Saying No

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Learning to say no when asked to work overtime is hard. When I work extra my child suffers because I have no way for him to get home from school when he stays for sports or tutoring. He has even missed games and tutoring because I say yes all the time . This time I said no. I don't need the money, I want to be home on my days off with my family. Does this get easier saying

no?

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
i am a people pleaser and i would have to say it is my biggest weakness. and then i am miserable that i said "yes" when i really wanted to say "no". i like my days off and i feel that when i am rested and go back to work, that i am a better nurse. and my kids are important to me and time is flying by so fast. i want to savor every moment, because i can't get these years back. thanks for the advice and listening:)

i, too, am a people-pleaser and often say "yes" when i'd rather not i enjoy my three days off every week but the unit needs help frequently. staffing may be "the manager's problem" but it can become yours if you don't help out occasionally since then(in some environments like ours) you'll be termed "not a team player".:devil:

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Specializes in Family Practice and Primary Care.

I personally like the OT, and prefer to say yes. However, when I have plans set with my lil lady, they hear a no, and that is that. (Of course, I sometimes don't even answer the phone, even easier!)

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Specializes in Med-Surg/home health/pacu/cardiac icu.

Think about it like this. "I work to live. I don't live to work."

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Good for you for saying no! Your kiddo(s) and family come first. Period. It will get easier. And lack of planning on the part of your employer is NOT your problem.....

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Specializes in med/sug/onc/geri.

Just say no. I do. My family is FAR more important to me than my job. I work only to put food on the table. If I had the choice, I would be home with my kids every day. They are my priority. It is not my responsibility to fill every hole in the schedule. It IS my responsibility to be a mother to my kids. Guess which I choose every time.

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My job is constantly understaffed and constantly asking me to work a double. Well, no thanks. I've done it a few times and it's exhausting and, I don't feel, safe for me or my patients.

I am so exhausted at the end of a regular shift, and then add another shift to it? I can hardly think straight. That is the recipe for trouble.

And then I drive home 25 miles. Again, not safe.

The company I work for is and always has been short staffed. If they wanted to be fully staffed, they'd have some prn workers to call, but instead they choose to be understaffed and pay gobs of overtime.

Not my problem. I do 150% of my job when I'm there, but when my shift is over, I'm out the door!

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