On Call Pay and Requirements: A poll

[pieWACKet]

The facility in which I work does not utilize mandatory OT as much as it utilizes mandatory Paid Leave for periods of low census. Mandatory paid leave means that if they are overbooked on nurses, at 1 hour before shift start, nurses scheduled to work are contacted. They are asked if they would like paid leave instead [to use their vacation time]. If noone wants to, they move to mandatory leave, in which a nurse MUST use her vacation time and this is utilized cyclically , much like floating.An ongoing list is maintained, and everyone must take their turn. A nurse is always placed on call when this occurs. That is, one of the nurses taking the leave, must do call.

On call at our facility is paid 6$ the hour. For this 6$, you remain available to the hospital, and must appear within one hour of being summoned. This is a 12 hour shift facility. On call is only for the first 8 hours, and after the 8th, the call ends and no more responsability is held if the hospital has not informed you you are needed.

On call pay is most utilized when census is low [and nurses opt to take accrued vacation time one hour before the shift] Although some nurses get the vacation time without call, one nurse must take call.

So, the nurse taking call uses her own vacation time, and is paid 6$ an hour for 8 hours in addition to her vacation pay from her bank. If the nurse on call is called in, she gets double time for the time she is present at work, and the clock on her vacation bank stops the minute she appears at work.

On call is also utilized when the unit is unsure if they will need an extra nurse and census is up, and is given in this case at a strait 6$, and double time for the period when and if she is called in, as this is an extra shift in her normal work period.

How is call handled in your facility?

[petiteflower]

For six dollars an hour I wouln't mind taking call---we get 1$ per hour for call, and roughly time and 1/2 if we get called in.

[RN always, BSN, RN]

We get $4 an hour and if we get called it may get floated anywhere they need us!

[Shamrock, BSN, RN]

You get PAID for call?? Yes, I know you do. I do not, on

call pretty much 24/7 unless I make other arrangements. The

other perks of this job make up for it. :)

[cdrn1]

At our facility the staff gets $3 per hour for call. If census gets low, we ask for volunteers for call. Usually someone wants to take it. If called in it is straight time unless an extra shift already. You have 10 minutes plus travel time to come in. You do not have to use vacation hours to cover your time off unless you want to. Our OR/PACU nurses do get time and a half and a guaranteed four hours of pay if they are called in after hours.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

You shouldn't have to use your vacation hours at their convienence. What if you suggested that if someone volunteers for call they don't have to use vacation, but if it is mandated they do. More volunteers to take the time off...better for everyone.