So fed up with my coworker

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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?

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)

It's nobody's business but her own what she does with her time outside of the facility that she's working PRN. She can work FT,PT,per diem, a combination of the above, or none of the above and she doesn't have to disclose any of this information to her coworkers. Honestly, I would be quite annoyed if co-workers griped about me behind my back at work, then asked me to fill in the time that they want to take off, and then when I cannot or do not want to do it they think that they have the right to tell me what a valid or invalid reason for not accepting the extra shifts so that they do not have to work their assigned shifts. A little bit of common courtesy and kindness will get her to be a lot more willing to find a way to accept a shift than talking bad about her (and it will get back to her if people are doing so). She has four children under the age of 5. She will need to have somebody watch after them while she is at work. If she is a single mom, weekends and holidays are a bit hard to find someone to care for them, as I don't know of a single daycare center that is open during this time, or after 6:30pm in most cases. If she's not using daycare, then I doubt she is going to enroll her children in one to be able to work those extra shifts, because four children would be very expensive. To work during the time that your asking her may require a nanny, which I know on my PRN wage there is no way I could afford one and it would definitely not be worth it to do so.

Why does she only work a few shifts a month and not just stay at home? There are many reasons (not excuses). Employers often want current work experience in order to hire someone for a position. If she goes off the map until her children are school age (because some of us do want to raise our children and not rely on daycare or family and have done the financial planning ahead of time in order to do so, and are NOT rich) she very well could have a hard time finding a job because her experience isn't "current". She may only work a few days because that is what she needs in order to make her bills (with spouse's salary) and works the time that she needs to work. Not enough money coming in to just stay home, but enough to only work a few days, especially with young children to care for. She may also be working when the children's father is not working (my husband and I do this) so that one of them can always be with the kids. Or heck, she may just want to work a few days a month because she likes nursing but doesn't want to work a FT job, which is why she decided to work PRN. She could decide to do this with or without four children at home to care for. Again, she doesn't have to justify why she only works a few days a week or why she doesn't just stay home. This is her business.

It is your employer's responsibility to staff your facility, not your PRN co-workers. Remember, she isn't getting PTO time or any other benefits that you are receiving as part of your compensation for being FT. One of the perks that she does get is choosing when she wants to work, if your facility needs her. Another thing, if your employer has been trying to find more FT nurses and has 'been working on it' for over a year now, they are either lying or they aren't trying hard enough. There are plenty of nurses looking for jobs out there that would love to have a FT job if someone would only hire them.

I'm still SMH over the 'rich' assumption...definitely not my financial situation or reason for working PRN.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

You seem to be doing a LOT of this....

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.
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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)

Are you for real? Why should you be able to determine who's got a valid reason for working PRN? Maybe she only works a few shifts here and there to stay current with the intent of going back to work after her kids are older---maybe that's why she "doesn't just stay home"??

Hey---maybe she works PRN which is without benefits...so she can have holidays with her family?

Your employer needs more PRN employees that's all.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

The OP has left the scene. I guess she didn't like what she heard...kids...

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Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.

Let me give you some info on working per diem. I work per diem and have for the past 3.5 years.

As a per diem nurse I don't get benefits. I don't get PTO, insurance, I only get state retirement (I work for a public hospital, and the state required all employees of state/countycity employers to be offered state retirement). I do not qualify for employer matching on any other retirement funds.

I am the first called off when the census is low. I've been lucky, I haven't been called out more than a dozen times in the past 3.5 years. However, when I am called out, I get no pay.

I am there to fill in gaps in the schedule. I only have to work 9 shifts/6 week schedule. I work full time hours, but don't have to. I can just not work a week but as I said, I don't get paid. That also means that when I have to take time off for illness, I don't get paid. If I request a vacation, I don't get paid. It is NOT my job to cover my co-workers schedule because they failed to request time off. It is NOT my job to cover my co-workers because they just want to spend time with family/boyfriend/dog. It is my job to work the number of shifts required of me, and to fill in the gaps. It had NOTHING to do with being lazy, not being a team player, being selfish (and that is how you are coming across about your co-worker) It is about doing what is best for my family/self.

You seem to be under the impression that she doesn't know that you all talk about her behind her back. That she doesn't know that her co-workers don't respect or even outright dislike her. Guess what, you don't have to say something to a persons face for them to pick up on the fact you can't stand her. I have a co-worker who keeps to herself. She only talks to a few of us. Her reason? Because back stabbing co-workers stabbed her in the back one too many times. And I can't say I blame her. Nor do I blame your co-worker for keeping to herself.

