Hello everyone! I used to post here last year when I was graduating nursing school but cant remember my screen name. You all helped me so much, I was hoping for some advice once again.
I work at a small hospital that only staffs around 10 RN's. We all bust our behinds working extra shifts due to being short staffed. Here is where my issue is. We have two as needed nurses who work to fill in holes in the schedule, but we are still short.
We have one as needed nurse however who isn't willing to work any shifts for anyone and it really irks me. I am work my three days but if I ever need a day off, she never agrees to cover, like ever. She works only a few times a month. She has 4 kids under 5 years old I think and she's always using that as an excuse not to work. It really puts all the rest of us in a bind when she refuses to cover.
I don't even know why my boss keeps her around honestly, you can tell she doesn't like being there even when she has a scheduled shift. We (all us full timers) talk about it all the time. What good is having as needed employees if they aren't pulling their weight when we're short? I do not get it. Its not fair, I want to be able not to work but unfortunately I have bills to pay. I asked her once why she doesn't pick up more shifts and she just said "because I don't have to", which is really rude in my opinion.
Another thing, she gives the boss the days SHE wants to work and the boss schedules us around that. She doesn't pick up weekends or holidays ever so I am really dreading my December schedule since the other as needed nurse is leaving in a few weeks.
I really want to bring it up with my boss. I don't think its fair at all, I just don't know how to approach the subject with her. Any thoughts? Would you tolerate this from a coworker?
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Any PRN nurses- Why work in the first place if you only do a few days a month? Why not just stay home? I guess if I was rich enough to afford to work here and there, I wouldn't really see the point of it. (no snark intended, genuinely curious)
Huh
What you seem to be missing, apart of being a PRN nurse is we get to work when we choose and when is convenient for us.
If I can cover a shift I will, however if I cant, I dont have any guilts what so ever
You sound so childish! She works because SHE wants to! maybe it's to save for a vacation, new fridge, Jimmy choo shoes, whatever! IT'S THE HOSPITAL'S FAULT. Not hers.
I have read each and every one of your posts. Thank you for all spending the time to comment, its really eye opening. Its definitely hard to hear, but I did hear it. I've been looking up requirements of PRN employees and should have done that earlier before I made this post. I am sorry that I offended so many people and I can see how wrong I was in my thinking. I think its a combination of what I hear at work and just being unfamiliar with this type of job in the first place. Its not an excuse, I was wrong and need to be more empathetic to other people in general, not just in the nursing world. Most of you will probably think this is not genuine but I do see that I was mad at the wrong person.
Thanks for letting us know! Everybody makes errors or finds things they need to learn about. Best of luck to you!
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
Yes Rainyday, thank you for letting us know and for having enough humility to do so.
I for one have seen this kind of thing ruin so much in nursing and it has a dastardly impact all the way down the line. At least you are willing to listen, learn, and try to empathize. Some nurses never learn. You have many years ahead of you. Make them good. Take care of yourself and support your colleagues.
I remember feeling a bit resentful when I was a few years in. I couldn't understand why I got stuck working what seemed like every holiday, when others seemed to get a lot of them off. I fixed that by getting more understanding of their situation, treating them as professionals regardless of what I thought their behavior should be or what the schedule showed, and by being more assertive/asking for what I wanted/making trades and doing them favors when it worked for me. It worked. I didn't get stuck again.
I also studied the issue of horizontal bullying in the nursing profession, how it leads to burnout and nurses leaving, and most importantly, how to not be either a bully or a casualty.
We create our world. Good, bad, ugly, in between. It's up to us to advocate for ourselves and stick up for each other. We either stand together or fall separately.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I also studied the issue of horizontal bullying in the nursing profession, how it leads to burnout and nurses leaving, and most importantly, how to not be either a bully or a casualty.
We create our world. Good, bad, ugly, in between. It's up to us to advocate for ourselves and stick up for each other. We either stand together or fall separately.
I think all too many of us are studying how not to be a casualty when we should be studying how not to be a bully. I've noticed over the years that those who scream "BULLY!" the loudest usually ARE the bullies.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I have read each and every one of your posts. Thank you for all spending the time to comment, its really eye opening. Its definitely hard to hear, but I did hear it. I've been looking up requirements of PRN employees and should have done that earlier before I made this post. I am sorry that I offended so many people and I can see how wrong I was in my thinking. I think its a combination of what I hear at work and just being unfamiliar with this type of job in the first place. Its not an excuse, I was wrong and need to be more empathetic to other people in general, not just in the nursing world. Most of you will probably think this is not genuine but I do see that I was mad at the wrong person.
