Staffing coordinator way out of line

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Specializes in Picu, ICU, Burn.

:angryfire After working last night and being awoken twice this morning by the agency wanting me to work tonight I thought they would finally leave me alone. Wrong! She woke me up again with her best "Oh did I wake you" voice asking me to do a Med Surg shift tonight at the lowest paying inner city hole she could dig up. With immense restraint I explained for the 10th time that I have recently moved 50 miles away from the city so unless it's local, I'm not traveling for anything less than specialty pay. This lady actually had the nerve to say "You're talking to the wrong person about turning down $38 an hour because it's not enough." I gathered all the professionalism I had left me and responded with "My situation is such that I need to make as much as possible with the shortest amount of time away from my family." She didn't need to know any more than that right? She doesn't even know me. Apparently though she felt it necessary to then school me in detail about her personal life. She tells me she is a single mother of 3 barely making ends meet and she would travel 100 miles for $38 and hour with no complaint. I was floored but I let it go. What could I do? She is a senior staffer. She knows darn well how much these agencies are making off of us and all the crap we have to deal with and the risks we take. I didn't engage her. "I simply asked her to please not call me anymore today." But it's stayed with me all day. Is it just me or was she way out of line? Should I speak with her supervisor in the morning or just let it go? I let a lot of things roll. You have to if want to survive as an agency nurse but this one really got me going.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I have done agency in the past too and I leave my phone off when I sleep. Then, when I wake up, I return the calls. I do have cell phone which only my immediate family has access too for emergencies.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I'm going to ask a Mod to delete the extra posts. Sorry.

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Apparently she doesn't have any idea what we do, if she would walk over fire for $38 an hour! You could suggest she go back to school...

I would just let it go, especially if she is a person responsible for booking your shifts! I agree with trauma - let the machine pick up.

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Phone off the hook while you are sleeping or unplugged.

Do not give them your cell number and use that for family emergencie, etc.

If they can't reach you.......... :)

and you get your sleep.

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Specializes in Picu, ICU, Burn.

Thanks all for the input. I usually do shut the phone off but my 18 month old was with a sitter that day. I've called my agencies and changed my numbers so now all they have is my cell phone number. I can shut that off and have the house phone for the baby. But more than anything I thought that her attempt to make me feel bad about the money I make was inappropriate. Sure agency nurses make good money but thats the standard. I fight to get the high end and I deserve it. Agency nursing is very challenging and risky! I've told them that I will only work on non-specialty units if it's local and If the agency owners want to continue getting thier outrageous percentage off of me then their staffers should honor my wishes. Or I will find another agency that will (I have 3). I just had to put this out there. I've been doing this for a while now and of course have gotten to know a lot of the other regulars who float around. None of us has ever encountered a staffing coordinator who felt the need to divulge her personal life in a diatribe leading up to her voicing her disgust with the amount of money we make.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I would call the supervisor and let her know about the harassment. If she complains again about her salary you could respond that it is a free country and she too could go to nursing school. Many of us did go with kids and jobs too.

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Thats crap. You shouldn't have to put up with tactics like that.

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As another poster suggested, I would have had to tell her that if she wanted the same opportunities that are open to a nurse, she should haul her tail to the nearest school and earn the education that nurses have earned.

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Specializes in Picu, ICU, Burn.

Oh but she can't go back to school see because she is a single mother of 3 boys.Cry me a river! There are plenty of single parents who do whatever they have to do to give thier kids the best life they can and they do it without complaining to strangers! But maybe she was having a bad day or whatever so I let it go. However I try to use other staffers in the office to find me work now.

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I can't stand it when people use their kids as an excuse for everything. Like all other things in life, having kids is a life decision that you have to live with. If she wanted things out of life that having kids (in her mind) prevents her from attaining, well...she should have thought of that earlier and it is no one's fault or problem but her own. If she REALLY wanted to better herself, she would FIND a way. Plenty of single parents do it every day. I have no pity for people who whine about what they don't have but refuse to do any actual work toward attaining it.

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