They won't stop calling me!

Published

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

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".

Sorry mean to be rude, but sorry - don't really like the dishonesty that this kinda approach demands... I think a previous post is more correct. Just say no. You clearly don't have any feeling that you owe them anything (so ask yourself where is this 'guilt' coming from, too!) You are perfectly within your rights to stick to what you believe your employment conditions to be without having to rationalise or justify yourself... don't let them guilt you into doubting youself... :-) Just say no, you're not able to. And be careful you don't get into telling 'fibs' or 'white lies' - these will only further cause you to disrespect yourself and your perfectly legitimate choice...

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ooops - that was DON'T mean to be rude, sorry! :-)

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Specializes in Critical Care.
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'm sorry I don't agree with you. Where I work they call us practically everyday even on vacation to pick up extra. They seem to always be short, no matter how much they hire, people quit or whatever. They've even called me for when I'm scheduled, sorry made a mistake you're already working today. No I'm not going to work extra because this is the cheaper, easier alternative for them. I don't feel guilty about it either. They have choices they can hire more staff, use agency, pool, travel nurses, contract an nurse. This is an ongoing, never ending issue. When you want off no your too important to have a vacation or have a holiday off. It's ridiculous! It's a 24-7 business and its their responsibility to staff it. I work full-time already and don't intend to do overtime just because I'm the cheaper alternative for them. If you want to burn yourself out and work yourself into the ground and be a martyr, go ahead. They will be happy to take advantage of you if you let them.

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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.

Sorry but maybe it's because I don't work in the States or understand the term 'special corporate training' - but unless the terms of this person's contract has been changed to include a statement that this training entails ad lib on-call work, I mostly disagree.

There is an element to which any reasonable person will want to take pride in their work and do their absolute best. This may include working overtime (paid or unpaid) to ensure the job is done to your satisfaction. Goodness knows there are plenty enough interruptions in our working day which disable even the most careful of time managers (as a CNE I can assure you I'm well aware of these!!!) And I dislike intensely the idea that if you CHOOSE to work half an hour or even an hour past the end of your shift to get things done and done well that there's something intrinsically wrong with your ability, work organisation, time management, etc. I think this is a very government department kind of mentality and belongs right there (nursing IS a career - absolutely). However, I don't agree that nursing is a calling and that we should all expect to sacrifice our own personal lives and time with our families as a matter of course! Management are being pressured to bring in service delivery with increasingly tighter and tighter budgets - as politicians continue to disrespect the value of decent primary health care and reduce, minimise and in many other ways inflict ridiculous constraints on our health budgets. If we just cave in and take on more and more work and keep calling it our "calling" we lose valuable, sound, clinical staff who feel that they are being abused. Because they are!

In the private sector if people work longer and longer hours to get their work done, it's because their employers/managers are able and willing to reimburse and reward it. Perks, better jobs, trips overseas etc. Oh don't we wish this were possible in our profession? And sadly, there are certain sectors in hospitals who DO manage to claw their way into the 'corporate' rewarding side of health. But that's not typically the nurses.

So I say, do what you are bound to do by your contract, do more in you feel inclined and feel that ultimately there will be some sort of pay off for your from YOUR bosses (sometimes it's as little as a special 'thank you' lunch, flowers or box of chocolates) but as long as you stick with the legal limits of your contract, do nothing more than you feel willing to do. Nursing is a calling for sure. It is one of the most highly respected professions by the general public, repeatedly showing top of polls and the like - but it is also (along with the Police and teachers) one of the most taken for granted and abused. Watch what happens when nurses (heaven forbid!!!) strike! Just how quickly society shows us THEN how much they value what we do. But it's tragic that we have to ultimately get to this kind of sometimes life-threatening consequence before the politicians take notice.

