I work in a busy little ER. We are often short staffed. I hired on part-time mid-shifts which means I'm required to work two 12 hour shifts in a week. When each 6 week schedule comes out I generally pick up one shift a week to make myself 'full time' hours. But I HATE being called and asked on a day that I'm at home and off, if I'd be willing to come in.
I never agree to come in when I'm called like this. I understand that they need help and they have to ask, but is it poor of me to not agree to this?
I have, in the past, agreed to stay for 12 hours after picking up 7. I don't mind staying if I'm already there, I just hate coming in if I hadn't planned on going in at all.
Furthermore, since spring is coming kind of early this year, I didn't pick up a third day for the up coming 6 week schedule. How come I feel so guilty about this? And why is it that my co-workers seem jealous that I only work two days a week? No I don't have another job. Why? Because I've spent the last 4 years paying off as much debt as I possibly could so that I wouldn't be trapped into working a whole lot! Working part time I can pay all my bills, put some in savings, and still have enough to 'play' with on my days off. To be clear here I make $2000.00 a month after taxes and insurace. I know it's not a lot, but I didn't want to be a work slave so I keep my interests low cost or free. I don't like working for other people. I like working on stuff for myself.
Why is this wrong?
And it isn't like I'm not an active participant at work. I do a Kids Clinic for girl/boy scout troups. That was a project that was assigned to me by my employer. I know it isn't a committee, but it is advertisement for the hospital and takes a few hours every couple of weeks for me to do. Why is that not enough? I live an hour and 10 minutes away from my job! Why isn't what I do enough?
I pick up enough day and evening shifts to bring me up to full-time. But I don't work nights and I refuse to stay for night shift if someone calls off. I do not feel guilty at all. Staffing is not my problem.
"i never agree to come in when i'm called like this. i understand that they need help and they have to ask, but is it poor of me to not agree to this? no! never.
i have, in the past, agreed to stay for 12 hours after picking up 7. i don't mind staying if i'm already there, i just hate coming in if i hadn't planned on going in at all.
why is this wrong?it's not wrong. don't beat yourself up over it.
and it isn't like i'm not an active participant at work. i do a kids clinic for girl/boy scout troups. that was a project that was assigned to me by my employer. i know it isn't a committee, but it is advertisement for the hospital and takes a few hours every couple of weeks for me to do. why is that not enough? i live an hour and 10 minutes away from my job! why isn't what i do enough? what you do is enough!
never ever feel bad about refusing to pick up extra shifts. i worked hard for many years, was on multiple committees, would come in on my days off to give inservices, etc. when a weekend option plan became availble, i signed on. i worked 12 hour shifts every saturday and sunday night only, for years. that is all i worked. no extra shifts. i gave 100% of myself while i was at work, but when i was off duty, i stayed home. with my three lovely :paw::paw::paw:
i have an answering machine, and it's a wonderful thing. :) it's on all the time. if i saw that it was the unit calling to ask me to come in, i did't pick up the phone.
enjoy every minute of your days off, because you deserve it. your health and happiness are your priority. smile at other nurses if they start making comments about being jealous of you, ad don't answer them. they have not been through what you have; they are not you; they have not lived your life.
people used to ask me what i did with all the 'free time' i had, and there was a time when i'd actually try to answer them. one day i thought---you know what, 'this is my life, and i can do what i want when i'm off'. i'd start making up answers, like "oh, you didn't know i worked for jcaho undercover when i'm not here? or "well, then i go to my second job at the fbi."
one good thing our unit implemented, b/c it was a large unit, was having a list of nurses posted in the area manager's office who are not available to work any extra shifts. they would not call these nurses, and i was one of them. i know that staff that worked day shift were sometimes called @ 0430 by the shift coordinator asking if they'd come in early, or if they'd stay over for 4 hours. very unhappy husbands there!
some of our nurses lived close to 2 hours away, and would sign up fo an extra 4-12 hour shift every once in a while. on more than one occasion, they had actually arrived at the hospital, only to be told "oh, we had a nurse floated in, we didn't need you." or "oh, we discharged 4 patients today. our staffing's ok." when the unit was actually bursting at the seams, do you think these nurses would volunteer to come in? nope.
you mentioned that you lived over an hour away from your job. what about factoring in the time you spend getting ready for work, a round-trip drive of over 2 hours each day you work, the gas spend driving that distance, etc.? plus the hours you put in @ the kids' clinic you work at!
