Downstaffing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Have decided to take a break from my current job. I have been consistently put on call or reduced this past month. Ok fine. But today was what absolutely pissed me off. I came into work at 7am, discharged 2 of my four patients and at 11am they wanted to put me on call until 3pm when they would have more admits. They also wanted me to float to another campus. I explained to them that I did not have my vehicle as it was at the dealership getting work done and I received a courtesy ride to work. I was told that's too bad and I would have to figure it out or call a taxi. Let me reiterate I am not resource, float or anything. I never agreed in hiring to float between hospitals multiple times throughout the day. This is insane. Essentially asking me to clock out for a few hours but standby until their admits get there. This is the most unprofessional thing I ever heard of in what's suppose to be a professional career. What a joke. Burned out and I haven't even worked over 30 hours a week in over a month because of this sporadic work schedule!

That is ridiculous. There is no way I'd come back. I'd make it clear that if you make me clock out my shift is done, and my phone will be off. Is this legal. Are you in a right to work state? I'd definitely have to find another job. I can't believe they told you to take a taxi to another location. What kind of hospital operates like this? Good luck in your job search!!

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This is a trend that I have watched develop over the last several years and was a major impetus in my decision to travel. This practice is know by various names in different hospitals, but is commonly called 'flexing'. I remember when it used to be that a full-time position was an implicit verbal agreement (contract)-i.e. you(employer) provide me with the agreed upon 40hrs/week and benefits, and I return(employee), agree to be a competent and productive employee. However, those days are gone and in niche nursing units (mine is CVOR/General Surgery), this has, unfortunately, become more and more commonplace-I predict, it will become even more popular among managers in years to come. Just another way for the suits to balance the books off the backs of the workers. It seems to me that this is a major breach of contract though I'm sure there's some legal loophole, but if you or I don't fulfill our obligations, we are pretty quickly fired. Doesn't seem right and it's hard to tell a creditor that you won't be paying your mortgage, car payment, student loan.. this week because you didn't get your full hours!

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I'm surprised that this is apparently off-the-hook unheard of in other places, based on responses.

I know of a large organization that basically posts all open RN positions as variable this, that, and the other thing, and it's for the purposes of covering themselves to do crap exactly like this.

It's a good place, though, really...Magnet and all...

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My first job in south Texas was like that. They'd send nurses home on call, then call them back a few hours later and float them to an entirely different unit with all new patients. Every nurse on the new unit gave up their worst patient, of course.

I was always willing to go home, but always made it clear that I would NOT return. They threatened to write me up, fire me, etc. I didn't care and stood my ground ...so sadly, I never got sent home.

You nailed it! Float to another unit and end up with 4 high-acuity patients as 4 nurses give up the worst ones; this is in California where we have staffing guidelines but patients are much sicker; the ones who were tele are now Med/surg, the ones who were ICU are now tele etc...

I escaped bedside nursing 4 years ago and my only regret was not doing it sooner.

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That is ridiculous. There is no way I'd come back. I'd make it clear that if you make me clock out my shift is done, and my phone will be off. Is this legal. Are you in a right to work state? I'd definitely have to find another job. I can't believe they told you to take a taxi to another location. What kind of hospital operates like this? Good luck in your job search!!

What's even worse is that I live nearly an hour drive away. They don't reduce or put you on call until 30-45 min before the beginning of a shift. By this time I am already on my way. I was put on call once for an 8 hour shift they called me in so I went and took my kid to daycare and drove to work. Got there in one hour and was belittled and told I needed to be there within 30 minutes. So the next two days I was put on call....so to avoid getting in trouble I took my child to daycare paid the $35/day fee drove to the city the hospital is in and putz around all day to never be called in either day....so I spent $70 plus gas and my time to wait and walk around the mall waiting to get called in. I'm livid that I've been treated this way. I checked in this morning before heading to work and they said they wouldn't need me as the census was low but they would call me back to let me know if they were going to use me somewhere else. I went off! I firmly let them know that I am not hospital resource and that if I'm not needed I'm not needed, that I'm not waiting until 30 minutes prior to my shift ever dang time I'm scheduled to find out where I'm working. Not to mention the one campus can be 10 minutes further and the 3rd campus is about a 15 minute extra drive!

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What a pigsty of a system you work for. Leave and don't worry if they try to trick you by bringing up 'patient abandonment'. You're better off working at Wal-Mart. Find some way to make this public somehow, start informing families and caregivers, the news, law firms, the dog, etc. It is a recipe for disaster, patient harm and/or death at some point. And just plain unprofessional...

I'd like to see one of those pigs come on here and (try) to defend that business plan. 'Cuz It sure ain't no patient-care plan.

Is this what we have to look forward to with cuts in Medicaid? Maybe I just need to continue on with school or do something entirely different. I've been a nurse for nearly 6 years. I feel overworked and severely underpaid. I'm making $2 more/hr then when I started. I made more as a cocktail waitress at a nightclub in the southeast!

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Tell it, girl. Ain't that the truth, sisters and brothers?!!! :yes::uhoh3:

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Tell it, girl. Ain't that the truth, sisters and brothers?!!! :yes::uhoh3:

It's sickening... you assign me 5-6 patients at a time...and they get needier and needier. Not medical or nursing wise either. Just plain needy. Oh and how about our hospital has a menu you can "order" off of. Like spa treatments oh and a foot massage. Guess who is expected to do this! Me as the nurse. please. If I am going to be doing massages and foot rubs and facials I would have went to school to be an esthetician. Just nonsense. Like the lady who came in with SOB....doctor ran every test you could think of on her and nothing wrong. He tells her to lose some weight and start working out...she flips tells him he doesn't know how to do his job and reports him to hospital administration. Or the woman in the ER holding room who calls hospital administration and complains that her room doesn't have a window so they admit her....later complains after having all pain meds ordered given that she wants a PCA....doctor says no she calls hospital admin...doctor orders pca....she overdosed and needs narcan. Is this really what I want to be apart of!?

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This is a terrifying path hospitals are going down.

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Specializes in ER.
. Oh and how about our hospital has a menu you can "order" off of. Like spa treatments oh and a foot massage. Guess who is expected to do this! Me as the nurse. please. If I am going to be doing massages and foot rubs and facials I would have went to school to be an esthetician.

Oh, HELL no!!

Don't send that idea our way. If I wanted to massage anything, I'd go on the street and freelance it.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
Oh, HELL no!!

Don't send that idea our way. If I wanted to massage anything, I'd go on the street and freelance it.

...for significantly more $$

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Specializes in HIV.

I would not do this. If I did, they'd reimburse me for gas and travel. Nope.

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