So fed up with my coworker

[Rainy day RN]

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?

[Ndy-RN]

You're right. I realize now that she probably does have a pretty good idea how people feel about her, and that is toxic. It was easy to join in with all the complaining and gossip and that's my fault not anyone elses. I am embarrassed, I tried to take the post down or delete it because the more I read it the more humiliating it is, I couldn't figure out how to though(which serves me right).

Now the best thing you can do is educate the others you work with and let them know what you have learned.

[DrVen1]

Me neither and I'm lovin it! You all are right and OP just needs to accept that.

[RobotNurse]

people are going nuts at my workplace over their holiday schedules - apparently i'm the only PRN who agreed to work any time over the holidays, so only one RN gets to take vacation time. the entitlement from the staff nurses is bonkers! i signed up to to work 7-3 everyday from Dec 20 - Jan 5. Literally no one has said thank you, but a bunch of people have demanded to know why i'm not doing *more*! i.e. "why can't you work a double on Christmas?" hell no!

[JudiB4004]

Another thought - stop talking about it with the full time nurses! That only stirs the pot! If it's that bad then develop a proactive plan to approach your supervisor with. Just a friendly thought!

[jeaster191]

I am a PRN nurse and it is frustrating to me that someone would think the way you do about my position. I usually work 1-2 shifts a week, while going to school. I would be so pissed if one of the other nurses thought I was useless because I didn't work her shifts for her. I am not here for the perks...I get no benefits no PTO and still have 2 shifts/month requirement and two holidays a year. I rotate days/nights depending on what works with my schedule. I don't usually work weekends because there is no benefit in me doing so! I have figured out what I need to live on and work from there. She is not required to work your schedule for you. Hopefully you seem more kind to her face, or you probably won't get her to cover any of your shifts

[HeySis, BSN, RN]

I could totally understand the concept if she had another full time job! You seem like you pull your weight and then some. Maybe my gripe is just with people who seem lazy-ish, and also management for dragging their feet.

If I am completely honest however, it seems like some people just do not want to work and for the life of me I just don't understand it and I guess its a pet peeve of mine.

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)

I haven't read all the replies yet, But want to address this as I worked as a PRN employee for years. I use to work full time for my company and then after having several children I went PRN. I would sometimes cover if someone called me and it was a day my husband was home to be with the kids... but that didn't happen often. Mostly I worked a couple of shifts each quarter, when my boss (who I felt loyalty too) called and asked me. She would let me know the holes she had in her schedule and I'd let her know what I could fill.... there were times they were short staffed enough that when I'd say, sorry I can't do Friday day but I can do Friday night. she's switch an employee so i could fill what I could.

1. I had already put in my time working FT.

2. I already knew all the policies and work, so I could fill in, rather then having to hire and train someone for just a few shifts.

3. My PRN work was a favor to the facility and to my ADON. (I already had to do CEU's anyway because I didn't always have enough enough hours each year... but some do PRN so they don't have to do CEU's to renew their licenses)

4. I couldn't just drop my children anytime someone called for two reasons.

a. when you don't work regularly you don't have child care arrangements made. This means you are relying on your husbands, (ex's, grandma's, ect. ....) schedule to watch kids.

b. child care if not done by friends/family is too expensive, you don't always get paid enough to make it worth putting three kids in daycare for a shift let alone 4.

Your anger toward this nurse is not justified.

Also, please don't call a women who mainly stays at home with four children under the age of 5 lazy... it can be harder then pulling a 12 hour shift, you run just as much, on your feet, lifting, cleaning up messes, little to no sleep. Also doing the custodial, dietary, social work, recreational therapy and teachers job.

[Becky0521]

Our "prn" staff only have to pick up 1 shift every 90 days.

[Becky0521]

There are many people out there who only want a day here and there but not full time commitment. Especially if children at home and husband works. That is the convenience of a "prn" position.

[heron, ASN, RN]

It's a good discussion, but note that this was posted last November - the OP is likely long gone.

[CrazierThanYou]

It appears you don't understand how PRN works. Usually, those employees choose what they want to work and typically don't work holidays, etc unless they choose to. It's not her job to fill in whenever you want a day off.

[Wuzzie]

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.

As you can see the OP had a complete change of heart and responded rather maturely to the pages and pages of tough love she received. She has also not been back. Probably best not to pile on her all over again. As this is an old thread maybe the prudent thing to do would be to close it as the problem seems to have been resolved.

[dianah, ASN]

Thread closed, thanks to all who participated and I wish OP well.