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.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
please note the OP was hired for DAYS. and is being forced to work MONDAY noc because the noc nurses don't want to. for what ever reason.
I wish I had a dollar for every new employee I've worked with who was SURE they were hired for days. It turns out, when you check the paperwork, they were hired for rotating shifts or "schedule as needed." That does not mean "as needed" by the employee. It means as needed by the facility.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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.-
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.-
Did you actually read the posts? Because you totally misrepresented me in your previous post. The "collective" largely agreed with her regarding the shift issue. The OP completely stepped in it when she brought up the kid thing. That's ​what people are objecting to.
At 2 of my jobs in nursing, there were enough "steady" night people to essentially fully staff nights, so some nurses worked full time days for several years. However, when a couple night shift people leave (i.e., move on/quit) at the same time, there are several holes in the schedule. Some nurses were then forced into working nights, and some raised holy heck. They claimed they were "hired as fun time days," but it turns out they just got lucky--any full time nurse needs to be prepared to work some night shifts. If you have written statement/offer letter that clearly states you are full time days, bring it to you NM...otherwise, you are stuck with some nights.
Now for the part I agree with you on....I think you were treated unfairly. Everywhere I worked has a Monday/Friday requirement (as an example, everyone must work at least one Monday and one Friday a schedule). Does your unit have such a policy? I think it is unfair that people are able to block off every Monday just because "they don't like to work Mondays." If so it might be time to bring out that policy and and respectfully present it to the schedule maker(s).
Finally, regarding the nurses with/without kids issue: I'm pretty sure you learned that you should never bring that up again; nor should you continue to believe that having children gives a nurse a priority on schedule requests. Otherwise, pretty much anything I would say on the topic has been brought up by PP.
Are you serious right now? I work, have kids and go to school. I work nights on Monday for 12 hours and then days on Wednesday for 12 hours. Stop acting as if this is the end of the world! Be grateful you have a job right now, as many nurses are without due to the job market. A manager is not required to work around your children, nor are your coworkers. Implying that your own need is greater than your coworkers, is selfish and extremely unprofessional. We all have lives outside of our work life, and your own kids do not trump the needs of another. We take care of dying family members, are attending school or are working another job to make ends meet. Not wanting to work a Monday, might be a very personal reason that the coworker does not want to disclose. You do not get to decide what they can and cannot do, due to you having children. This post has to be one of the most selfish and unprofessional posts I have read on here. This is another classic example of the sense of entitlement people can get and expecting the world to revolve around them and only them.
Finish your current rotation and negotiate with your manager. Say no to always working Monday night, and do it in a firm manner. Do not bring up the child vs no child thing. It is not your manager's job to care.
Oh, and one more thing--childless staff aren't there to pick up shifts that staff with kids don't want. I don't have a kid, but I like my days off as much as the nurse with kids.
Nurses without children also may have elderly parents or other family members that need assistance. Just because you have kids doesn't mean you get preferential treatment.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
The "but I have kids" thing is a hot button issue for many of us. I learned early on when I was told "You should work my holidays for me because I have kids and you have no life." Nope. Sorry. No can do. (OK, I'm not really sorry, either.) Anyone who is fortunate enough to have children when they want to have them should be counting their blessings rather than counting on having their coworkers pick up their slack.
My husband, a nurse for 35 years, spent 30 of them bending over backward to accommodate nurses with children, both in switching with them and in scheduling. He did the schedule for his unit for years. He'd work the crap shifts if someone said they needed it off for a child-related reason. Then I got cancer. I had to go for treatment five days a week, and I couldn't drive. Do you think all those parents he did favors for over the years would help him out? I had co-workers lining up to drive me to treatments (and I wasn't one to accommodate the "but I have kids" requests). Good thing, because his colleagues wouldn't budge on their schedules to help us out.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
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 aren't rude, and seriously after the year I've had it takes alot more than a person on an internet message board to upset me.
What would I do if I ilved some distance away? Move. As soon as possible so that I could be closer. I'm fortunate in that respect of not having kids that I can pick up and go if need be. I had planned to go and do a year in Saudi Arabia, however thats on hold indefinitely at this point, dont want to get in country and then have to try and get out in a hurry if things deteriorate here
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.
Absolutely, and if I can I will, however I take the POV that my rostered days on are my first priority. It was the assertion that somehow those of us without kids should bend over backwards to accomodate those with kids because as everyone knows those without children dont have any outside obligations or responsibilities [/endsarcarm].
I wish I had a dollar for every new employee I've worked with who was SURE they were hired for days. It turns out, when you check the paperwork, they were hired for rotating shifts or "schedule as needed." That does not mean "as needed" by the employee. It means as needed by the facility.
I have worked bedside for 30 Years. I have always accommodated staffing needs ( still do on my work from home job). I have NEVER been asked to swing from days to nights in the same week.
OP knows it is affecting her performance, and it is not safe. IF the " paperwork" somehow covers this.. forcing ANY nurse , to swing shift to cover staffing holes is a safety issue.
How about "as needed" by the facility.. with using common sense?
Manager needs to cover her holes with agency staff.. not use and abuse the day shift.
I dont understand why do you even get employed only on days or only on nights. Dont you have the option of doing both? While someone might prefer to do only nights or only days here in the UK this is a matter of agreement during your interview. Once agreed it will not be changed unless you asked for it. Everyone else tend to get employed on a day- night rotation. We would work 2 long days for example then 2 days off,,another long day , day off then 2 or 3 nights. People with children do usually get what they ask for and those without children too. But we have constant shortage of nurses here so the employers give us what we want most of the time. Seems like your employers need to reeducate themselves about benefit of happy staff and staff retention.
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Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
I wish I had a dollar for every new employee I've worked with who was SURE they were hired for days. It turns out, when you check the paperwork, they were hired for rotating shifts or "schedule as needed." That does not mean "as needed" by the employee. It means as needed by the facility.