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I've just had a freaking HORRIBLE weekend on call and I am ready to explode.

I work in a nursing home/rehab facility. Like all skilled nursing facilities that are certified by Medicare and/or Medicaid, we have required minimum staffing that is regulated by Medicare laws. My facility actually staffs higher than the minimum requirements, which is unusual for this industry.

When we have a staff call-out, sometimes we are okay to just work with one person less, but we do try to get the shift covered. If the call-out will put us below the minimum number, we HAVE to get it covered.

All staff know this. I do the new partner orientation for nursing staff, and I spend an inordinate amount (or so it seems to me) of time going over our attendance policy, staffing requirements, etc.

And it just doesn't effing matter to the majority of our staff. I don't know if it's a generational thing, a lack of work ethic, sense of entitlement... I just don't understand how these people think it's okay to just show up to work when it's convenient to them.

This weekend I had 8 callouts. EIGHT. 1 person called 10 minutes AFTER her shift started to inform me that she "wouldn't make it to work" and hung up on me. I called her back and said she knew better than that, and that she can't just say she's not coming. She said, "You're right. I know better. I'm just sick." Another one called 15 minutes before the shift with a "family emergency" and hung up on me. Still haven't heard back from her. 3 people refused to give any more information than "It's personal." WTF????????

In what universe is that okay? We work in healthcare. People depend upon us for their most basic needs. I don't have a cadre of nurses/nursing assistants parked at my house just waiting for the opportunity to go to work. And as hard as I tried and strained last night, I was not able to produce one out of my ass.

They just don't care. Don't care that their coworkers will probably have to work short and the residents' needs will be unmet. Don't care that they're endangering the most vulnerable people who are depending on them. Don't give a crap that we had 8 CNAs working double shifts this weekend (and thus exhausted) to cover for their sorry asses.

And we can't afford to fire them right now, because we already don't have enough staff.

I'm freaking tired. I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row since Friday morning. 2 weeks ago, I worked 60 hours while we implemented a new computer system. Last week, we had VBS at church and I worked till 5, drove like crazy to get me and the kids to church and was there until 830 or 9 every night.

But you know what? Never once occurred to me to call out. I just do not understand these people.

It sounds to me like they know you're understaffed overall and know they have you over a barrel. Is it time to start a hiring drive and letting these slackers go if they call out again? I'd be seriously tempted to move each of them to part-time status and hire newly-graduated nurses part-time to cover.

What does your attendance policy state about verbal and written warnings, and dismissal, based upon job performance and attendance?

I swear, I've seen more of these stories since companies' HR departments stopped verifying anything more than rank and dates of employment. Back when a manager or HR person could say, "We wouldn't hire her again based on her attendance issues," people tended to shape their act up considerably after just a verbal warning. *NOBODY* wanted a permanent write-up in their file because it would affect future jobs.

I'm sorry you're exhausted and having to deal with the general bullcrap of this on top.

((((HFSSC))))

BTDT, well in an office setting, and hospital setting. But feel your pain. It sucks big balls.

That said, I found one way of really helping the staffing issue was to have a good relationship with the schools in the area that teach and certify the CNA's/MA's. You can get externs that need their hours to get certified, and although they don't count as staff, they help take some of the workload off. In addition it gives you a chance to try them out so to speak before they get out of school. If they are go getters, and never missed a day I was eager to hire them. If they weren't then we weren't interested.

It was a very effective way to get good staff.

It is also hard when you have a group of folks that seem to go it at the same time. I would suggest that if this is a consistent thing with this group of weekend folks, and that group always works the 1st and 3rd weekends to mix up your staff a bit, so that you don't have so many at the same time.

One hospital I worked at would make you make up a weekend shift if you called in. You had to make it up on the next schedule. No if ands or butts. It helped keep the BS call ins at a minimum.

Just a few thoughts.

((((and strength,and a good long nap)))

The hospital I work at has an "attendance management program".....after a certain number of incidents you are called in and "counselled"...it increases in frequency and intensity as your sick time increases.

We also have written into our contract that we don't get paid for the first day/two days of a sick incident if you exceed 5 incidents in a calendar year...that makes people stop and think about "wasting" their sick time on BS call ins....if you are really sick later and don't get paid for two days because you have used up your time on "just don't feel like working" call ins....

Sorry you had such a crappy weekend and work with a bunch of staff that don't stop and think about what their co-workers are going through when they call in last minute and replacements can't be found...

However...if you are really sick..stay the hell home...I have worked with people with sky high temperatures, feeling like shit, not up to par and certainly not doing their job well because they don't want to call in sick and get called in for a review....I'd rather work with someone who is 100% and can do the job, not pass on what they have to all of the rest of the staff and our patients....HUGS

Company I worked for if you had 2 attendencs issues i.e. lateness or unexcused call out they had a "coaching" session AKA a verbal warning recorded into your file. Have another 2 after that you get written up and placed on 60 day probation. One more after during those 60 days you can be fired on the spot. I was well acquainted with this as I was 5 mins late to a few of my shifts but started getting up earlier once put on warning. I got put on probation after that and that I protested. I had 101 fever for 2 of those. Went to work with it and was collapsed in a corner for most of the day in between customers. The third incident was me taking my mom to the doctor after she was coughing up blood.

When the incident is just you being irresponsible and lazy people need to take responsibility. When I worked at Barnes and Noble a long time ago I worked a 9:30am-10:30pm shift when I was scheduled for 9:30-2 because we had 7 cashiers call out. It was a bright beautiful summer day, kind of obvious why they called out. I detested when people don't get what doing something like this does to the rest of the staff.