and if that doesn't work, some even threaten you will all kinds of stuff when you refuse to come in. As a manager, I desperately want people to come in because otherwise I have to work and you just can't do it all, but as a staff nurse, I can't work every shift either. Thus, not answering the phone and turning off the answering machine is the nicest way I can come up with to avoid issues with stresssed and sometimes hateful supervisors. There really is no good fix for these issues - we just need things to get better so there is only a need to get staff when someone calls in sick instead of being chronically shortstaffed.

Jabramac · Nov 18, 2007

I work as a sup too and I got to say I can't stand calling in extra staff. I agree, we get yelled at, snarled to, and people who are just down right mean. I know it's irritating to get calls at all hours of the day/night, but I wouldn't call if they didn't need the help. We have a nice computer system that allows comments staff can request like "do not call before 8am... No night shifts... no extra shifts on the weekends..." These requests are almost always respected and it is really helpful for us to not have to call.

I actually don't mind getting answering machines. It saves me from having to listing to some snarls on the other end. In this day in age I know that if someone doesn't answer the phone and I leave a message 1)they aren't home and probably can't work 2) they are screening the calls and wont work 3) they may take some time to think about it and decide the money is worth it and call me back later. Other wise, I don't really need everyone to call me back to tell me no.

I also want to mention that when the floors run short staffed it hurts your coworkers the most. If no one can come in to work I'm not going to work the floor, I have my own work to do, so it's your peers that suffer. Administration doesn't care, they wont come in to work the floor.

EmmaG, RN · Nov 18, 2007

Get this. You won't regret it. Best $3/month I've ever spent :lol2:

Do Not Disturb
Per Use Fee: n/a Monthly Fee: $3.00
When you want your privacy.
Do Not Disturb can help you manage your incoming calls and avoid inconvenient interruptions. It allows you to temporarily prevent some or all of your incoming calls from ringing into your phone.
Do Not Disturb can be set up for an established length of time. Additionally, if you have a Home Voice Mail mailbox, incoming calls may be programmed to be routed to it, or your Home Voice Mail message can announce that you are not available at this time.
For those important calls that need to get through, you can give out a PIN number to select individuals.* You can also set up a priority caller list with telephone numbers of those individuals you want to always get through.

Agnus · Nov 18, 2007

Doesn't anyone know how to say no? Shees. They are doing their job.

EmmaG, RN · Nov 18, 2007

Doesn't anyone know how to say no? Shees. They are doing their job.

As night charge, it was my job. Supervisors rarely if ever made these calls. I hated waking people up early in the morning, but I never harassed or coerced, simply asked. I'd sometimes try to make a 'deal' by switching them out on another day if it was really bad, figuring at least that way the manager would have time to fill that slot.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2007

I'm here to tell you, it's not much fun on the OTHER end of that phone, either. I've been yelled at, hung up on, and cussed out........most often by the husbands/boyfriends of staff members. To say the least, I don't enjoy calling people in to work on their days off, but sometimes it's necessary, and once in a while I'd appreciate the courtesy of an answer, or a return call---even one saying you won't come in. You don't have to justify it, you don't have to tell me why..........just respond and say No so I can go on to the next person on the list!

Hey, I'm polite. My cellphone has a voicemail, I promise!

I'm having a nice stretch off here, and trying not to think of work though, and I've been getting too many calls lately, sorry, but I don't want to even talk to them. I just want a psychological break from that place and it's problems.

happydays352 · Nov 18, 2007

If all sups were like you, people would probably answer their phones. Unfortunately, many sups like to do the wheedling, guilting, begging, coercing thing and if that doesn't work, some even threaten you will all kinds of stuff when you refuse to come in. As a manager, I desperately want people to come in because otherwise I have to work and you just can't do it all, but as a staff nurse, I can't work every shift either. Thus, not answering the phone and turning off the answering machine is the nicest way I can come up with to avoid issues with stresssed and sometimes hateful supervisors. There really is no good fix for these issues - we just need things to get better so there is only a need to get staff when someone calls in sick instead of being chronically shortstaffed.

Or outright lies. My mom was telling me about her sup calling her at 11pm after she got off a double shift 24 hours! Then telling her if she didn't come in she would be disciplined. My mom pulled out her union regs and read the lady the riot act. She hasn't called back since, I think she's afraid. Lol do not mess with a nurse's sleep.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2007

It's not just the supervisor-

When I was a floor nurse LPN, it was often delegated to me by the RN (nocs) to call everyone at home, and call all the agencies to find staff when someone called in sick.

I preferred it when staff took their phones off the hook or just didn't answer- over getting yelled at for calling. They probably don't yell when a supervisor is the one calling.