[AtlantaRN]

Originally Posted by llg

Saying "No" and regulating your time are learnable skills.

I'm the only full time nurse there, except for the administrator and social worker, and they are rarely in the office.

Saying "no" is what I need to learn.

Thank you for your input. I just have to make it 7 more days, then I'm on vacation for 10 days...that will help me regroup.

linda

[RNKittyKat]

There is definitely a give and take to salaried positions. It works for me because I work with a great team. I think that makes all the difference. We allow each other down time and just do what needs to be done to pick up the slack. I try to take solace on my really busy days by remembering that we do good and honorable work.

I've noticed in the majority your threads that you have never felt good about where you're at. That says it all.

[bnrn03]

Hi,
I have to chime in I have had two different salaried positions and each of them expected the same you do what they want when they want. I have noticed at my place of work certain people don't have to take on extra and others are expected too. It is out of hand. We now have new management and it is getting worse the new team talks to us as if we are not human. They send offensive text messages and I have spoke to other nurses who are just as upset as I am. At one time this was a decent place to work but it has gone down the tubes. The new sup seems to think that we enjoy running 40-50miles out of our way to go into another nurse's territory that is refusing to do an admission. Needless to say I have cut back to PT I plan to teach in the fall and I do plan to quit entirely at some point. I am basically just staying on the books until I finish my practicum for my MSN. But in reading the posts I don't think salaried positions are for everyone there were good days where I worked in the past which made up for the long stressful days. But lately the long days with extra work have become a commonality and it's burning nurses left and right.

[CANRN]

The agency I work for pays salary to all full time case managers. For that reason, I refuse to take a full time job with this company. My previous hospice agency paid hourly, I made a boat load of money last year due to overtime, call pay etc. (It really wasn't worth the lost time with my family, trust me) It boggles my mind how a company can expect it's employees to just "give them their time for free" I refuse and I am pretty darn good at setting limits, it's just that hospice work is NOT a 9-5 job, things happen and change in a moments notice. No, I will not give my time away freely, nor will I over extend myself.

[a21chdchic]

6-26-2007
Salaried positions suck! I have put in 60-72 hours a week every week for the last2 1/2 months. I'm getting tired and burned out! I love my work, but when you increase the number of hours you're putting in, look at the statistics, your hear alot more B*******, to go with it!
Let me know if anybody has any answers!

Ana

[new2hospiceRN]

I am salaried as a Director of Hospice, I am work 40 hours a week and I am on call 24/7. I spend most of my time in office and seeing pts. I leave early alot to compensate for the at home work of calls and med refills and general pt conserns. I am the only RN and I have a PRN LVN I share with our Home Health Services and I am glad to have her. Sure hope she lasts. I have one HHA I share as well. Currently we have 7 pts. I have no support staff of my own. I do all the filing, orders, DME, audits, etc... This is truely a one woman show. I do have a Chaplain. I am without a MSW. I have no computer. Coroprate has not been receptive to my pleas for help. They want to do more with less. I am not sure how long I will last here with out the TEAM that is required to provide even the minimum Hospice Care.

[Rnmomajmj]

I worked PRN for my company before taking on a full-time salaried position in May and now regret my decision. Granted I'm a new case manager but our census is growing, corporate stated once we got up to a census of 45 we would get another case manager but now we are at 53 and they still won't let us hire a case manager. We have 3 full time RN's, one has 20, one has 17, and I have 16 patients. (Our limit is suppose to be 13) I don't feel that I have the time needed to see all of my patients and give them the care they deserve. I have been putting in an average of 50 hours per week, last week was 55 hours (this doesn't count the hours spent at home doing paperwork!). I can't keep this pace up, my family is certainly feeling left out since most evenings I get home between 7-8, the kids need to be in bed around 930 or they are extremely hard to wake up the next morning. My DH wants me to drop back down to PRN but I really like hospice nursing and feel since I just took the job in May I really need to stick it out, at least til Christmas. I'm thinking of telling my administrator and DON that I must draw the line at 45 hours a week and if I do go over I would request comp time for the hours over 45. Any others get comp time?

[a21chdchic]

No comp time, just salary, mileage, and straight call pay. Extra $25 if you do an afterhours admission. And that's not even an hourly wage. Admissions usually are at least 4 hours work, so $25. is a slap in the face, to be honest. But I'm working on a certification course in another area. I love Hospice, but I don't want to be in the position I'm in any longer than I have to. The benefits do not outweigh the headaches.

[Rnmomajmj]

I think my issue is that I drive 1 hour to my territory and 1 hour back to the office everyday. Wednesdays are usually in the office getting ready for IDG meetings, paperwork, etc. So every week I "waste" 8 hours of my time. I don't mind working late a day or so a week but when I end up putting in 55 hours every week it gets very depressing. I have a case load of 16 patients right now, our max is suppose to be 13 but I think we all know how that goes. I did tell my DON and administrator yesterday that I wanted to go back to PRN, they did ask if they could get me "in town" if that would make a difference to me, I said no at that time but am now thinking I may take them up on it. I really love Hospice nursing, before I found this job I was seriously thinking of picking a different career. DH and I have decided it may be in my best interest to at least try a different area, I figure that the extra 8 hours every week may make all the difference in the world. Any thoughts???

[aimeee]

Originally Posted by new2hospiceRN

I am salaried as a Director of Hospice, I am work 40 hours a week and I am on call 24/7. I spend most of my time in office and seeing pts. I leave early alot to compensate for the at home work of calls and med refills and general pt conserns. I am the only RN and I have a PRN LVN I share with our Home Health Services and I am glad to have her. Sure hope she lasts. I have one HHA I share as well. Currently we have 7 pts. I have no support staff of my own. I do all the filing, orders, DME, audits, etc... This is truely a one woman show. I do have a Chaplain. I am without a MSW. I have no computer. Coroprate has not been receptive to my pleas for help. They want to do more with less. I am not sure how long I will last here with out the TEAM that is required to provide even the minimum Hospice Care.

You CANT be without a social worker. It is a CORE service. If you do not have a social worker then you are out of compliance with medicare regs.