I have a vent about coworkers who have kids playing the "Kid Card," by claiming that they have to come in late sometimes, need more sick time, or that it isn't as bad to call out, when compared to workers who don't have kids. Now, I have a child myself, but I have never felt that it entitled me to special treatment at work.
Lately, some coworkers have been calling out, coming late, or leaving work early. They claim that since they have kids, it's "expected" that this should happen, and that the NH should be more understanding, and that they should not be written-up. Also, they argue that they should get preference for holidays off over workers without kids. (I know this is a big concern around Christmas.) I feel that all workers should abide by the same attendance rules, and that nurses and CNAs who have kids should not, on that basis alone, be "allowed" to come to work late, or have more sick time. What do you all think?
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
I notice many of the same people have thanked people who expressed opinions on both sides of the fence! I guess that means something, but I sure do not know what.
One thing I do know is that i would rather just win the lottery and not have to work at all!
My biggest complaint is extra consideration for smokers.
Our campus is now smoke-free, and there are two employees in our department who get in their cars and drive off campus so they can smoke on their lunch break.
Beforehand, this whole smoking thing caused a LOT of problems, in our department and others, and I once told my boss that maybe I should start smoking so I can get extra breaks too. He didn't like that but he understood where I was coming from, even though he's an ex-smoker himself. Seriously, no matter how busy the department was, if it was smoke break time, out they went. :angryfire
OK, I haven't yet read all the messages in this thread, but I've read the first several pages and I'm compelled to toss in my . I too am a parent and have busted my tail in all my jobs to ensure that that does not negatively impact my co-workers. I have done my very best to ensure that it has not interfered with my school work and clinical work either.
However....to all idealists who would like to insist that mothers of sickly young children stay home or work part time to care for their children, or that they should "trade off with dad"....life doesn't always work that way. In some cases there is no husband/dad around. I haven't got that luxury, and haven't got the luxury to stay home either...not if I want to keep a roof over the kids' heads. But having said that, when I complete school and get a job, I will NOT take a job that will not work with our schedules. I won't take a night shift job since there's no one to be with them at night. I may take a lower paying job to ensure that I can have an appropriate schedule. I'll bust my tail to be there for you when I am supposed to be, and even cover for you when your grandmother/father/dog/whatever is sick or needs you, and I'd like the same consideration when my severely asthmatic child can't breathe.
Whew! OK, climbing off my soapbox. I'll agree that some parents play the kid card ridiculously often. But I also agree that they're the same people who used some other excuse before they had kids. Don't pin it on all of us just because of the bad apples.
Well, since on my unit, the non-breast feeders don't even usually get LUNCH, I guess I need to force myself to lactate just to get a break.
I'm sorry, but even as a pedi, NICU, and current PICU nurse, I just can't agree that breast feeding mothers should get 4 15-minute breaks, plus lunch, per shift especially when the rest of the staff aren't getting ANY breaks. That's just ridiculous to me. Perhaps the rest of us should take up smoking in order to rank enough privilege to be granted a break now and then ...
Why? This makes no sense to me. We only have one nurse who insists on keeping her milk in our staff fridge, much to the disgust of several of her co-workers. The rest of our many, many lactaters store their milk in the dedicated breast milk freezer or fridge without any problem. We also have one who chooses to store her milk in a cooler rather than keep it in the patient fridge or in the staff fridge, which I think is very considerate. I'm just a tad turned off by the idea of having someone else's bodily fluid's stored next to my lunch, and I happen to think that my opinion about it should be as valid as any other of my co-workers.
The nurse should be able to pump during her lunch and that should be able to count as one of her breaks, I agree. But they should be given adequate time to do both - scarf down lunch (which I often did - gulping it down, not leisurely!, reading a book!) and then pump. They should have adequate time to keep a supply. I think that a lot of nurses need to review the whole principals of lactation, and support each other. And then not abuse the extra breaks they get.
Susan, at our facility, breast milk is LABELED with patient stickers and dated and timed when put into the breast milk fridge according to policy. If you are are a STAFF member, YOU DO NOT HAVE a sticker with a patient name, ect. You are just writing your name on your bag, ect - and we have a little bitty BM fridge (heck, my little black cooler would have taken up half of it if I had stuck it in there).
