[Chuckie]

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[hollykate]

I don't think younger and newer nurses should do all the OT and holidays- they will simply leave- besides there should (ideally) always be a mix of old and new on any floor or unit so there is a resource. Leaving a unit staffed with only inexperienced nurses for a holiday is a recipie for disaster. i don't think anyone should be mandated to do ot- it is not mandated at our hospital and I will never work where it is. But everyone should do their share.

[ktwlpn]

Originally posted by Chuckie:
Our hospital just changed the manditory overtime to required overtime thinking it would be easier on the mind.

The longer you work here the less likely you have of working any required overtime. It is required however the older Nurses 20-30 years plus tend to feel they put in there time and they are not REQUIRED to work it. We are having an extremely hard time filling night shift when someone calls in sick and usually have the shift split and a couple of the nurses feel they do not need to fit in to the required category. Our department is not under nursing yet we are under the hospital policies and some feel that these aging nurses should be held to the policies. The younger and newer nurses should work the holidays and overtimes.

Creative staffing and teamwork can go a long way in a staffing crisis...I feel that we all should be willing to help when we can-however as a mother of a 10yr old son with a husband who is also employed I will have to leave my present position if mandatory overtime does become a reality.I am currently putting in 12 hour days on my weekends...that is just about all I can handle...my health and my family are important to me.These days I would just as soon work at the Burgerking down the road...$8.00 an hour,no cleaning up BM and I can be as surly and unpleasant to everyone as I want to be.