Working triple shifts

Jules A, MSN · Aug 9, 2009

Hopefully others will have better advice but in my experience if the "powers that be" are aware of these type things and ignore them there is little that will change. Personally if I didn't think management was prone to change I would find another job. Good luck.

elkpark · Aug 9, 2009

If management knows about this and tolerates it, I would start working on getting out of there ASAP. If (when!) something goes seriously wrong, you, as the licensed person, will end up getting held accountable. Even under the current economic/employment conditions, it's not worth the risk. Find another job!

Best wishes!

Aviationurse · Aug 9, 2009

thanks for the advice.most of my coworkers ie mental health techs belong to the same church as the nurse manager..my charge nurse who oriented me to the unit told me "what happens in the night shift...stays in the night shift"..aint that something? for now, i am on probation...just got out of orientation and currently looking for psych full time jobs out there....nobody hiring....thanks for listening...:heartbeat

Whispera, MSN, RN · Aug 10, 2009

When you've found something else, please go to the chief adminstrator and voice your concerns. This a a disaster waiting to happen!

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Aug 12, 2009

Your mental health counselors are endangering both your license and your safety. You have already reported the problem to administration and they apparently don't care enough to correct it. Time will only make this situation worse, and I wouldn't want to be on duty when the whole thing comes crashing down. The only thing these people would see of me is my vapor trail as I flew out the door.

Vito Andolini · Aug 13, 2009

Lay low for a little while, stop complaining to or informing your boss - she already knows and wants to keep that sweet deal going. She will deny, of course, that you ever told her anything, like everyone's asleep but you and you will be left holding the bag if something bad happens.

You must put this in writing, a formal grievance or whatever it's called there, and get it to her boss, the next boss, and the next one, all the way up the line to the very top.

Or, you can take the path of less resistance and less grief and, after being silent on it for a while, inform whoever accredits the place, whoever licenses it, or the owner, if it is a private facility!!!

You could be anonymous, pretend to be a patient's relative or something, say the patient has been telling you that the staff are all asleep except for a nurse. Or you can be honest and complain to them openly.

Sadly, there will be a big stink for a while but it will all likely die down and you will be the only one grieving and leaving.

You have to decide how serious it is that they are asleep. It is dangerous, it is not ethical. Quietly refuse to do their work. Make the assignment, keep your own personal copy of it. Give them report, make sure they know what you expect of them. Do absolutely wake them up and say this or that needs to be done. Does it get old? Yes. Should you have to do that? No. Do it anyway. Let them think you are accepting of the situation, if they think of you at all. Confrontation will do no good, as you have found out, and you really, really, really need to watch your back now, so they seem to start trusting you again. Always follow policy and procedure to the letter.

Never mind what they are getting paid or how many hours they are working. That is not your concern. You don't even know if what you have heard is true. Your problem is that they are endangering you and they are not watching the patients. Never mind trying to make them be ethical to their employer. Their boss is their employer to them and they are being "loyal" to her. What a sick situation. But true.

Some people do have to work a lot to survive but they should not do it at your or the patients' expense.

The only cure I know is to either pray a whole lot , leave, or maybe you could join the same church and sleep, too. Sad and hypocritical that their church beliefs allow them to do this stealing from their employer and not serving the clients.

Keep safe, keep quiet, don't let them hurt you.

Have you actually confronted the workers themselves or just the Manager?

psalm, RN · Aug 13, 2009

Call the state hotline...

Call a reporter...

Aviationurse · Aug 14, 2009

thanks for all your replies...worked registry here x 10 years ago in another unit....staff were sleeping..lights have to be all out except for dim light....intake worker watching dirty movie on line and all admissions deflected for am shift...we get death threat letters/envelopes on the drawer...night supervisor dont give a hoot...quit next day....

considering going to another specialty/look around for another job before something bad happens.......registry staff are also setting up the new hires here bec they will work happily for top dollar (45$/hr)...all weekend crew are registry and agency staff...just got out of orientation and ready to fly but need food on my table to support my family....:redbeathe

Vito Andolini · Aug 14, 2009

thanks for all your replies...worked registry here x 10 years ago in another unit....staff were sleeping..lights have to be all out except for dim light....intake worker watching dirty movie on line and all admissions deflected for am shift...we get death threat letters/envelopes on the drawer...night supervisor dont give a hoot...quit next day....
considering going to another specialty/look around for another job before something bad happens.......registry staff are also setting up the new hires here bec they will work happily for top dollar (45$/hr)...all weekend crew are registry and agency staff...just got out of orientation and ready to fly but need food on my table to support my family....:redbeathe

Is this a private facility? Do the owners know all of this? Has the Board of Directors been informed? What about the payors - CMS if any Medicare patients, other insurance companies? How about sanitation there?

How about some anonymous tips to news sources and to the CEO and Risk Manager? This place sounds like a real dump. Death threats??? From whom, to whom, and why?

psalm, RN · Aug 14, 2009

Can you imagine the uproar if pilots did this? After all, all they do is take off, sit there and make turns now and then, stay on course, land and everyone's happy...

Smitty08 · Aug 14, 2009

This seems to happen in a lot of facilities and is truly terrible. It puts the licensed person in a terrible position. If the RN in charge knows this is going on and there is a safety lapse, suicide or whatever, how could you possibly defend yourself in court. That could lead to a loss of one's license. Truly not worth it. Best of luck to anyone in this very difficult situation!