They won't stop calling me!

[optimist]

The facility I work in had an organized 'Wound care dept' consisting of 2 nurses during the week and myself on the weekends. We are the only ones that do wound care in the building because we recieved special corporate training and can provide consitancy with care and documentation. Something happened recently that caused the facility to lose both of thier weekday nurses at the same time. Since then the scheduler/don/admin have been blowing up my phone begging me (on my vmail) to come in and help since Im the only one left that knows all the proper documentation (anybody can read the TAR, but few know how to properly measure and describe). I havent returned their calls for several reasons 1)I dont feel like its my place to run in and rescue them, they should have had a plan in place before they let those nurses go. 2)With all of the drama going on in that building, Im afraid to do anything above what is expected of me for fear my head will be the next to roll 3)pulling extra shifts there does not earn you any brownie points or incentives, its just kinda expected and 4)I rather enjoy my weekdays off with my babies. So how do I get them off of my back. So far Ive just been ignoring their phone calls (and they are getting crafty using their personal cells to call me now). I hate to make up some excuse but Im not sure how honest to be in telling them I dont want within 100 feet of that place till saturday??

Thanks

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Just say no.

It is their responsibility to find replacement nurses. Do not take on that responsibility. They'll milk you for all it is worth. Plus, you coming in to rescue them will allow them to back off trying really hard to find replacements.

You are allowed to say no.

[deemalt, BSN, RN]

Good for you. Stand your ground because you are setting the tone for your future. If they want to make it really worth your while than they should pay you accordingly. I have seen this happen before and if you don't stand up for yourself it makes it easy to stay short staffed. Mgmt will figure why hire more folks if one person can do the job of three.

[MomRN0913]

Let them seek out an agency for wound care nurses until they find replacements.

That is fault on their end. Where I used to manage, we had ONE wound care nurse (LTACH). Just as I left they got a manager, and I had one start training. I made sure all the nurses got inservicing and training and were able to do their own wounds and wound vacs in the absence of a wound care nurse.

[caliotter3]

When I don't want to be bothered, I do not answer my phone. If they give you grief about "you don't answer your phone", then just look at them with a quizzical look on your face and say something like, "I never answer my phone when I don't realize it is ringing".

[NurseGrape3000]

Ditto! Don't do it. Babies are way more important. :)

And like said, totally not your problem or responsibility.

[G MA RN]

Any time you recieved "special corporate training" you are pretty much at their beck and call. Not answering or ignoring the calls can and will cost you your job. Many medical facilites have no replacements in line when some one leaves or is fired. It is up to the regular staff to pick up the slack. Working in the Medical Field holds a different level of responsibility and commitment then the other work force. Just think for a moment, what if your child, mother, brother, or other family member had a nurse like you that did not answer the call for help to do her job. How would you feel? It is Nurses like you and others like you that give the patients cause to complain. Nursing is not a job its a calling and if you are not prepared to fully commit to your duties as a health care giver, find another career.

[RetroFighterRN]

This is why hospitals should invest in New Grad RNs. With the right training and orientation we can fill those spots for less pay too.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Nursing is not a job its a calling and if you are not prepared to fully commit to your duties as a health care giver, find another career.

Great. Another martyr.

It's easy. With any call, just say, "Sorry, but I have other plans, I'll be back on Saturday." Don't elaborate. Don't tell them what your plans are. Don't defend yourself. Don't argue. Just, "Sorry, but I have other plans, I'll be back on Saturday."

[David13, MSN, RN]

any time you recieved "special corporate training" you are pretty much at their beck and call. not answering or ignoring the calls can and will cost you your job. many medical facilites have no replacements in line when some one leaves or is fired. it is up to the regular staff to pick up the slack. working in the medical field holds a different level of responsibility and commitment then the other work force. just think for a moment, what if your child, mother, brother, or other family member had a nurse like you that did not answer the call for help to do her job. how would you feel? it is nurses like you and others like you that give the patients cause to complain. nursing is not a job its a calling and if you are not prepared to fully commit to your duties as a health care giver, find another career.

it is not this nurse's responsibility to cover for this mismanagement. this nurse's responsiblity is to do their job and, according to the original post, this is being done. as the op stated, the managers should have had a plan in place prior to letting the only other wound care nurses go. in lieu of that plan, i suggest those manager roll up their sleeves and start doing some wound care.

as that appears to be highly unlikely, there are alternatives available to these managers including hiring some agency wound care nurses until regular replacements can be found. they might also want to consider training some of the other staff nurses to perform wound care so that they would be available to do so during situations such as this. fixing these types of problems is what managers get paid to do. if their only "fix" for the problem is to attempt to get this nurse to perform the work of three nurses, they are not doing their jobs properly.

[optimist]

Any time you recieved "special corporate training" you are pretty much at their beck and call. Not answering or ignoring the calls can and will cost you your job. Many medical facilites have no replacements in line when some one leaves or is fired. It is up to the regular staff to pick up the slack. Working in the Medical Field holds a different level of responsibility and commitment then the other work force. Just think for a moment, what if your child, mother, brother, or other family member had a nurse like you that did not answer the call for help to do her job. How would you feel? It is Nurses like you and others like you that give the patients cause to complain. Nursing is not a job its a calling and if you are not prepared to fully commit to your duties as a health care giver, find another career.

I must respectfully disagree. Recieving corporate training for a position by no means enslaves me to anyones beck and call! I applied for a 'weekend only' position which I fullfill dutifully. I have never called out, nor have they ever had to find a replacement for me. And as far as 'answering the call for help', I pour my heart out into caring for my residents every single weekend but I have a life outside of that building. Just because I refuse to pawn my children off on a sitter and come running to rescue the company that fails to plan does not make me a bad nurse!!

[RoyalPrince]

Any time you recieved "special corporate training" you are pretty much at their beck and call. Not answering or ignoring the calls can and will cost you your job. Many medical facilites have no replacements in line when some one leaves or is fired. It is up to the regular staff to pick up the slack. Working in the Medical Field holds a different level of responsibility and commitment then the other work force. Just think for a moment, what if your child, mother, brother, or other family member had a nurse like you that did not answer the call for help to do her job. How would you feel? It is Nurses like you and others like you that give the patients cause to complain. Nursing is not a job its a calling and if you are not prepared to fully commit to your duties as a health care giver, find another career.

Are you deluded? The OP has absolutely no reason to take any calls on her personal cellphone she chooses not to answer. She is not paid on-call differential or even required to be on call for her job. Her job is weekends and THATS IT.