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I think our requirement for the as needed people is 1 shift a month. I guess I don't see the point of having those employees if they wont work when they're actually needed (like to cover a shift for a full time employee). We have to get coverage in order to use PTO, or we have to call off. I don't think the "well I have little kids" is a good excuse in the professional world. We all have things in life that are important. And its not even that she CANT cover, she just doesn't WANT to.

I have to work the day after Thanksgiving and I asked her to cover, and she hasn't responded yet. I just know the answer will be no and no one else is able to do it. They have valid reasons, being out of town. I know she will be in town because she was getting recipes from another nurse and was talking about having a big dinner at her house.

Nurses who work PRN do so in order to have more free time and to be able to work at their convenience. In order to do that they give up benefits like insurance and PTO. If you envy your coworker's ability to schedule herself for convenience, then perhaps you should work PRN also. It is NOT her job to be available when YOU don't want to work, nor is it her job to personally fix systemic staffing shortages at your facility. You sound quite immature stating you and you friends "talk about her all the time". Take responsibility for finding a job that fits your own scheduling needs, and stop whining when someone else won't sacrifice time with their children for your convenience.

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She works PRN for the facility, not PRN as you need her to work. That's a big difference. All you can do is never cover for her if she would ever ask you but other than that the only thing that is important is if she comes in when the facility calls her.

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Specializes in Hospice.
If I were you, I would talk to management. Your management is not "working on it," or they would have hired someone else by now. I do see how having prns who wont work any extra can be frustrating...at my facility on my unit, we have at least 10 prns who work less than one shift a month. We are very Short staffed and i am working over 50 hours a week right now. I suggest if conditions don't improve, find another job.

The basic error in your logic is: The PRNs aren't there to make your life easier. As long as they fulfill their obligation for taking shifts, they don't have to do any more.

And, if they sense the way you feel about it being "frustrating", that could be one reason they do the bare minimum.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
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.

If she meets the stated requirements of PRN staff, there is no reason she has to be willing to work shifts for anyone else. It shouldn't irk you. If you need a day off, request it before the deadline for requests passes. If it's denied, deal with it or call off. It's part of being a working adult- not everyone can be off at the same time, and if multiple people request the same day, someone's going to get denied. And as for using her kids as an excuse, again, as long as she meets the stated requirements for PRN staff, it's none of your business to know why she chooses not to work extra by covering for other staff, nor is it her responsibility.

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)

Your gripe is with the wrong person. Your gripe should be with management for not adequately staffing and with yourself for your obvious resentment of someone who only works a few times a month.

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Sounds like a normal per diem RN. Her job is not to fill all of your left over shifts or pull her the unit togeater. She's per diem. Unless management can/will hire another regularly scheduled employee, there's nothing you can do!

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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 am normally a lurker, however, you post strikes a nerve with me. Maybe I am the coworker you are pissed at, I hope not. I work PRN, and get asked all of the time why I don't work more. I have 3 young children who need me home and I am blessed to be able to be financially stable enough to only work PRN. I work because it keeps my skills up and keeps me experienced enough to get a full time job in case my husbands job is lost. Also, it feels nice to contribute to the finances and feels nice to help people other than my family. I realize that every child needs their mom and to most people my excuses are lame. I don't have the dependable support system to be able to work full time if I wanted to. Everyone has their own reasons for what they do.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Dialysis, Plasmapheresis.

Wow.... wow.

"I haven't worked before getting my RN. I graduated high school, went to college and went to work right away. Maybe I am just not used to people being able to come and go as they please in regards to work."

I have news for you, this woman is at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She has 4 kids, likely works harder every day then many of us could imagine. More news is that you may be clueless about work yourself. Your first job was after college. I had a job in high school, went straight to college, and worked TWO jobs during nursing school. You work 2 jobs during school and tell me about hard work. You've got a lot to learn about the working world.

People in her position are not obligated to cover for you, because you ASSUMED that you would be off black Friday. She has made her choice, you have made yours. Take responsibility and accountability for your own actions and your own full time job. You have a lot of responsibility and it's time to man up. She has way more responsibility then you, you are just completely unaware of what it takes to be a mother. TIME TO GROW UP.

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