Hello everyone. I have been reading discussion on this site for the past few years. Ive finally decided to come here to vent and get some advice. My manager asked me to work every Monday night on this schedule, while still doing two 7a-8p shifts. We do 13 hour shifts at my facility. She claims that the night nurses that she has can not work Monday nights. These nurses do not have young children, but just "prefer" not to work Monday night. I have a one year old child. I agreed to work the shift, but only be because she said I would work Monday night and then come back on a Thursday or Friday.
Well she didn't make the schedule out that way. She has working every wedensday morning. They only gives me one day off. I will sleep most of that day. I worked like this last week and was utterly exhausted and disoriented. When I asked her if I could have some time to thin about working Monday night she said no I have to get the schedule out. Then she stared going on about making it "mandatory". This manager also asks me to cover a night shift whenever she has a call out. She does not ask the other nurses. I've only been at this job a few months.
I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. What do you guys think? Should I suck it up or seek other employment? Sorry this is so disjointed! Your feedback is appreciate.
I did not imply that I knew what their lives were like. You appear ignorant to make that assumption about the post. Would you like to work my Monday night 13 hour shift and report to work at 0700 Wed.? Feel free to do so. This is an unfair schedule. An EMPATHETIC manager takes someone's home life into account when creating a schedule. No one should have to rotate unless there is a dire necessity. Not just because the other nurses "don't like Mondays".
In an ideal world, a manager would take home life of workers into account. Really, the manager's job is to staff the facility - no matter what.
Can you see where the manager can't always, if ever, coordinate everyone's home life with staffing needs?
A thought: You try making a schedule sample, taking all requests into account. See if you can do it. Maybe you can. Smart managers sometimes have their staff do this as a team and it's amazing how few holes are left for the manager to fill. Tread lightly for a while, though, do this only in private - just you, in private. Say nothing to anyone about it for now.
Talk to your boss about the next schedule (the one after the one she's working on now) and get her to understand how ill you feel now, how you agreed to rotate because she had said you could have 2 days off after working Monday night. Be respectul to her always, even if she is a weasel. Do NOT bring up kids!!!
And remember that the holidays are coming up, so that could throw a monkey wrench into the mix until January.
I am so sorry you are frustrated and you are probably are not going to like what I have to say.
Scheduling is a nightmare no matter how you slice it. As a manager it was my one single nemesis. Here is the deal. Just because you were "Hired for Days" does not mean you will only work days. Most nurses do not work for union facilities that have scheduling as a part of a written contract. I am willing to bet that if you look at your personnel booklet, paperwork, or online policies that will state that there are no real "permanent" shifts and scheduling will be done for unit needs and is up to the mangers discretion/seniority.
I am so sorry you are so upset. Unfortunately, most managers try to be careful of staff requests but it is impossible to make everyone happy. Whether one has a child or not has no bearing on the schedule, per se, as people without children also have scheduling preferences.
My suggestion to you, as a new nurse entering a lifetime of shift work and missing holidays, need to find out what is acceptable for you and approach your manager in a calm professional manner and present your situation and work out the schedule the best you can. There is no labor law that limits nurses to only one shift. It is common to have to rotate 2 shifts in one week. That is why I worked straight nights.
Ask for what you need in a calm professional manner. Check the personnel scheduling policy first. I wish you the best.
Agreed. When hired for a Day/Night shift, I switched to straight 3-11 instead. I didn't see how I could possibly thrive or even survive on a ridiculous D/N shift.
Unless one is a natural night owl or doesn't need much sleep, I think a straight shift is the best.
My manager scedules to cover the shifts in the facility and ensure each shift is as well staffed as possible and thats her only priority.
Doesnt mean she isnt empathetic or willing to work with people. When I had to take a day at short notice as I had to take my mum to the oncologist shortly after my brother in law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she was brilliant, however I certainly would not want to make a habit of the short notice because it makes rostering a nightmare.
I don't want to seem rude, Tenebrae, so I apologize in advance if I hurt or anger you.
If you lived too far away from your family members with serious medical issues, what would you do? Suppose you were several hours or several days away? You would not be able to be involved in their care too often. I used to be far, far away from family, so that's how it was for us. We could not realistically be involved in much of life's happenings with them.
Since you do live close enough to them apparently, it is wonderful that you help whenever you can and I am hapy that you are able to share life with them.
And no - OP's childcare issues are not really your problem. Help her? Sure, if you can reasonably do that. Forced to? No.
OP when I was reading your opening thread, I was having some sympathy because it does seem like a tough schedule. However, then you posted this above. Just because someone does not have kids does not mean that they can work every night.
have you tried talking to your co-workers to see what is going on, maybe someone may switch once in a while with you.
Your manager did ask you, and you agreed to the Monday nights. If you have things in your life such as child care issues, you should factor those into your scheduling. There are things that I really care about and I have adjusted my schedule sometimes and just dealt with it at other times.
Managers care about the balance on the units and patient safety. If they factored in every employee's home life, the unit would be empty of nurse's. While for you it is your child, for other's it may be their husband, wife, friend, family, etc.
