So, I started a new job about a month ago. They hired me too soon, and don't have any substantial hours for me, outside of orientation, until July. My gramma (who raised me) also passed away this week. I asked my DON if I could reschedule the two orientation shifts I had this week, and I'd work the one independent shift I had scheduled. This was fine.
And then, there was a positive COVID case in the facility. Within an hour of getting the group text of our policies and standards to head off an outbreak, I got two phone calls from two other nurses asking me to cover their shifts.
One was for last night, she had “symptoms” but was negative, but thought she should not come in. I'd be more sympathetic if this wasn't the fourth time since I started that she had asked me to cover for her, but whatever, it's COVID. But, I still told her no, I've been dealing with life insurance and obituary bullshit all day, and won't have time to go home and sleep or even change into scrubs.
Ten minutes later I get a text immediately followed by another call from another nurse, telling me that she had a sinus infection, diagnosed, and was starting antibiotics. Our DON wouldn't let her come to work until she'd been on the antibiotics for 24 hours, and could I please swap her shifts and work a day shift. I again told her no, it's summer vacation, I have 3 kids in 3 different activities, my partner works full time as well, and I live 45 minutes away from the facility. My daughter had an appointment in the morning and I have one in the afternoon. There's a reason I hired on for exclusively weekend night shift.
Within five minutes, my DON starts blowing up my phone, telling me that there's no one else to cover, and she'll be stuck working both shifts (amounting to 24 hours) if I don't come in. Knowing full well that if any overseeing agencies find out about this we could end up in huge trouble as a facility, and the hospital we're attached to is actively trying to shut us down already, I agree to come in 3 hours early (on a twelve hour shift, amounting to 15 hours).
So this morning, I call my best friend, who is also one of my CNAs. She informs me that my DON is not working the day shift today. So I text my DON and ask if I still need to come in early, and she says yes.
And I… literally just cannot. I've been seriously thinking about leaving nursing. This facility was my final shot at working locally, and I genuinely think I'm going to start applying to Walmart and local restaurants. I worked my ass off for my family to not be broke, and here we are, still broke, while I deal with toxic levels of corporate abuse instead of raising my damn kids.