'I am being held against my will': After working a 30 hour shift, nurse calls the police then gets fired for being 'immature'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 21, 2024 6:00 PM EST

If you've ever pulled an overtime shift, you know the psychological warfare that goes on throughout every step of that OT journey. Once you pass hour 8 of your work day, your concept of time starts to warp, turning your workplace into an inescapable purgatory in which you're trapped until your next 15-minute break. For the nurse in our next tale, her accidental overtime shift turned into a nightmare after her relief no-showed, the police showed up, and she was ultimately fired.

As the resident nurse of an extensive care facility, u/throwaway-babi was well aware of her company's bad staffing reputation, but because she was passionate about helping people in need, she persevered. However, a standard Saturday 6AM-2PM shift quickly unraveled, locking this selfless nurse into an overnight shift that was certainly not worth the money. Scroll for the heroic tale of a nurse who put her mind and body on the line during a 30-hour shift to protect her patients–as well as all the nitty-gritty details of how she got payback against her negligent boss. 

After this, here's another hellacious tale of another hardworking employee whose work morality was put to the test by a snarky airport Karen. 

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  • 01
    Posted by u/throwaway-babi AITA for calling the police on my job after a 24+ hours on shift?
    via throwaway-babi
  • 02
    I (27f) have worked for this company for almost 4 years. I am direct care staff at a home for people with developmental disabilities. I care deeply for my clients and their well-being is very important to me. They are like my family now. However, the company had a bad reputation in town as being a horrible place to work and over the years I can confirm that. Due to high
    via throwaway-babi
  • 03
    turn over, most of the care staff are 18-19 year olds who rarely show up for shifts and then spend most of it on their phones. Some of them have been wonderful, but it's few and far between. Because the company is desperate for staff there is no consequences for anything, they miss as
    via throwaway-babi
  • 04
    many shifts as they want. Staff have gotten away with neglect and leaving the clients in filth. My complaints to the corporate office and to state go unanswered. Part of the reason I stayed so long is to make sure the clients in my group home are tended to properly.
    via throwaway-babi
  • 05
    Soon it became too much, I was working 50+ hours a week and would be lucky to have A day off. I eventually stepped down to part time and got a new full time job. I went to just a few weekends a month at the group home.
    via throwaway-babi
  • 06
    It was what I needed for stress and my health and it went well for months. Except for last weekend. I came in at 6am Saturday, was supposed to get off at 2pm, but the next staff never showed up to relieve me. Legally, I have to stay as the clients are unable to care for themselves without
    via throwaway-babi
  • 07
    assistance. Some wouldn't even be able to get out of bed or feed themselves. I called the manager, who is on-call and required to pick up in this situation, but she said she was out of town for her daughters birthday. She said she would try and find a replacement, but I can't leave because I would be charged with abandonment.
    via throwaway-babi
  • 08
    By 6am the next day, I called the manager and left a message saying that if no one arrived by 11am I would call the authorities and say I am being held against my will. Dramatic but I was in a state of extreme stress as I needed rest for my full time job. When no one came I did just that. Calling
    via throwaway-babi
  • 09
    the authorities for help felt like my only option so I wasn't abandoning them. I called the non-emergency line and they sent EMTSs out to tend to the clients, but they must have gotten in touch with my company because the manager showed up before they did and started screaming at me about
    via throwaway-babi
  • 10
    how I was immature and trying to traumatize the clients. I was fired and I'm getting harassing messages from others at the company. I'm worried about being in legal trouble and what might happen to the clients now. AITA for calling the police because I was on shift for 30hrs?
    via throwaway-babi
  • 11
    SnowXTC OP ΝΤΑ Get a lawyer, go to the media, go to the State. Protect the people in the group home since no one else is.
    via SnowXTC
  • 12
    QuesoFurioso. Enthusiast [5] Oh they're the ones that should be worried about legal trouble. I'd consult an employment lawyer if I were you. Aside from the very obvious violations of having you work more than 24 hours, there is also the retaliation claim for firing you.
    via QuesoFurioso
  • 13
    If you get a good lawyer, they will tell your company that if all this gets out into public record at trial that they are going to have a really hard time going forward as a business. I bet it won't take long for them to get you a really, really fat check in exchange for your signing an NDA and non- disparagement agreement. NTA and GET A LAWYER TODAY.
    via QuesoFurioso
  • 14
    wonderfulkneecap 3 days ago Partassipant [1] Also the firing is CLEARLY RETALIATORY!!! which is illegal!!! NTA, get a lawyer now!!! 792 Share caelan63. 3 days ago and they're still harassing OP. She's still getting calls from them.
    via wonderfulkneecap
  • 15
    duyogurt Partassipant [1] For the sake of brevity; you are going to come to a crossroads after consulting a lawyer (that you are going to hire before the end of the week) where you will have to decide between receiving a large check after signing an NDA and non-disclosure agreement or going public with what happened. The story will likely crush the company and but preserve the wellbeing of the patients that you say you care deeply about.
    via duyogurt
  • 16
    Take the money or help human lives? In a perfect world, your lawyer will find a way to get you taken care of while also going public with what amounts to abuse of patients and labor laws. As if there was any question, NTA.
    via duyogurt
  • 17
    biglipsmagoo You can do both. Get a lawyer and go to the press with their help before it gets to court. Classic case of "trial by media." Then you settle for the fat check and the news is updated with a "the case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount." Win win.
    via biglipsmagoo
  • 18
    Suspicious-Mix3865. NTA, but get a lawyer yesterday. Source: am a labor attorney.
    via Suspicious-Mix3865
  • 19
    Koochandesu NTA, the manager failed to do her job. Even if it cost the company double to hire a backup on call nurse from a staffing company, they should have done so. I would have called another supervisor or HR and if all failed done the same and called the proper authorities. After reasonable hours in a shift, you are unable to make proper
    via Koochandesu
  • 20
    care decisions to which ultimately you would be held liable for. Document everything and see a lawyer if you're not employed at a "at-will" state. I would also consider calling any medical licensing authorities in your state as no patient should have to endure such care. This sounds like an administrative problem that ultimately is hurting staff and patient care.
    via Koochandesu
  • 21
    BSN-1999 NTA and lawyer up. What they did is against the law. There a laws stating how many hours in a row you can legally work. Were you able to sleep during the night or were you required to be awake. I asked because I used to work in a group home many years ago.
    via BSN-1999
  • 22
    DismalFinding NTA, you're a hero! Hey, this one of the real heartbreakers I've read in this group. It is INSANE what they just made you do in that one final shift, let alone the history of neglect you've been expected to just stay quiet about.
    via DismalFinding
  • 23
    If you dedicated the rest of your life to taking this company down, making sure people know what they do, that would be an honourable use of your time. Where is this place?
    via DismalFinding
  • 24
    wewillfuckyouup nta well done you dont worry about your full time job once you get a lawyer you will be set the fact they fired you, and you have proof as messages
    via wewillfuckyouup
  • 25
    Mister_Sensual ΝΤΑ They just served you a big, fat wrongful termination suit on a silver platter. Go get paid.
    via Mister_Sensual
  • 26
    "AITA for calling the police because I was on shift for 30hrs?"
    via canva

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overnight patient staff overtime shift shift worker employee fired OT shifts job nurse hospital coworkers working workplace overtime company police
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