I do think this is genuine. Thank you for being willing to hear some unpleasantness. I truly think that as a new grad/new employee/young nurse, you're falling victim to a toxic environment of grumpy old hens. Don't let their grumpiness and penchant for gossip cause you to be as toxic as they are. Be above it.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I do think this is genuine. Thank you for being willing to hear some unpleasantness. I truly think that as a new grad/new employee/young nurse, you're falling victim to a toxic environment of grumpy old hens. Don't let their grumpiness and penchant for gossip cause you to be as toxic as they are. Be above it.
Falling victim to a toxic environment of grumpy old hens? Oh no. It sounds as if the OP and her friends were causing the toxic environment all by themselves. I haven't read about any "grumpy old hens".
Hello everyone! I used to post here last year when I was graduating nursing school but cant remember my screen name. You all helped me so much, I was hoping for some advice once again.
I work at a small hospital that only staffs around 10 RN's. We all bust our behinds working extra shifts due to being short staffed. Here is where my issue is. We have two as needed nurses who work to fill in holes in the schedule, but we are still short.
We have one as needed nurse however who isn't willing to work any shifts for anyone and it really irks me. I am work my three days but if I ever need a day off, she never agrees to cover, like ever. She works only a few times a month. She has 4 kids under 5 years old I think and she's always using that as an excuse not to work. It really puts all the rest of us in a bind when she refuses to cover.
I don't even know why my boss keeps her around honestly, you can tell she doesn't like being there even when she has a scheduled shift. We (all us full timers) talk about it all the time. What good is having as needed employees if they aren't pulling their weight when we're short? I do not get it. Its not fair, I want to be able not to work but unfortunately I have bills to pay. I asked her once why she doesn't pick up more shifts and she just said "because I don't have to", which is really rude in my opinion.
Another thing, she gives the boss the days SHE wants to work and the boss schedules us around that. She doesn't pick up weekends or holidays ever so I am really dreading my December schedule since the other as needed nurse is leaving in a few weeks.
I really want to bring it up with my boss. I don't think its fair at all, I just don't know how to approach the subject with her. Any thoughts? Would you tolerate this from a coworker?
Working only when you want to is a perk of being per diem. Ask any per diem nurse.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Falling victim to a toxic environment of grumpy old hens? Oh no. It sounds as if the OP and her friends were causing the toxic environment all by themselves. I haven't read about any "grumpy old hens".
Except that she has only been there a short time, and the other nurses have likely been there much longer. I can almost guarantee that the gossipy atmosphere was there before the OP got there, and unless there is a full turnover of staff, it will be there long after she leaves.
The OP is new, young and impressionable. Under those circumstances, it's easy to succumb to the environment where you work, good or bad. Luckily, she came here and we showed her the error of her ways.
Purple Daisy- Thank you for the suggestion. I know that she has mentioned before that because she is not full time, she doesn't get time and a half for holidays, that its straight pay. And the as needed people get paid the same as a staff RN, no preferential pay(I always assumed the schedule itself was enough of a benefit). I think maybe if we went to my boss about the staffing and had feasible suggestions to offer at that time, it might help. Ill see if they will entertain the idea of offering them holiday pay.
This adds so much more info. Your management doesn't give a crap about their nurses---staff or per diem. Per diem is often more per hour, no benefits, no PTO, no holiday pay, work when you want. She is only getting to work when she wants, and she gets NO additional perks of per diem. You guys are lucky you have any per diems at all.
ETA: sorry I was late to the party. Nothing to see here!
Except that she has only been there a short time, and the other nurses have likely been there much longer. I can almost guarantee that the gossipy atmosphere was there before the OP got there, and unless there is a full turnover of staff, it will be there long after she leaves.
The OP is new, young and impressionable. Under those circumstances, it's easy to succumb to the environment where you work, good or bad. Luckily, she came here and we showed her the error of her ways.
Klone, that most likely isn't entirely what was happening.
OP is young, new and resentful of a nurse who is able to work PRN. She also has a wrong impression of what PRN means-she feels that the PRN nurse should be ready and willing to work whenever she (OP) wants to take off at the last minute.
OP and her co-workers created the hostile work environment by gossiping and complaining about the PRN nurse, and OP frequently questioned the PRN nurse about "Why won't you work more? How much free time do you need?"
She was wrong. After many many posts pointing out just how wrong she was, she said she saw the error of her ways. I hope she takes that attitude back to work and stops harassing the PRN nurse.
OP, I'm glad you are taking something positive away from this experience and will grow from it. :) One day, maybe you'll be that PRN nurse who can tell people no when they beg you to cover their shift.
I hope your management makes good one some staffing promises and get you guys some help so you don't have to rely on staff that isn't there to fill in the gaps.
Tenebrae, BSN, RN
2,021 Posts
Huh
What you seem to be missing, apart of being a PRN nurse is we get to work when we choose and when is convenient for us.
If I can cover a shift I will, however if I cant, I dont have any guilts what so ever