Nursing Home Burnout

An excerpt from a fabulous post on "The Nurses' Journal:"

"My last nursing job was at a long-term care facility. I liked working with the seniors because they appreciate the tiniest things I would do for them. But after working there for a short time, I started getting calls at 3 a.m. “The day shift nurse can’t come in. Can you do her shift as well as your 3-11 shift tomorrow?” I would explain to them that I wouldn’t have time to sleep, but then they would ask if I could work an extra half shift. They would ask over and over again and I was not good at saying no. I felt if I didn’t work when they asked me to, there would be repercussions. If I didn’t play along, I wouldn’t get pay raises or promotions. I soon realized that even though I did what they asked, I still didn’t get the pay raises or promotions. I felt unappreciated. That’s when I left nursing to open the bed and breakfast. "

This one really hit home with me. I've been on the other end of that phone call, begging the nurse to come in and fill the shift.

How many nurses have I sent away from the profession? How about you?