They called the cops!

Liddle Noodnik · Jan 20, 2008

It became the new standard of how much you're loved around our unit. "Yeah, we like you. We'd call the cops if you didn't show up." To the day I quit I wasn't able to live that one down.

You poor thing!

Would it matter? What kind of person sits by the phone waiting for their job to call them on their day off?

I ALways turned the ringer off when I was sleeping - whether I had to go in or not!

Now I snore so loudly I don't hear the phone anyway

angelique777 · Jan 20, 2008

It great that they care about you.

I have to say glad to see I am not the only one that was a no show at work. I was on for my regular three days for night shift. However I had gone in one day for day shift and work two over time days to help out when short staffed earlier on the week. So when I was off I told my son I had two days off and back on the third day. It was true except sinceI had worked 6days in a row. I slept right through my first day off from wednesday to thursday woke up friday and when my son asked me if we could go out I said sure I have two days off. Totally did not count that I slept through one of the days.

I work night shift so this can happen. I so much enjoyed that night out with my son I go back to work and they say oh my God we where so worried about you. I was still clueless talking about how much I enjoyed by two days off until my friend showed by that I was scheduled to be on that friday. I my gosh was so embarased. What can you do.

PS I did see that nursing office called me and I told my son. I am not picking up nursing office calling me to work overtime agian. Except they where calling me to come in to my own shift. I was so clueless. Truely believed this only happened to me.

confused101 · Jan 21, 2008

This sorta happened to me. They switched my schedule without telling me. I got a call at 1930 saying you were supposed to be at work. I was up since 0530 that day and was half asleep when I called back. I threw work clothes on and away I went. I was an hour late techniquely. The evening manager accepted my explanation and went with it. Things happen. The night manager gave me a 0.5 of a point. I was going to have perfect attendance. Makes one mad to say the least! :)

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

this comment makes one realise that, funny as it seemed, it shows that your colleagues care about you. Not only that, this is not a normal behaviour of yours not to turn up. It may be a little embarrassing, but I think it is lovely...

Ditto.

As a single woman that lives by herself and is never less than 15 minutes early.......I would expect it.

(I watch "Sex & the City - and always empathized with Miranda's fear of being found a week later, dead, and having been nibbled on by the cat....)

I came in 10 minutes late one day....the previous shift was already dialing my home and panicking.

futurenursethatcares · Jan 21, 2008

A similar situation happened to one of my co-workers. Only they did not call the cops it was 2 staff members went to her house. She was late for her shift (Not Normal at all) and we knew she had not been feeling well. After many phone calls that went unanswered, her upstairs neighbor getting no response, and her car was in the driveway we really began to worry. They went to her apt could see enough through the curtains that she was on the floor. Broke the window and went in. Found her grey, and unconcious on the floor. O2 sats had severely dropped, she had a bad URI. Thank god they found her. Or she wouldn't be with us now.

heathIam, RN · Jan 21, 2008

I'd be greateful they cared enough to check out my absence. I don't know how old of a nurse you are, but to those of us who are aging, certainly things come closer to being a possiblity - a fall down the stairs and a broken hip, a stroke and unable to reach the phone, heart attack and collapse. I'd feel comforted knowing someone was aware of my existence enough to send the police if I didn't show up to work.

We had a nurse not show up one day and after trying to contact her we reached her husband who worked in the facility. He got home to find she has OD and died.

h

AR_RN · Jan 21, 2008

Angie, don't be upset with them. It's not as wierd or uncommon as you might think. In addition to all the stories that have been posted here, when I was a 911 operator we received calls similar to this daily. We would usually take it on ourselves to try to call the residence first, but then we'd send officers out on a welfare check. My officers normally found that all was fine with the phone off the hook, or broken, or Bubba ripped it out of the wall during his drunken tantrum last night, or whatever, but we've also had much worse found. One of the worst was a house where the door was found open and the house empty, but blood was everywhere. Scary.

As others have said, take it as a sign of your reliability, trustworthyness, and personal value to your co-workers. But be ticked off about the schedule change! I would be. :uhoh3:

antiguanspice · Jan 21, 2008

i think its really nice that your co workers care about you enough to go to that length to make sure you are ok .

'the best thing god ever made was another human being'

one student nurse · Jan 21, 2008

This was not a nursing job - but once a co-worker did not show, we tried calling family members and they could not give us any information, but since she lived with her dad, and he had already called the police, there was nothingmore we could do - next night headlines in paper had her picture and she had been kidnapped by her old boyfriend and taken to Texas (we are in the bay area of California). I guess everything worked out ok in the end, but scary! Embarassing as all get out to have cope on the door, but there are real reasons for concern - especially for nurses! we are some of the most responsible people on the world!!

graysonret · Jan 21, 2008

Well, for some reason, I didn't show up for work, I would be glad if someone, even a police officer, showed up to check on me. It shows they care about me.

Warpster · Jan 21, 2008

It happened to me once, only they sent an offgoing day shift nurse instead of the local Gestapo. They had changed the schedule without informing me on a floor I worked very rarely. Oh, well. I called in, told them what the problem was, and that I'd be there in half an hour. I hadn't noticed my answering machine flashing it's little LED head off because I'd been working in my studio.

I wrote up the incident report myself and there were no undue consequences. **** happens, especially when they start monkeying around with float nurses on the schedule.

rn/writer, RN · Jan 21, 2008

As others have said, take it as a sign of your reliability, trustworthyness, and personal value to your co-workers. But be ticked off about the schedule change! I would be.

I totally agree!

Am I over-reacting or is it wrong for people to have their schedules changed without notice? Several responses have mentioned being dinged in some way for not showing up for shifts that had been changed without the poster's knowledge or consent. That seems like a double kick in the pants to me. First, you can be given shifts you may or may not want. And second, you can be disciplined for not coming to work, even if you didn't know you were supposed to be there.

Most of us have agreed that it's good someone would check on us if we didn't show up, but in those cases where the schedule was changed I don't see a lot of reaction to being at the mercy of whoever decided to do such a thing with no input from the employee.

Also, I think it's important to separate the concern of those who truly care about you and want to make sure you're okay from those who are merely intent on getting a warm body in to take the shift. They aren't mutually exclusive, but some have only the second agenda in mind.

My head is still reeling from thinking people are okay with arbitrary shift changes and disciplinary action if the nurse doesn't even know someone put her on the schedule. If you're on call, that's one thing, but how are you supposed to have a life if you can be plugged into staffing holes at any time without warning? And why would an employer hire more people as long as this kind of chicanery is acceptable?