Talk to your co-workers and see what can be done. Child or no children working is always ahrd.
she agreed to the monday nocs, WITH 2 FULL days before the next shift, which she did not get.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Hello everyone. I have been reading discussion on this site for the past few years. Ive finally decided to come here to vent and get some advice. My manager asked me to work every Monday night on this schedule, while still doing two 7a-8p shifts. We do 13 hour shifts at my facility. She claims that the night nurses that she has can not work Monday nights. These nurses do not have young children, but just "prefer" not to work Monday night. I have a one year old child. I agreed to work the shift, but only be because she said I would work Monday night and then come back on a Thursday or Friday.
Well she didn't make the schedule out that way. She has working every wedensday morning. They only gives me one day off. I will sleep most of that day. I worked like this last week and was utterly exhausted and disoriented. When I asked her if I could have some time to thin about working Monday night she said no I have to get the schedule out. Then she stared going on about making it "mandatory". This manager also asks me to cover a night shift whenever she has a call out. She does not ask the other nurses. I've only been at this job a few months.
I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. What do you guys think? Should I suck it up or seek other employment? Sorry this is so disjointed! Your feedback is appreciate.
Whether or not you -- or anyone else -- has kids is not an issue. YOU decided to have the child, YOU decided to become a nurse, YOU decided to take this job. The fact that you have a child or that someone else doesn't has no bearing on scheduling.
Since you've only been at the job a few months, it is probably a seniority issue. Whether it personally benefits you or not, that's a fair way of making scheduling decisions.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
It has nothing to do with seniority. Having a child does matter actually. Nurses without children do not have to worry about childcare and should be available to work any given night. I was hired for day shift and am being assigned a Monday night shift because of "preference" and not necessity.
Having a child does not matter actually. Nurses without children may have to worry about elder care, about pet care, about babysitting nieces and nephews so their sibling can go to work or go to school or any number of things that are just as legitimate as your child care issue. And I think it's pretty nasty and entitled that you would imply that you should get scheduling preference over a childless nurse.
I think well near all of you have missed the point. She worked last noc, a shift she is not used to working, she has clearly stated it is causing her to feel disoriented and ill. But, you expect clearheadedness, why would that be? would you treat your patients that way? She is being **** on, big time. and we all know it. She shopped for the job that best fit her live style, and now they are trying to change it, and you, the collective you, seem "heck" bent on dumping on her, enough! OP, you need to say NO, and stick to it.-
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
IM NOT ASKING FOR PRIORITY! I was hired for DAY SHIFT. With no rotations mentioned what so ever. I'm asking for a fair schedule. The two night nurses should have been able to alternate working Mondays. I agreed to rotate only because I was promised two days off in between.
You were hired for day shift. A need arose on night shift. As the least senior person, you were asked to fill in. If you check your employee handbook, I would bet that your employer is entitled to switch you to full time nights as long as a need exists and you have the option of either quitting or complying.
But given your entitled attitude, I, like posters before me, have lost sympathy. If you're complaining to all and sundry about the unfairness of your situation, I'm better your colleagues have lost sympathy as well.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I did not imply that I knew what their lives were like. You appear ignorant to make that assumption about the post. Would you like to work my Monday night 13 hour shift and report to work at 0700 Wed.? Feel free to do so. This is an unfair schedule. An EMPATHETIC manager takes someone's home life into account when creating a schedule. No one should have to rotate unless there is a dire necessity. Not just because the other nurses "don't like Mondays".
You're not getting it. YOU said that the fact that you have a child should make a difference. It does not.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
AMEN! The OP was waaaaay off base and completely offensive with that remark. Every single one of us Nurses makes personal sacrifices for our job. The OP's narcissistic assumption hit a nerve with me.
My response to the OP is this: Your schedule sucks, likely because your attitude sucks! and you won't be successful at negotiating scheduling with your coworkers with such a narcissistic and self-aggrandizing attitude. You are and your time is NOT any more important than any other nurse simply because you have a child. Pining yourself against the childless is not a way to win this argument. I suspect your coworkers have picked up on your bad attitude and that is why you're having scheduling issues. Get off your high horse and watch how things improve
This!
Your attitude sucks, and that probably has a lot to do with your schedule sucking.
and you won't be successful at negotiating scheduling with your coworkers with such a narcissistic and self-aggrandizing attitude. You are and your time is NOT any more important than any other nurse simply because you have a child. Pining yourself against the childless is not a way to win this argument. I suspect your coworkers have picked up on your bad attitude and that is why you're having scheduling issues. Get off your high horse and watch how things improve 
Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
In an ideal world, a manager would take home life of workers into account. Really, the manager's job is to staff the facility - no matter what.
Can you see where the manager can't always, if ever, coordinate everyone's home life with staffing needs?
A thought: You try making a schedule sample, taking all requests into account. See if you can do it. Maybe you can. Smart managers sometimes have their staff do this as a team and it's amazing how few holes are left for the manager to fill. Tread lightly for a while, though, do this only in private - just you, in private. Say nothing to anyone about it for now.
Talk to your boss about the next schedule (the one after the one she's working on now) and get her to understand how ill you feel now, how you agreed to rotate because she had said you could have 2 days off after working Monday night. Be respectul to her always, even if she is a weasel. Do NOT bring up kids!!!
And remember that the holidays are coming up, so that could throw a monkey wrench into the mix until January.
I wish you the best.