It would have been against policy if I had put my BM in there with another patient's BM. I agree with that because it would not have been labeled. Heck, I think we were pushing it with me using the BM fridge at all. But I think that the STAFF fridge is gross!!
i also have a friend that works NICU, and they had an issue at their facility where an infant was given the wrong BM - what if that child had been given a STAFF members BM? they really would have been freaking out then.
when you have a baby, and you try to breastfeed, you will want to do everything YOU can to make it successful, just like i did. you'll learn someday.
you know, i graduate this spring with my master's (working my my PNP) and i will tell you that people do NOT want to call in to work because of their kid being sick... most often they are truely distressed and upset at that, and the fact that their children are sick. i am actually home from clinical today because my daughter and i care camped out on the couch due to her influenza!
and with the breastfeeding thing... that is really near and dear to me. my son is almost two, but i struggled through the year of breastfeeding due to working and going to school... my enviroment when i was at school was soo much easier than when i was working 12 hour shifts, that was for sure! i could pump just before going to clinic, at lunch on my hour break, and then when i got off in the afternoon... i did a lot better.
but as a nurse doing 12 hour shifts... it was miserable.it really made me think a lot about breastfeeding and the support of the working mother today. and i saw / see this consistently during clinicals too. you would not believe the horror stories i have gotten and get about the lack of breastfeeding support in my setting because i work with children. it is very sad and i really think we should support these mothers.
breastfeeding rates in this country, while they are increasing at the beginning of the first year of life, are still dismal at the end of the first year. we have got to change and help our working moms and support them. sometimes i wonder what life in america would be life if we took the lead of other countries that give families state support for a number of months or years after the birth of a child and allow the mother to stay home with the child.... would our breastfeeding rates go up? would our children be healthier? would our families stay intact? who knows?
We have a similar situation at work. In our unit, we have two nurses whom each have 12 patients and 3 techs. A nurse consistently leaves to pick up her kids, then comes back an hour later leaving the other nurses with no backup should something arise. Despite going to the manager nothing is done. Staff is considering calling the hotline. We are in a clinic with no backup as you would find in a hospital. Very frustrating. This nurse leaves on company time
I do agree that some people abuse the "sick child card" but that is for management to worry about. Iam a new nurse that has just started the field but I have been in the health care field for some time. One question I have is, Why do people worry more about coworker ongoings/personal lives than they do their own jobs/work performance/patients? I have found that if I worry only about MY job and personal life that things go alot easier. If other peoples' tardiness and absenteeism are effecting you by causing you to stay and cover them frequently its not the fault of the person in question, its the fault of the facility that you work for. I have read many times in this thread "You choose to be a nurse" ect. I think that applies to EVERYONE.
If you are the nurse left alone with 24 patients and problems arise with your patients and the other nurse's, which it has, it is your license that is on the line. When we approach this nurse to talk to her about it, she literally explodes and becomes very upset. True, it is up to management, but if management does nothing, then what? It is your license on the line and to me if you are aware of what is happening and do nothing, the loss of your license is your burden to bear alone. I like the job that I am in and do not feel I should have to leave it to allow another nurse to continue to do what should not be done. Patients are at risk also and safety is jeopardized.
If management does nothing and you have expressed that it is a safety matter to your patients and your license, then I wouldn't feel too comfortable working for that place. What does that say about your employer if you tell them there is a safety concern for your patients and nothing is done? You think they care about you license?
One question I have is, Why do people worry more about coworker ongoings/personal lives than they do their own jobs/work performance/patients? I have found that if I worry only about MY job and personal life that things go alot easier. If other peoples' tardiness and absenteeism are effecting you by causing you to stay and cover them frequently its not the fault of the person in question, its the fault of the facility that you work for.
I am not concerned with the personal lives of my coworkers, unless their personal lives affects their ability to do their job, which is to come to work on time, and not leave early, unless it is an emergency. The tardiness, leaving early, calling out, and using the "kid card" as the primary reason, does affect me and my coworkers.
First, we have to work short if another CNA calls out. Second, we have to pick up extra residents if a CNA is late or leaves early. This affects the care the residents get. Third, if someone from the next shift comes in an hour late, we have to wait for the her/him to come in before we can leave. That can affect the childcare of someone on my shift. The problem isn't that there are emergencies that parents may sometimes have to attend to; I understand that. The problem is that lately, where I work, some parents are calling out at least one day per week, or showing up an hour late, sometimes up to two times per week, and arguing that since they have kids, this is "normal" behavior, so they shouldn't be punished or written up for that. I also don't think parents should be given "special" rules (i.e. ok to come late, more breaks) that non-parents don't have.
So are you saying, leave to go to a more safe working environment and allow this type of behavior to continue? As a professional, I would try to make it right not just for me but for all staff members. Perhaps it would mean a new manager to make things right.
Also, they argue that they should get preference for holidays off over workers without kids. (I know this is a big concern around Christmas.) I feel that all workers should abide by the same attendance rules, and that nurses and CNAs who have kids should not, on that basis alone, be "allowed" to come to work late, or have more sick time. What do you all think?
. I too am a parent and have busted my tail in all my jobs to ensure that that does not negatively impact my co-workers. I have done my very best to ensure that it has not interfered with my school work and clinical work either.
CrunchRN, ADN, RN
4,556 Posts
I notice many of the same people have thanked people who expressed opinions on both sides of the fence! I guess that means something, but I sure do not know what.
One thing I do know is that i would rather just win the lottery and not have to work at all!