Should I feel bad?

I work for an agency doing private duty nursing. I have two cases, nights on one and days on the other. I am taking my first big vacation at the end of July and I need to take time off. PDN isn't like hospital nursing where you just ask for time off and someone else gets the hours. When I take time off, the parents are left without an RN. I am not too concerned with my nights case because they have a lot of extra nurses, whereas my days case does not. I took a day off in May for my boyfriend's college graduation and it was awful. The parents accused me of not telling them (I gave 6 weeks), told my agency that I work for a competing agency (which is a big no-no), and basically made a huge deal about my DAY off. Because of all this I decided to only take one day off for my vacation. I work W/F for them. I already told them about the W and I am considering taking the F off too. My flight is a red eye and gets in at 6:20 AM on Friday morning, I have to be at work at 8. I can make it but I am going to be exhausted. I always feel bad taking time off but I have been with them for a year and May was my first requested day off. I guess I am looking for some reassurance - that taking time off is normal. This is definetely a part of PDN that I hate, no backup!
Everyone is entitled to time off.

Why can't they just make plans to hire a different nurse for those days? Parents hire babysitters so they can have some time off from parenting. Offices hire temp workers so the receptionist can go on vacation. Why would they think nursing should be any different?

Of course you should not feel bad for wanting to take a couple days off! You have every right to do that. I think it sucks that the situation exists that you would even need to ASK that. These parents sound like a nightmare, for what it's worth. To react like that to you taking off one day?? What other problems do they cause? Your agency should have your back as far as finding someone to take your place. I wonder if there's a way, in the future, for you to have "proof" of notifying the parents of the days you plan to take (so they can't say later that they had no notice)?

If you work for an agency, than ALL of this scheduling mess is THIER job, not yours. By all means, let your clients know you will be off, then THAT IS IT. Your contract should specify your rights and responsibilities as to your time off. Folow those, then take your vacation with a clear conscious.

Quote from steelydanfanIf you work for an agency, than ALL of this scheduling mess is THIER job, not yours. By all means, let your clients know you will be off, then THAT IS IT. Your contract should specify your rights and responsibilities as to your time off. Folow those, then take your vacation with a clear conscious.

Thanks for the reassurance. Unfortunately it is a small agency so they aren't always able to provide a nurse on our days off. They do try but it's hard to find a nurse who is willing to train on the case as a backup. My agency was on my side about everything with my last day off and attempted to be the buffer but the mom would complain to me so I knew what was going on.On a good note, my other case (nights) said, "Good for you! You need a vacation!" I love them!

My agency would call another agency to get coverage if it was a "must staff" case; I don't know that it is a common practice anymore, but a MUST STAFF designation meant exactly that. Our customer-service-representative would call her counterpart at another agency and contract one of their nurses to cover our "blank" shift(s).

You have to stop and consider, how well will I do my job if I'm so burnt out I can't function? As they say, nurse heal thyself. Every once in a while, you gotta take care of you.

If the agency does not have resources to cover that is not your problem. You are doing what you are paid to do and do not need to make caring for a client your whole life. If the parents have a problem, they can stay ask MD for the patient to be admitted to hospital for the interim. I forget the term, but their is a holiday time allowed for caregivers that insurance companies and medicaid will cover.

You should not be feeling bad. As the other posters said, you have the right to take time/days off. If I were you, I'd look for another day assignment. That family is not compassionate enough to let you have a day off when you are caring for their kid. Girl, you go and get that vacation and enjoy it without feeling bad.

I think it's telling that the parents gave you so much trouble about ONE DAY off. Sounds like they might not be the best clients to work for if they don't think you should take time off. You don't want to burn out.

Wow, I would say boundary issues here. Giving a client that kind of control over your time is way out of line. If you come to work off a red-eye and something goes wrong (G-d forbid) do you think they will overlook it. I would gently urge you to consider the big picture and your own needs.