My Day Off From Work.
I wish my mechanic had wireless Internet at his garage. I'm having the oil changed in my car tomorrow and I won’t have any way of reading blogs. I wish I were like this girl. She’s young, cute, and knows how to work on her own car. Now if I could get my mechanic to install wireless Internet along with a day spa, I’d be all set.
Don’t you hate spending your day off doing something that you’re not looking forward to doing? Nurses always enjoy having time away from the hospital. It’s nice to have a day to yourself. I once had a nursing supervisor who just didn’t “get it.”
The sun is peeking through my bedroom window. It’s 5 a.m. and I’m in a deep sleep. The phone rings:
Nursing Supervisor: Good morning Mother Jones, RN, this is Mrs. Annoying from the hospital. I’m calling because we need you to come in today to work on your unit.
Me: What? Who….what did you say?
Nursing Supervisor: Oh, did I wake you? I’m sorry. I wanted to call you early so you wouldn’t be late for work.
Me: It’s my day off.
Nursing Supervisor: But we NEED you. You MUST come in. We’re DESPERATE.
Me: No thank you, (grumble-grumble), I’m not coming in (muffled swearing), stop calling me (homicidal thoughts). Goodbye!
A day off is a sacred day. Girls (and boys) just want to have fun!
posted by Mother Jones RN at 1:00 PM
23 Comments:
Amen to that! It's like we just have no identities of our own without being clocked in! That's why I have yet to give my cell phone number to my supervisors.
Hello,
I've been reading your blog since it came up on blogs of note. I just love the pitcures you put on your posts. Would you mind saying where you find them? I'd love to put some in my own blog from time to time...
Thanks for a fun blog to look forward to every day, and good luck with your car...
A few months ago I left a particular company's employment because of their habit of wanting nurses to work almost 24/7. For example, in one stretch I worked three months in a row with only 4 days off per month (and it was mandatory--and not counting the unpaid hours at home doing paperwork.) aaaarghh....
One of the best things about living in the land of Starbucks is that they all have wireless and there's one on nearly every block - definitely within walking distance of my auto shop.
Guess you could take a new/old book to read for your next book report? Whatever you do, kudos to you for being firm about taking your day off. You deserve it!
I don't get the guilts anymore. the more you give, the more they take... This seems to be the practise all over the world. thank you for your lovely comment on my blog. ;)
Hi Juliette:
Almost all of the pictures on my blog come from the family book collection. I scan the books when I'm at school and upload them from the library. I have dial-up at home and it's painful to upload pictures from my house. From time to time I *cough* borrow images from eBay.
I want to thank everyone for their kind comments. It's nice knowing that my mom isn't the only one reading my blog:-)
I'll bet you did feel a little guilty. Which, of course, is both good and bad. But you did right. Meanwhile, this blogging thing is perverse, isn't it? I find myself thinking about wifi places everywhere, too.
Hi Dr. Schwab:
I dream about blogging. I'll wake up, jot down some notes, and go back to sleep. Maybe I should join BA:-)
Ugh! I hated when my boss would call and try to get me in on my day off. Drove me nuts. And oh, the guilt trip. They could guilt trip better than my mom, hands down.
Just say no!
Although I'm not a nurse (work in criminal "justice") I've had the same thing happen to me, too. I would sleep in the office because I didn't have time to go home before I was due in court the next day. Being a single mom, I tried to take Christmas Eve day off to spend with my son. The boss called me, totally freaking out! She said if she had to be there, then I had to be there, too!
Now that I'm an employer, employee wellness is a top priority. Healthy (well rested) and happy employees are more effective anyway!
It's not much fun from the other side either. A few times I've been the one ringing round, trying to get someone - anyone - to cover a shift. You feel so dirty, using all your powers of persuasion to tug at people's guilt strings, getting them to be the one who lays down their day off for the good of the ward. Quite often it's a case of getting somebody in tonight, then worrying about filling tomorrow. And because of the budget, we're not allowed to get bank nurses. Not that there's any ophthalmic-trained bank nurses anyway.
i got the same phone call you described from my hospital this morning too. in my case, 'delete' on the answering machine fixed the problem.
Perhaps 'day off' is a phrase not yet known there?
Great way to enjoy your day off. LOL. I usually change the oil in my 1994 Lumina, but not my 2002 Town and Country. I almost ripped the bumper off when I tried changing the oil in my Town and Country.
The picture you have posted, you had stated the girl could fix her own car. At the time of that drawing you could practically disassemble the car with a 5/8", 7/16",1/2", and the occasional 9/16" wrench.
Here's a novel concept to deal with those annoying, groveling early morning phone calls trying to get one to surrender a sacred day off and work instead ....
Caller ID, baby!!!
Works like a charm for me!
Like Cyndy said ... "The more you give, the more they take". If I ever get a new job, I'm gonna play stupid from day one!
LOL You've got a strong resolve. Seems you like ur rest more than the $$$. I would be tempted to rush back and help. I agree with
LOL at dreaming about about blogging and waking up thinking about what you're going to blog. We've got the same symptoms!! Aaaaaaarrrghhhh!!!! I'm blogging about Bloggers anonymous very soon. (smile) I agree with Juliette. The pictures on ur various posts are always enviable!! I was just looking at the lady on the hood and asking myself - now where did she get that from?
Happy Halloween!!!!
day off? when you are retired it has no meaning any more. but i do still remember how nice it was to get one. i guess i was always lucky, i had a nine to five type job with lots of holidays and vacation time. the medical field is different and i so respect the long and hard hours you work... and i thank you for being there.....bee
Oy vey. My employer thinks that "per diem" means "if we need you, you will come." I've been called at the last minute more times than I care to count, told the manager, "I'm sorry, I can't come in today/tomorrow because I have to go to the doctor/dentist/professional activity," and been told, "But--but we need you! We're horrendously understaffed today!"
Not my problem, dudes. If you won't hire me as regular daily staff, don't blame me for the patient:staff ratio!
BTW, not a nurse (rather, a psychotherapist), but I love your blog all the same :) Hope your car is resting comfortably after its oil change!
LOL I remember calling in sick once and the supervisor made me come in get a shot of PCN and phenergan for the nausea. There ya go! Another time I lived way out in the boonies and it had snowed so off I go to work in my Camaro slidiing and slipping all the way. About 1/4 of the way there I see the mailman in a ditch. I turned around and went back home and called and said if the mail ain't running then neither am I. Thye sent the sheriff out in his 4 wheel drive with a note saying pack a bag in case you get snowed in at work. Hey, I thought I was snowed in at home!! Nope! WORK WORK WORK !
WOW!! Poody, you must be very important. Where I live, if the sherriff comes to get you, it's because you have performed some illicit act, or owe someone money.. Some bosses never give up...but you should NEVER allow someone to medicate you so you can work. This creates Occupational Health and Safety issues...if something goes wrong, who is held at fault?
cyndy said, "[Y]ou should NEVER allow someone to medicate you so you can work."
* hiding my glass *
Yes, I agree!
And I also agree that Caller ID is a wonderful invention....
yes I know oil change can sometimes take a long time .. given how bz the mechanic was .. but actually that's a wonderful time to indulge in a magazine or newspaper .. there are many other interesting things than that what we find on the Internet.
You've been spying on my supervisor again, haven't you? LOL. Those are EXACTLY the same words she says on the phone when she calls me in on a day off!
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