They won't stop calling me!

I began as a CNA and worked my way up the ladder. I have always answered the call to help, I have never and would never not answer the call to help even when I had pulled 72 hours in a row. Its what I do its what I CHOSE.

I also had childern at the time. They learned by what they saw not what I said. Thay are all in good professions. Its the LOVE not the TIME that makes a good parent. We are all very close, closer then most. I don't talk the talk with out having first WALKED THE WALK. Get it?

Eriksoln, very well said. I agree with a lot of what you said, but I have a different thought on this one point:

My desire to play hero came from my lack of confidence in my value as a nurse. I felt I needed TO BE ALL TO EVERYONE when it came to schedule needs. I felt inferior hence I thought I had to "make up ground" by being "Captain Flexible".

Personally, I choose to help out because I understand my value as a nurse. I've worked shorthanded. I've worked shifts when you never get a minute to sit down or eat something. I've worked shifts where I've cried on my break (when I finally took it) because I couldn't meet all the needs of the residents I was caring for. That's why I come in, or stay late, to help. I know what a huge difference just one nurse can make to her employees and her patients.

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

"I'm sorry, but I am not available to come in today." Lather, rinse, repeat.

Eriksoln, very well said. I agree with a lot of what you said, but I have a different thought on this one point:

Personally, I choose to help out because I understand my value as a nurse. I've worked shorthanded. I've worked shifts when you never get a minute to sit down or eat something. I've worked shifts where I've cried on my break (when I finally took it) because I couldn't meet all the needs of the residents I was caring for. That's why I come in, or stay late, to help. I know what a huge difference just one nurse can make to her employees and her patients.

Yeah. Kinda....cut from the same branch. I had this stigma that, if I didn't feel like I gave complete holistic care then I was failing as a nurse. So, even though I'm not top notch........if I help out every single chance I get, it makes up for it.

Lacking care day one.............I come in day two on my off day so care doesn't slip too much from short staffing. So on so forth. But, it's never ending. How many of us go home believing we gave "textbook" complete holistic care every single day? I don't. But I don't let it lead to behaviors that lead to me being overtired and at risk for having "compassion strain" anymore.

"I'm sorry, but I am not available to come in today." Lather, rinse, repeat.

What scent of bodysoap is that? I use Axe right now but might change to what you are using.

<_>

>_>

Cause I'm finding out, the Axe commercials are bogus. I'm yet to have a beautiful woman throw herself on me after I use it. Such a scam of an advertisement.

I began as a CNA and worked my way up the ladder. I have always answered the call to help, I have never and would never not answer the call to help even when I had pulled 72 hours in a row. Its what I do its what I CHOSE.

I also had childern at the time. They learned by what they saw not what I said. Thay are all in good professions. Its the LOVE not the TIME that makes a good parent. We are all very close, closer then most. I don't talk the talk with out having first WALKED THE WALK. Get it?

1. Anyone can be anything they want on a website, an RN, CNA, MD...

2. No I don't believe you have truly walked the walk, at least not for 10 or 15 year, if you have at all. If you did, your babysitter did a really good job raising your children, she must be very proud of their success.

3. There's nothing to get....so your point is?

What scent of bodysoap is that? I use Axe right now but might change to what you are using.

<_>

>_>

Cause I'm finding out, the Axe commercials are bogus. I'm yet to have a beautiful woman throw herself on me after I use it. Such a scam of an advertisement.

Hmm... so you *DO* need a stalker... I am still available. Surprisingly, no one has taken me up on that offer.

I and the other women that I hang around, we loathe Axe. It does the opposite of those commercials. Axe...Ugh....

hmm... so you *do* need a stalker... i am still available. surprisingly, no one has taken me up on that offer.

i'll take you up on it. stalk me, stalk me, stalk me please :). i want to set the record for "most stalked an member". i will be voted "most likely to be killed by an obsessed stalker".

i and the other women that i hang around, we loathe axe. it does the opposite of those commercials. axe...ugh....

on a more serious note, i have quit using axe. i've gone back to shae butter. there is a nursing related reason for it though.

i find the axe has very strong fragrances, the types you can smell from 20 feet away. unfortunately, my unit does have a good many copd patients. i'm very afraid of triggering breathing problems with that stuff on me.

shae butter cleans you and is very mild, doesn't give off an odor that can be detected from down the hallway. i feel its less likely to bother copd patients.

i'll take you up on it. stalk me, stalk me, stalk me please :). i want to set the record for "most stalked an member". i will be voted "most likely to be killed by an obsessed stalker".

on a more serious note, i have quit using axe. i've gone back to shae butter. there is a nursing related reason for it though.

i find the axe has very strong fragrances, the types you can smell from 20 feet away. unfortunately, my unit does have a good many copd patients. i'm very afraid of triggering breathing problems with that stuff on me.

shae butter cleans you and is very mild, doesn't give off an odor that can be detected from down the hallway. i feel its less likely to bother copd patients.

i actually make my son's go outside to put it on. the times they forget .. let's just say it has been a long time since the last time. (mid-winter .. temps -10.. windows open to the apt)

Time to rein it in a bit, folks.

Please, make your statements in a less personal manner.

Say what you believe without attacking another member. Keep your assertions general. Direct your posts toward what others say, not toward them. If you're using, "you" a lot in your post and your post is meant for a specific member, that can be a good indication that you're making it too personal.

I would also ask that members hold off on inside jokes from threads in AN Central. Without the context, the comments can look improper and out of place.

Thanks.

If you want to work, work. If you don't want to work, don't work.

I've been an RN for over 20 years and I've learned a painful lesson - working extra does not win you brownie points. Au contraire, it seems to earn an extra measure of disrespect from some managers - they knew I was such a doormat, a weak little people pleaser, that I would sacrifice my personal time and my family obligations just to get their little pat on the head.

Work does not care if you have to pry your kids off your legs, crying "mommy, why are you always working?" Work does not care if you miss your anniversary dinner. Work does not care if you are so exhausted you crash your car on the way home, as long as you manage to clock in tomorrow.

I only work if I want the money. That's why I'm agency. I have no trouble saying no. If they want me bad enough they'll show me the money. I worked Christmas day last year because they offered me 65$/hr. For that much money I'd strip to my underwear and dance the hokey pokey.

There's PLENTY of nurses out there who need work. You are not morally obligated to pick up extra shifts because HR is dragging their feet on hiring someone else. The other nurses can do wound care too - they may not as well as you but they can still do it. No one is going to die if you're not there.

Don't feel guilty. You will have other jobs but your children need you now. And I'd ignore their vm's too. They know they have spots to fill, they know you don't want the OT, so why are they calling you? They're wasting time they could be using to interview. Poor time management skills, if you ask me.