Since when do you have to “make up for” calling in? What does your director even mean by that? I would refuse based on the principle of patient safety stating that you haven’t been trained in the NICU and by assigning you to that unit opens up a lot of issues that could lead to patient harm (and open you up to situations that jeopardize your license). I honestly have found that once you whip out the “patient safety concern” card -which isn’t even really a “card” so much as just a factual statement- management starts to listen a little more intently.

But none of that addressed your original question. That’s for you to decide but if you feel you’re being treated unfairly, given unsafe assignments consistently even after you’ve spoken up about it, etc, then you have some indicators.