How common is it at your facility to do an overtime shift?

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I find working my 2-3 8 hour shifts a week is plenty for me. I will pick up extra shifts if someone needs coverage.. in advance. My days off are my days off. I can't be stretched too thin. I love my job and I want to continue to love it.

OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

In the winter you can work as much overtime as you want. In the summer you're sometimes lucky to just get your 3 shifts a week.

Totally opposite in my region. Summer can guarantee me OT on every single day off. So many nurses are "sick" during the beautiful, hot, sunny weather. Much rather be out on a boat, at a beach etc.

Winter slows down to a crawl exepct fo the week right before and after Christmas.

Last summer, during a long weekend, I was off on the Friday and Saturday. I was called 7 times in just over 24 hours to work an OT shift. :eek:

And this is both for LTC and acute care.

miss81, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I get a call almost every single day off! I'm a float and work in 9 different areas (and so is my husband), so needless to say the phone rings off the hook!

belgarion · Jun 12, 2011

When people take PTO, vacation, or call in sick the overtime is there with no gripe coming from management. But clock out 15 minutes late and you'll think a mountain landed on your head.

tswim · Jun 12, 2011

Our hospitals' ICUs are currently short staffed (7 openings); combined with a labile sensus makes for plenty of opportunities for OT. We get an extra $10/hr to pick up extra, plus the x1.5 over 40 hrs.

Clocking in early or out late are considered "incremental OT" but picking up extra if there is a need is fine. We actually also have agency available (no float pool), but don't use them; seems they prefer to pay us extra or triple us.

darkangel83 · Jun 13, 2011

Overtime is available at my facility every day. In fact, we have gotten to the point where they call 'mandatory overtime' almost every morning. I am never happy when I am forced to stay for a day shift after working a night. When I work a day shift I will always be asked to extend my 8 hour shift to a 12 hour shift...and at the end of the 12 hours they will ask me to work another 4.