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:lol2:

At first I was like "Eh?" cause I thought you meant the other Mother song:

MOHTER

NOT ABOUT TO SEE YOUR LIGHT

AND IF YOU WANNA FIND HELL WITH ME

I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE

TILL YOU'RE BLEEDING

OOOH MOTHER

Ha!:yeah:

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

There is a huge difference in attitude of "seasoned" nurses and the younger generations. I fall in the seasoned group, but completely understand and agree with the younger generation thought process. Nursing is NOT a calling. Ministry is a calling, whereas the Lord "calls" you to preach. If nursing were truly a calling, we'd be willing to do it without pay; just for the satisfaction of answering the call. I love my little patients, but I'd much rather spend the day with my family, so a calling it is not. It's a job, period.

I worked *only* weekends when my children were small. It was nice for a few months and then it got old and tiring quickly. To suggest the OP should be on call (without pay) simply because she *only* works weekends is ridiculous. She was hired to work weekends and that is her *only* responsibility..to the facility and to the patient.

Many nights, I left a sick toddler/infant to go to work. Those nights would be filled with misery and distraction; I gave very little to my patients. One night I realized I was insane. It was impossible to truly care for another while my very own flesh and blood was at home needing me. Is that wrong? No, it's a mother.

As a charge nurse, I am not bothered by those who don't answer the phone. I take it as a, "no." No need to keep calling back, vm works just fine. Nor do I feel obligated to answer during my off time. I normally do though, and have no problem saying, "No, but thanks for calling." I don't feel the need to offer a reason, afterall I am off.

So, if you want to answer, answer. If you don't, don't. It's your choice. I don't see either as wrong.

First and foremost, I am a mother. Secondly, a wife, then daughter, sister, friend, etc. Nurse is way down the line. When I'm working, I give 110% to my patients and facility. When I'm home, I give 110% to family/friends; that leaves no room for me to give to work when I'm off. I like it this way and it will stay this way. If my desire to raise my own kids (rather than a babysitter doing so) and perverse my marriage causes the fall of nursing, then it was very unstable prior to my arrival in the profession.

Name me ONE other profession where call is taken during off time (not during "call time"). There are none. It is the belief that nursing is a calling that has held back our profession, not the new belief that it is a career that allows you to care for others.

Hold your position, you owe them nothing beyond the weekends.

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.
If my desire to raise my own kids (rather than a babysitter doing so) and perverse my marriage causes the fall of nursing, then it was very unstable prior to my arrival in the profession.

Name me ONE other profession where call is taken during off time (not during "call time"). There are none. It is the belief that nursing is a calling that has held back our profession, not the new belief that it is a career that allows you to care for others.

Hold your position, you owe them nothing beyond the weekends.

Haha..it was too funny to edit. No, not perverse my marriage, but preserve. However, sometimes I may perverse it a bit too!:D

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When I had a request for time off denied because there "was no one to cover" I used my answering machine to screen calls and from that point forward staffing became a management problem not my problem everywhere I worked. I no longer work in a hospital so that is not a problem for me now, but I rarely ever volunteered for overtime when I worked the hospital. I had no problem letting the answering machine pick up the call, no problem saying no and no problem, when they did beg me to come in, negotiating for overtime plus another day off. We take enough abuse...no lunch sometimes, no bathroom break, taking verbal flack from everyone....etc etc.........Set limits, define boundaries!!!

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I agree with you totally.... and when does "professional" have anything to do with answering the phone. Get real.... I have a life, I don't have to answer the phone just because it's ringing... if I don't want to be bothered by anyone, I don't even look to see who's calling... often times, the phone is turned off.

People get a life...

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I write "NA" for not available on the schedule when I don't want to be called or pick up shifts. It saves my boss the time of dialing my number.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
It most certainly is. I'm still feeling it now even though I've taken steps to correct my approach to things. Hope it isn't too late.

SO proud of you, E!:yeah:

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
The best answer is to either answer your phone or call your supervisor and tell them "I am unable to work any other than my scheduled weekend shifts because of my other obligations." Repeat this line as necessary. Do not elaborate on those obligations. If you do they will try to persuade you of ways to cover them. You do not have to tell them any details of those obligations.

If you want to sound like a "team player" you can tell them that you will be happy to help precept any new wound care nurses they hire DURING your weekend shifts.

PERFECT! :yelclap:This is great advice. OP, please keep us posted.

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