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I work hard at being kind of a win-win sort of a person.
But sometimes it backfires.
Especially when dealing with Night Nurses. When it comes to Night Nurses, I ‘ve almost decided that I simply can’t win.
When we let one of our night nurses go a few months ago, our other Night Nurse asked us to please not hire another nurse, but rather to allow her to have those hours.
Okay, I thought.  She’s pretty good with Parker and when she’s here I’m actually able to sleep. Let’s give it a go.
It worked well for the first few months. Our only requirements were that we need at least ONE weekend night covered. Other than that this nurse could pick the nights she wanted to work because we knew that she has a family too.
Recently this nurse took 10 days off. No biggie. Our Day Nurse was willing to cover a Saturday. Except the Night Nurse didn’t want the day nurse to take ‘her’ hours while she was gone.
For, you know, TEN nights.
(In other words, Night Nurse prefers to have her cake and eat it too.)
It sucked. But we got through it.
Then last night I discovered that the Night Nurse would be taking the next two Saturdays off. And, no, she couldn’t cover us on a Friday night either.
Oh.
I must have not seemed very thrilled because Night Nurse told me that she had already worked it out with Day Nurse for me to give up a day shift so that Day Nurse could work a Saturday. That way Night Nurse could still take her Saturdays off AND not lose any of her hours.
It would just be me and the Day Nurse that would have to change up our schedules. Night Nurse expects Day Nurse and I to accommodate her more important than anyone else’s life.
Again.
Just a week after we had turned ourselves upside down for her last vacation.
Day Nurse would happily take Night Nurse’s hours. She’s trying to adopt a little girl from Russia and could use an extra shift or two.
But…….no……Night Nurse wants her hours and vacation too. She’s very frustrated about this. She can’t understand why she can’t have everything just. the. way. she. wants. it.
I’m calling our nursing company today. I’ve heard that there is a new nursing company that is looking to expand in our area, and they have night nurses. Trach and vent trained night nurses. And if one nurse needs to take a shift off, another one is assigned to take her place.
None of this “Whaddya mean I can’t be the Queen of your Nursing Schedule?”
This is the same nurse that once mentioned that it was her tax dollars that helped to pay for Parker’s Medicaid.
Of course she didn’t make the connection between her employment being dependent on kids like Parker. THAT apparently totally flew over her head.
I’m tired of nurses that figure they have a family over a barrel and they can do whatever they want and the family should be grateful that the nurse even shows up at all.
Ahem.
If you’ll excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make. I know that out there somewhere there are professional Night Nurses who understand that the idea of a win-win situation, where choices have consequences and over a barrel isn’t someplace THIS Mama cares to spend her time.
About Tammy and Parker
Twitter: kadiera
says:
Wow. That whole scheduling thing is completely nuts. What other job would let her pick her days?
I read the website of that new agency – sounds a lot like the beginnings of our agency here. We’ve had our share of duds, but even the duds knew how to handle a vent, trach, g-tube, feeding pump, suction machine, etc. We don’t have many issues, and the issues we have are quickly resolved.
I hope you find a solution!
kadiera recently posted..OMG! Were not alone!
Kadiera, will you shoot me the url of the new agency? Pretty please.
I’ve had to train nurses on the trach and vent. Yup. Then when they were here I couldn’t sleep at night because they had had NO experience.
ugh.
The picking the hours is the least of the buggy. She doesn’t want anyone working ‘her’ hours until she comes back. wth?
Twitter: kadiera
says:
sent you a DM on twitter.
I think she doesn’t want you to find someone else to work in her place, such that you don’t need her to come back, KWIM?
My response would be, “sorry honey, the day nurse has her own hours. How can she do hers and yours?”
kadiera recently posted..OMG! Were not alone!
Night nurses are the bane of my existence. When Evan was in the hospital for his surgeries I always had to watch them more than I had to watch the day nurses. Not all of them are bad, my fave nurse was a night nurse but that time slot seems to attract the nurses that are not as good. Good luck with your fight.
I just wish I had a nurse….for any time! But if a nurse told me that her tax dollars paid for him, I would have thrown her out on her butt!
Lacey and Jax recently posted..I pad giveaway
wow! we have a little guy in my room right now who has a nurse with him throughout the day (not nightime though). She is awesome with him, and I can’t even imagine her doing anything even close to this to the family! (so I know wonderful nurses ARE out there!) Obviously, not the one you have currently though! Hope you find someone who realizes that this is a JOB…and that, technically, she works for you!
Pam recently posted..3 Little Frogs!
We have been through our share of bad nurses but we have one nurse we love. She works 2 nights a week for us and is fantastic. If only she could work more shifts so we didn’t need a second nurse for our other 2 shifts a week. Crazy that your nurse thinks her hours should be saved for her. Our agency would never allow something like that.
Heidi recently posted..Quiet Sunday
Watch out or they will unionize and get collective bargaining rights against you. Then, just like public schools, you wont have a choice.
Rant over. Keep calm. Carry on.
I have been 4 other agencies at other times due to moving, etc. The owner of this company has been over my daughters care for 7 yrs. The nurses are appreciated but they work for the company. Not the other way around! It may be a slow start because they are just trying to expand that way but right now we have plenty of nurses. That is a weird thought isn’t it. I have over a dozen nurses that are trained on my daughter. There are still the struggles of getting people trained but what a relief when it is done!! The nurse that you like can always apply and come with you, but she will work for the company and so they may also cross train her at some time on another child. What a weird concept to be given a schedule by a company that is filled with all YOUR requests, not just your nurses. I think I posted their website.
Twitter: kadiera
says:
Actually, the agency that covers our case generally plans for every nurse to work more than one case. When we came home from the NICU we had 4 day nurses and 3 night nurses – each had 2-3 cases. The benefit to them only working 1-2 days a week was that if they got sick, went on vacation, etc, there was only one or two holes at most, and the others on the case usually covered those holes without a problem.
kadiera recently posted..OMG! Were not alone!
If there is anyone else out there that is looking. The name of the company is Ivy Lane Pediatrics. Their website is ivylane.org. They are currently just located out of Roy, UT. But I personally know at least one of the nurses that lives in Utah County and several that live in Salt Lake. They won’t take you on until they have nurses that can cover your child, yes you read this last line right. They will not take on your child unless they can cover your childs needs. Very few missed night shifts (each year, not week or month) and they are able to fill 95% of my respite shifts. The only ones that can’t fill are the last minute ones.
suzannereber recently posted..Birthdays
Are night nurses RN or could be a Home health Aid. …please advise.