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?
The final straw was when I was working 2 nights in a row... and got called while I was sleeping after the first night to see if I could work the second night. The number the calls come from was immediately blocked following this.
I never feel guilty! When I was much younger I would pick up and come in for back to backs and then one day I figured out they didn't give a rats butt about me or how much I picked up. I was just filling gaps and burning myself out. I realized they will use you, abuse you, and then one day you'll ask for something and be told 'no can do'. I now work part time, and love it! I'm not rich and it takes a lot longer to pay down my debt, but I'm doing it. I enjoy my time off and rarely pick up anymore.
I see many new staff doing the same thing I used to do. Most of them figure it out too.
Just yesterday, they tried suckering me into taking another day shift. If I picked up, it would mean working 4 day shifts in a row, and then 3 night shifts in a row -- 7 shifts in a row! I told them I wasn't crazy enough for that. Then one nurse goes, "When I was your age, I worked all the time." I wanted to say, "Yeah, that's great for you" but I just kept my mouth shut and left before they could say anymore.
I've worked myself to the bone twice before when I was a student (once in high school, another in university). It wasn't fun. I was always exhausted (a friend once said I looked dead, and she wasn't joking), I got sick all the time, and I broke down into tears a few times because I felt so stressed and overwhelmed. I don't want to repeat that just for a little extra money or a little bit of gratitude at work. It's not worth it.
Specializes in Peds home care...vents,dialysis, transpl.
you need to learn the difference between "BASIC" and "PHASIC". Basic to a situation is what it is ALWAYS...Nurses are always asked to do more....always always. Phasic is when a situation is only occasional...occasionally Nurses will have a day when they are not expected to be a codependent in an intolerable situation. You need to stop feeling guilty and put your priority on what is BASIC in your life...your own family. Good Luck. you did not create this situation..do not continue to perpetuate it.
I have an option on my phone that can block a phone number from ringing, and send it straight to voice mail. This way I don't have to see when they are calling and feel guilty for not picking it up. I get a nice voicemail, that usually says "give us a call if you can pick up X shift" Needless to say I can never pick up X shift.
Actually, I should be saying that to myself cause today I got a call to come in to do an extra, but I didn't answer, went straight to voicemail. A co-worker of mine texted me saying she heard my boss and staffing talk about me. They give me time off and I never return the favor. Why are they playing this guilt game with me. I did an extra for them before and they totally screwed me over. I was only supposed to stay for 8 hours but ended up doing a double cause apparently someone "called out" last minute. I didn't even get a "Thank you for coming in" or anything.
Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.
Nothing irritates me more than getting calls from work on my time off. I send that **** straight to voicemail and don't call back. I work 36 hours/week, and only pick up shifts that **I** choose to pick up - not when someone's begging on the phone.
One of their tricks is to call during the week and say "BUT! If you work tonight, you can take off Friday or Saturday!!!" Future Mr. Halfmarathoner works those nights, and while I enjoy having the house to myself, I don't mind the third shift weekend differential
Don't feel guilty. You aren't obligated to work any more than you are scheduled. I feel guilty when they ask me to pick up a shift and I say no, too, so I know how you feel. When they call, I don't answer. I let them leave a voice mail and then if I really do want to pick up an extra shift, I call back. If they corner me and ask me while I'm at work, it's harder for me to say no. If they're putting me on the spot, I say I have to check and see if I can make child care arrangements and then will come back later and let them know if I can or can't pick up the shift.
I stopped feeling guilty about not picking up shifts when one employer literally conned me into working a day-evening double (I usually worked evenings), then didn't want to pay me overtime for the extra hours. After that, I stopped returning the schedulers' calls. Then my manager talked to me about not returning calls. I returned calls, but I said "no" far more than I said "yes".
I don't take it personally when I'm called about picking up shifts. They have to find someone to fill the hole, and that someone does not have to be me. If I feel like picking up a shift, I do; otherwise, I don't.
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natnat122
475 Posts