Tired of being asked to work extra...

[KarmaComesAround]

I am tired of work calling me on my days/nights off or catching me at work and asking me to work extra shifts. It is hard enough to work my 3 12-hour night shifts in a row (which end up being 14 hours). I have switched with people before or worked another night if I can have one of my other nights off (although I prefer having my shifts in a row), but pulling a 4th one is hard, and I am afraid I would make a med error or something. I am so tired by the end of my 3rd night.... I want to help out, but my body and brain are saying "NO!". I end up feeling so guilty. Also, I make plans on my days off and I try to get on a regular schedule. Anyway, should I feel so guilty? Do you?

[patwil73]

One of the few things I dislike about my job is having to call people and ask if they are willing to come in. I do it because 1) it is part of my job description and 2) I can not leave staff unsafe on any unit (this is a moral issue to me).

Now we have a extra on sign up sheet we go through first for filling in holes.

Then we call every agency to see if they have available staff (before calling our own staff to come in extra!)

Finally, only if the staffing levels are what I consider unsafe do I make the decision to start calling people in. It is not fun, but it needs to be done. I don't want an explanation just a yes or no (so I can meet my staffing levels and you can get back to sleep).

This last Saturday was a perfect example. Every unit was stretched tight. As nursing supervisor I had to take over charge in CCU and take a patient there - along with responding to codes (1 in house that night) and Medical Responses (2 in house that night) plus calls for help from every floor. I had 5 critical care patients in my ER that I couldn't move up or out due to instability and lack of staff. So i made the decision for staffing to call dayshift at 0200 to see if we could get anyone to come in and help out. I realized it was the middle of the night, but we were literally drowning.

No one came in and we somehow made it through the night. When dayshift came in everyone was extremely upset - however I made the decision I did for pt safety. In 2 years I have only had to do that once (and I can count on 2 hands the number of times I have had to try and call staff in).

Sometimes no one wants to work extra.

Sometimes no agency is available.

Rarely do patients stop coming to the hospital. We have to take care of who we have and that includes the ER.

That all being said, don't feel guilty if you can't come in. Your life is yours. However if you can understand that we operate under the same constraints you do. There are not enough nurses working in hospitals to fully staff the units. Until that changes or patients learn how to start their own IV's and give their own medicine that they make themselves, people will be called to come in. Hopefully it won't be often.

Hope this helps,

Pat

[EmmaG, RN]

On the other side of the coin (does that make three sides now???)...

As charge I take a full load of patients and doing all this staffing crap takes an inordinate amount of time out of my shift; it's not unusual for it to take an hour (or longer) to get it settled and the assignment made.

So in the interest of saving time I've had occasions where I've decided to skip over staff who I know from experience always say no--- only to have them later complain about not being called as they 'really could have used the overtime'.

[Hydakins]

I agree, and it doesnt just go for nurses. We are human before we are whatever our titles are. We need to take care of the human part first.

[eccentricRN]

I can understand both side of the coin here, as I have been the one who had to call staff when the current shift was not going to be filled for whatever reason & I also know how it feels to be called & asked when you really do not want to do anything but enjoy your day or days off.

My motto is just say NO.. if I don't want to work extra... no explanation, I just say no I'm not available. In my experience you do it enough & they simply stop calling. Turn off the phone & let voicemail pick it up.. is another way to avoid the calls if you have a true difficulty in saying no... and NEVER, EVER feel guilty for taking care of yourself, only you know your own limits.