Don't feel guilty, and don't let your coworkers make you feel guilty. I am PDR/PRN at my hospital and I am only obligated to work 8 shifts every 8 weeks which includes 2 weekend shifts. I usually sign up for 16 shifts every 8 weeks though, so twice of what I'm supposed to. But because I'm PDR, I had a lot of my coworkers asking if I would work their weekend shift for them. Not trade weekends, but just work it for them while they take a vacation day. I used to say yes a lot, because of guilt, but I quit doing that because I ended up working more weekends than if I were a full time employee! I had to convince myself not to feel bad about saying no.
You should not feel bad about it. Give 100% on the days you're scheduled. That's your only obligation.
Specializes in Rehab, Neuro, Travel Nurse, Home Care.
I'm part time also, but I usually sign up for 36 hours. Whenever I sign up for 20 hours I always get calls. I never answer the phone and I don't feel guilty at all.
When i first went to part time I had a lot of haters on my floor. At first they thought I was forced to go part time, then they wanted to know how I was able to live with my pay decrease and what do I do with all my free time. Then when I started picking up more hours, they thought I was having money problems.
I've worked part-time for the last 4 yrs, picking up an extra shift quite often. Then they decided to mandate extra shifts (w/o OC/OT pay) and decided that all PT and PRN staff would be required to work their extra shifst before making a FT person work extra (it used to be based on seniority). I receive PT benefits (I pay more for insurance, earn less PTO, etc) that are not changed when I work FT hours. I do not feel bad about saying no any more. They are getting more than enough work hours out of me.
I've been asked several times if I have a second job or how I was able to work PT which isn't anybody's business. I've been a full time student for the past 2 yrs and I have two kids to raise. They are not going to do any of my school work or raise my kids for me. I've decided to take a full-time position at another facility, not because I need to but because it has been very difficult to find a part-time position in my area and I'm sick of the administration I currently work for. I'm tired of being expected to cover their staffing holes without adequate compensation. I figure that if I'm going to work FT hours, I'm going to get FT benefits.
No. You are not responsible for the problems that other people create. if the unit is short-staffed, its because the hospital administration have made decisions that make it an unattractive place to work for you and your co-workers. Work your hours and move on.
Don't feel guilty. But why take it so personally when they call you? They probably call a lot of people. Just say no or don't answer the phone. No big.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
Do not feel guilty. I am sure as a part time employee you will not get benefits for working full time hours even if you pretty much are as a matter of course. If they want you full time they need to hire you full time....with all that entails for you.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
DO NOT FEEL GUILTY! DO NOT FEEL GUILTY! As a supervisor and manager, calling to cover is like telemarketing. You just keep on dialing the next number, maybe I'll get a hit. You feel guilty because you care. You help enough by picking up anything....trust me they know you pick up. Heck, you are working full time and not getting the benefits, they're making out like bandits. I am glad you get to work part time...this time with your kids , once it is gone it is gone forever. I always said that all I want as my epitath is "Wonderful Mom, devoted wife, Loving sister, Doting Aunt, Beloved daughter........p.s. she was a nurse"
My kids learned caller ID at a very young age. Then I got one of those cheap cell phones that was specifically for work (when I wasn't a manager) so when it rang I knew who it was and just didn't answer.
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
There will always be shifts to fill. You signed on for part time. That means you didn't agree to full time (or more). Besides, I doubt you get benefits, do you? So, if you work full time or more, they get your time for less than it costs to have someone else fill the shifts.
Don't feel guilty. It sounds like you're a very dedicated person and want to do what you can to help your coworkers. But don't feel you must do it if you don't want to do it. Feel good about sticking up for yourself when it's not in the cards, and feel good about yourself when you are able to help out. Just don't but the burden on yourself for it to be your responsibility at the expense of other things you want and need to do....
DO NOT FEEL GUILTY! 
DragonPurr
87 Posts
You shouldn't feel guilty, EVER. They certainly don't feel guilty when they call you off.