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Discussion

Professionalism not required...

This is just a rant because there is nothing I or anyone else can do about it because it's the long-ingrained culture in my facility, but I have to mention somewhere how unprofessional my work environment is.

I called out on Sunday for only the second time since I started working at my facility last summer. The first time I called out was in November, and I was really sick. This time, not so much, but I wasn't feeling 100% and I really wanted the night off for personal reasons as well. It was not one of my regular shifts - I was picking up extra, and there were only six patients on the unit that night according to my coworkers who were working the day shift. We hold more than 20 patients so at least half of the scheduled staff were going to be called off, and staff who are signed up for overtime are the first on the call off list regardless of whose date it is. I knew they were not going to need me, though that is still not relevant to how I was treated.

Weighing all of this, I called about 1100 and asked to be transferred to the house supervisor. I told her I wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be making it in at 1900. I am only required to call in by 1700 so I was giving her plenty of notice. She said, "Well, I need more than that because you're calling in for a weekend." I was totally taken aback, and just reinforced that I wasn't feeling well. She then said, "Well, how about you go to bed and take a nap so you can work tonight?" At this point I was seriously angry and just replied very flatly that I would not be coming in. She got really nasty and said that unless I brought a doctor's note it was going to be unexcused and hung up on me. Sure enough, when I checked the scheduling system the next time I worked, my shift was programmed into the computer in bright red letters as unexcused. I heard from my coworkers that four nurses got called off that night, none of them extra, so I got treated like this for a shift I would not have worked anyway.

I don't really care about whether the shift was excused or unexcused - if I call in an average of two times in almost a year, an unexcused absence is not going to hurt me. There are people who call in twice a month or more and they are still employed with my facility. What I care about is being treated like a child who needs my fingers smacked. I am a highly motivated professional employee that gets consistently good feedback from patients and coworkers. I give my 100% every time I come into work.

This place had me sign a two-year contract as a new grad, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back for me and I am going to start applying other places and leave as soon as I save up a little more money. I really don't care about my contract anymore. Places wonder why new grads like me don't stay and make us sign contracts, but then treat us like a nasty piece of gum on the bottom of their shoes and then wonder why we leave. You would think someone would realize that treating educated professionals like children in need of a time-out would not foster staff retention, but what do I know?

I don't think there's any other field where this is acceptable treatment other than minimum-wage customer service. I would really like to know why it is acceptable to treat professional nurses like this.

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    • Featured Replies

    I would look at your hospitals P&P on PTO, calling out, and excused absences. See if there's a special exception for weekends (never heard of that, personally). And fight the unexcused absence, which will otherwise go into your permanent record.

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    Yes,I can understand your anger for the uncalled for treatment you received from the supervisor and the fallout afterwards. However, there is a problem with your situation.

    You did agree to work the shift. Whether you were just doing it 'extra' or not, it does not matter one iota. It doesn't earn you any special consideration or entitlement. You agreed to work and it was your responsibility to show up, just as any regular weekend staff was expected to come in.

    Weekend staffing is typically more difficult to cover for call-outs and it seems that the others scheduled also wanted to call out for whatever reasons they had. Who knows? Maybe they were all thinking the same as you and figured there were enough scheduled so it seemed safe to call out.

    NOT! You got caught in one of those unfortunate situations that backfired. That you were not feeling well is understandable to call out and that's OK, but to think that you were 'extra' really doesn't count for anything special. At this point, your supervisor was over-the-top and that was unnecessary.

    I learned a long time ago, that I had to be dead or dying to call out on a weekend or holiday. Just didn't do it

    I don't think this is what you wanted to hear; at least it is half-so. I'm sure there are others out here who will understand me. I do caution you NOT to be rash about breaking your contract; the grass is NOT always greener on the other side. You're stinging right now.

    The first PP said to check out your P&P re absences very carefully and check for any subsequent memos. If you're union, you can check with them, too. You may want to approach HR to go further. Technically, I think you have an "EXCUSED" absence. Good luck!

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    • Experts

    Do you have a union? If you do and even if you don't belong to it (sometimes it's optional), that is the place to start. While it's still fresh in your mind, document the whole event, including the verbatim conversation with the supervisor you spoke with when you called in.

    If you have no union, request a meeting with HR. Do not provide several reasons for calling in; just say you were not well enough to provide proper patient care. Mention that four regular nurses got called off, so you provided no staffing hardship and were unlikely to have worked anyway. Yes, do check your facility's absence policies, but it sounds like you covered your bases. I think the supervisor you spoke with was having an extremely bad hair day and needs to be called out on her heavy-handedness. Good luck.

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    • Author
    I don't think this is what you wanted to hear; at least it is half-so. I'm sure there are others out here who will understand me. I do caution you NOT to be rash about breaking your contract; the grass is NOT always greener on the other side. You're stinging right now.

    I do understand everything you're saying and it doesn't bother me, but even if I was calling out for a regular shift on Christmas Day and they were extremely short, that house supervisor would still have no business talking to me like that. I don't talk to people like that at work ever, no matter how nasty they are to me. It's just unprofessional. If I am having a bad day that's my own personal problem and no one else's, and I don't think much of other people who don't have the self control to treat me with the same respect. Being nasty about your coworkers should be reserved for venting to your family or friends outside of work (or online forums!). Taking it out on your coworkers is unacceptable.

    I wish I was union... that would be nice.

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    I think what got you in trouble was the fact that you called ahead to see what the census was. It made it look like you were trying to get bumped to the front of the line for low census. I'll bet you $1000 that one of your co-workers let the nursing supervisor about that inquiry.

    Either you're sick or you're not sick. Census is irrelevant. If you are feeling under the weather, but can come in if REALLY needed, then the house sup is the one to have that discussion with. No calling ahead to get the scoop. That makes you look sneaky.

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    I didn't get that she had called in ahead of time to get census info before calling in sick.

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    I agree that treating in an unprofessional manner is inappropriate. However, there may be more going on the house supervisor at that time. Was she trying to move patients in the house to open up ICU beds? Was she just "dressed down" by a doctor? What she in the middle of an emergency situation and did not have time to debate the issue? Had she just received a number of call offs, on a weekend no less? The fact that this was a "pick up" shift for you is inconsequential--especially in light of the comment "I really wanted the night off for personal reasons." I'm sorry if this is harsh, but call offs is a pretty touchy subject for me right now.

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    I think there is a lack of professionalism. YOU picked up the shift and then after feeling out the census, decided that you were feeling a little off, but really wanted the night off for personal reasons. YOU signed a contract to give them 2 years of employment but now have no intention of fulfilling that obligation. And, I have to wonder, you're calling yourself a new grad (most want to drop that title ASAP), say you have a two year contract and call out an average of only 2x per year. I'm having trouble with the math, forgive me.

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