[sweetcaroline]

I'm a new grad and just got a dream position in the OR. I'm trying to understand what the nurse manager explained about on-call procedures, but I AM SO CONFUSED! Can anyone help? I'll be working in a Level 1 trauma center in Chicago... Caroline

[Marie_LPN, RN]

On-call means that for a set amount of hours (either evening night, or weekends), you can be called back to work. Most places take turns for call, and it's usually put on you schedule so you know ahead of time.

Example, my night call runs 11p-7a. It happens to be tonight, actually. So as of 11p tonight, i can be called into work for an emergency, or to relieve on late cases. After that case is done, if there aren't anymore cases, we can go back home, but we can also get called back in if something else needs done. That happens till 7a tomorrow.

We have to be within 30 minutes of the hospital when we're on call, or we can sleep in one of the call rooms. This doens't mean we have to stay home (unless the home number is the only line you can be reached), but i don't recommend grocery shopping while you're on call.

[sweetcaroline]

More questions: when you're at home on-call, are you paid for those hours? How many times do you do it a month? You wear a pager, or do they call your cell phone? You can probably volunteer to be on-call more often if you want overtime, right?

The manager was explaining about 24 hour on-call, too...are you familiar with that?

I didn't want to ask the manager too much about money while I was in the interview!

Fortunately, I live 15 mins away from the hospital...

Thanks so much for clearing the confusion!

[Marie_LPN, RN]

More questions: when you're at home on-call, are you paid for those hours?

At my facility, we're paid call time, which is a lower amount on the hour than 'work' time. Each facility's different, so you might want to ask about that.

How many times do you do it a month?

Night call once a week, weekend call every 10th weekend. Again, this varies facility to facility.

You wear a pager, or do they call your cell phone?

Most places provide pagers, our happens to provide pagers and cell phones. I prefer a cell phone, that way i can talk to someone immediately.

You can probably volunteer to be on-call more often if you want overtime, right?

You typically can, however, overtime's not everything. Rest is important for health and safety reasons.

The manager was explaining about 24 hour on-call, too...are you familiar with that?

Wher ei work, that means you're on call for 24 hrs straight.

[NurseRoRo]

At our facility we are on call once during the weeknight, from the end of our shift until 0700 the next day. You get paid a set $ per hour while carrying the pager. If you get called in, you get paid 4 hours of regular pay even if it's for a 20 minute procedure.

We are on call on the weekends from Friday at the end of your shift until Monday 0700. That entire time, or actually anytime you are carrying a pager, you must be within 30 minutes' drive to work. Our weekend rotation is about once every 7 weeks. If you're on call for the weekend, then you won't be on call the week before or after that weekend on the weeknight.