[Lovemyjobrn]

Has this happened to anyone? Went in to the hospital I was scheduled to work at today...when i reported in they realized they were fully staffed and said: since we have to pay you 4 hours anyway, we are short an Aide, so we need you to work as a PCA for the 4 hours. i'm thinking....can they do this??
I called my agency and they said i "had to". This really bothered me...not that i am above an aides work...but that's not what i was booked for or what i went to school for! Also this hospital is notorious for cancelling due to poor scheduling. I ended up getting vitals then went to house super and said I'm leaving. Just curious if this is common place.... thanx

[cheerfuldoer]

Were you paid as a CNA or as a RN?

If you were paid as a RN to do nurse assist duties for four hours, you made out like a bandit. Otherwise, I would have rolled on out the same door I rolled into and went home.

[DusktilDawn]

Since I already do nurse aide duties and RN duties every shift I work, I would have loved the opportunity to be paid as an RN and only be responsible for nurse aide duties!!!

[elkpark]

I live in a rural area, and, a number of years ago, knew of an area hospital that used to offer the nurses (RNs!) a choice of getting called off/sent home (no pay) or working in the KITCHEN when they found themselves overstaffed for the census ... I was always surprised that the nurses would put up with this kind of treatment, but there weren't a lot of other nursing opportunities in the area.

[Mulan]

As long as they paid RN salary and I didn't have to do RN work as well as aide work, it would be fine with me, even working in the kitchen would be fine as long as they paid me RN pay! It would be a nice break.

[Lovemyjobrn]

I guess my problem with the situation is when you report in and they have overbooked, they have to pay 4 hour turn around pay regardless when they send you home...so i guess it boils down to me wanting to go home with my 4 hour pay
it is smart on the hospital's part to at least get something for their 4 hour pay but it just didn't seem appropriate i guess. ah well....experience noted. thanx for the input.

[ZASHAGALKA]

My take has always been that if a hospital wants to pay me RN wages to be a CNA (read NO CHARTING): woohoo!

If they have to pay you 4 hrs, they can use you anyway within the scope of your license: that's the disadvantage of being agency - you are at their discretion for need.

On the other hand, I worked agency at a hospital once that, when they had to pay me 4 hrs (the discovered too late they wouldn't need me), they would work me 7p -11p and then make me report off and send me home. If you've ever worked the night shift on a busy floor, 7-11 is the BUSIEST TIME! I always thought it was garbage to send me home AFTER I GOT ALL THE WORK DONE FOR THAT SHIFT.

And just try to get your charting done in such a short span while also trying to get meds passed and patients settled for the evening!

I'd much rather be the CNA than to have to report off on all my now sleeping patients and only get paid 4 hrs for what I feel is the bulk of a 12 hr shift!

~faith,
Timothy.

[jmgrn65]

In my state it is beyond the scope of practice to practice as an aide, think about it if you can't work as an aide after you graduated from nursing school, then why would you be able to work as an aide as an RN.

[Tweety]

I would take it in stride if it doesn't happen that often. I probably would have enjoyed the change of pace.

Depsite the fact that they say "you're working as an aide", according to the BON you're an RN still liable for a RN level of care. Whose responsible for the patient when you walk in the room? In theory the patient has two licensed profressionals caring for them.

But I'm with you. You should have been given the option or not, rather than be forced to work as an aide. It's inappropriate in my opinion to ask an RN to perform as a CNA.

[KaroSnowQueen]

I refused to do it and they still paid me my 4 hrs in the end. They didn't like it but that's their problem. Seems to me the facility is screwing themselves by paying Nurse pay for CNA work.