They won't stop calling me!

GM2RN · Jul 19, 2011

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

Definitely don't do it if you don't want to, but FYI, they ARE required by law to pay you time and a half at the minimum for all hours over 40 worked in a week.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2011

Who says that the OP has to go in to work every single time that she is called? Who says that she has to give up all her weekdays to go to work? Who says she her boundaries will be violated if she answers the phone?

My point is that a relationship where the employee feels no obligation to the employer, and vice versa will ultimately fail. Ignoring a supervisor's phone calls is unprofessional and negatively affects the employee, the supervisor, other employees, and the entire organization. When did we forget that the patients are major source of income for the hospitals? If they are not satisfied, they will not return to the hospital and they will tell people about their bad experience. If this happens enough, the hospital will go out of business and guess what happens to the nursing jobs then? By ignoring the phone calls, the OP contributes to what seems like a pervasive lack of trust and respect between mangement and employees. Aside from that, returning important phone calls is common courtesy.

Nurses, think about how frustrating it would be if you had an important policy question and your supervisor refused to call you back? If you were locked out of computer documentation and the IT department didn't get back to you because their shift was over? An attending won't answer the phone because he is home in bed and thinks his residents can manage until he comes in?

There's never an all-or-nothing answer. The OP doesn't have to go in to work everyday, but a compromise is easily reached. Answering the call and saying: "I can't come in for an entire shift, but I can come for a few hours tomorrow." "I can come in for the shift tomorrow, but I'll need to take Sunday off instead." "I can't come in until Saturday, but is there anything I can help you with over the phone?" Any of these, actual conversations, are much more professional than ignoring the calls.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2011

I do not recieve any on-call pay or incentives for coming in during the week, I actually am paid less. Weekends come with the perks of shift differentials and a weekend bonus, weekdays are flat base rate. So if they called me with a small bonus, or could offer me a day off during the weekend, I may very well consider helping.

How do you know you they won't give you a day off or pay you your regular rate, if you ask for it? You haven't even talked to them. Maybe you should call your supervisor back, explain the inconveinance and ask about what they can offer you, instead of assuming the worst.

military spouse · Jul 19, 2011

"I'm sorry, but I don't have childcare." Hard to argue with that....

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2011

Its not their responsibility that you have children either. Special Training cost money, you do hold some responsibility to pick up the slack when the need is present. We as Nurses have had to pull 2 or 3 shifts, many weekends, Holidays away from family. Why do you think you are so special? That is what the Medical Field is all about, giving of yourself no matter the difficulity. We do it for the GOOD of the PATIENTS not ourselves.

No, it is not the facility's responsibility that the OP has children. It shouldn't MATTER that the OP has children. She was hired to do a specific job in a specific time period that both her and management agreed to. The fact that she has special training matters not. The facility knew that it would cost money to train her...and that does NOT require her to be at their beck and call because of a situation that management created and did not plan adequately for. Why should the OP be placed in a position to pick up the slack for a decision that she was not involved in? If the managers were actually thinking ahead, they would have called the OP, or asked for a meeting with her while she was working, sat down and explained the situation:

"OP, we have been placed in a situation that requires us to let go of the other two wound nurses. Since you will be our only remaining wound nurse, how do you feel about picking up extra shifts and perhaps training 1 or 2 nurses? We understand that this request is outside of your contractual obligations, but we are in a bind and would like your input."

This is called RESPECT. At this point, the managers and the OP could open a dialogue to brainstorm about potential solutions. I have a feeling that if the above scenario unfolded, the OP (and please correct me if I am wrong, OP) would have been more willing to help out. BECAUSE she was blindsided by this course of events, and management keeps calling her, OF COURSE she is going to feel awkward about it. I understand your point about our obligation as nurses to our patients, but this specific situation seems to have been created without much thought from management.

All of us have a home life. All of us have interests outside of work. The key piece of information that I got from reading the original post is that the OP was not involved AT ALL in the situation, but yet was expected to pull extra shifts because management put themselves in a bind.

How is this the OP's responsibility to correct or alleviate? If this were a disaster situation in which the hospital burned to the ground, a hurricane hit the facility, or an earthquake rendered the facility uninhabitable, THEN the OP, along with the other nurses that work in the facility might find themselves pitching in willingly to help set up an alternate care facility and to continue giving care to the patients they serve at that facility.

This is not a disaster situation. It seems to be a brain fart on the part of management.

Mulan · Jul 19, 2011

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.

Get real.

It's nurses like you, IMO, that give other nurses cause to complain.

79Tango · Jul 19, 2011

As a hiring manager I understand "F-You" what I dont understand is "Silence"

If you cannot make the effort to help out, at least communicate what they can expect from you. Dont leave them hanging wondering if you are going to answer. You may be all theyve got right now. How long does this corporate training take? You should try to work with them.

Mulan · Jul 19, 2011

Don't answer your phone.

If they press it, tell them that you are not available to work during the week under any circumstances.

Mulan · Jul 19, 2011

Oh, and by the way, we are not nuns.

nola1202 · Jul 19, 2011

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 don't agree, this sounds like the manipulative guilt trip that it is. Stand your ground and go with your intuitive feelings.

nola1202 · Jul 19, 2011

And whom do you think should do the extra work while looking for replacements or training the new nursing staff. You do not seem to know much about "wound care."
It is a highly "Specialized" field and not all can be trained to do this position.
The ones calling her usally means they have not had this traind and there for can not preform the duties. Not answering the calls is not the soultion.
I have worked in the feild for more years then I can count. When did it become OK to over look the Patients needs for our own. With this attitude, the medical field is in a very bad place.

How about you? Fill in every call in where you work, when you can, especially the CNA's. Then come back to this site and share your experience, hope and strength.

nola1202 · Jul 19, 2011

Regarding the comment from G MS RN: How exausted can you get working weekends....

Uhhhhh, you ever worked weekends????? Extra family, extra complaints, staff cut down to the gristle. No ward secretary....I could go on but I won't. You either went directly on for your masters degree with little to no clinical experience and now have swallowed the corporate policy hook line and sinker. You can quote at will, but you are what drives floor nurses out of their jobs. Just a little reminder 12 hour shifts are anything but that... and some people work 2 16's so they can be home to be a parent.