I'm annoyed.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ICU.

I work in an ICU; I have a little over 2 years of experience. I'm just annoyed because we have been short staffed lately and it sucks. It seems like 1 RN is replaced to every 3 that leave. The place I work usually has a really high retention rate, but it just so happens that lately there have been a bunch of RNs either on LOA or moving jobs or retiring, etc. This leaves the rest of us short. Now, I picked up an extra 12 hours on two separate days last week. This is because I felt guilty. (I KNOW I have the right to say no, and this isn't what it is about. I just need to get it off my chest). I felt like I lived there last week. Then, yesterday, they had the nerve to call me (I didn't answer it- I got a voicemail- yay for me for not answering the phone) to try to get me for 4 hours. Then, the same person calls me back about an hour later to try to get me to work tomorrow. Why don't they just HIRE someone? Or at least offer some sort of INCENTIVE besides the regular time and a half that you would normally get for overtime? I always feel bad when I say no because I know that my fellow co-workers are probably having a day of hell... and then I can't even enjoy my days off. Ugh. I'm just going to turn my phone off during the day I guess.

On top of it all, we just got a new timekeeping system and you are able to go online and see how they calculate your hours/paycheck, etc. I just checked and they are screwing me out of $63. :down: Yes, not a whole lot, but that adds up.

UGH... I have a headache. :uhoh3:

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We have the same sort of thing going on where I am. Not as bad though. I have even asked the director about what is going on. She said hiring more people is not in the budget. So, there are days that we suffer too. Thankfully it is not an ICU. The thing that is really funny is that there is suppose to be a law in the state I work in to staff according to acuity. I do not see that happening. Because, If that were happening, we would have more workers. I am really concerned about this because it is just not safe sometimes.

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On top of it all, we just got a new timekeeping system and you are able to go online and see how they calculate your hours/paycheck, etc. I just checked and they are screwing me out of $63. :down: Yes, not a whole lot, but that adds up.

UGH... I have a headache. :uhoh3:

I'm sorry you are so upset and stressed. :o

May I ask how they are screwing you out of $63?! That irks me to no end. I might have some ideas if you are willing to share.

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I love my co workers and yes I feel bad when they are short staffed and for years I worked alot of overtime. But I don't anymore unless I want extra money.It's not my problem and short staffing never ends. It's not worth the burn out you get from that. Don't kill yourself for your job!!! Believe me it's not worth it and never appreciated enough. Enjoy your days off and have fun!!!!

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm sorry you are so upset and stressed. :o

May I ask how they are screwing you out of $63?! That irks me to no end. I might have some ideas if you are willing to share.

Well,

1) I came in on a day I wasn't supposed to work, but realized I could squeeze in skills lab, so I stayed for a half hour (clocked in the whole time), and that half hour isn't on there.

2) I worked 6 to 6:45 and they are showing that as 6 to 6:30

3)I worked 2 to 6:30 that one day and they are showing 2 to 6 *I did NOT take a half hour lunch for FOUR hours*

4)I worked 6 to 7:38 another day and they are showing it as 6 to 6:30 - where's my last hour?

5)I worked 6 to 2:22 another day (picked up cause they begged me - didn't take a lunch) and they are calling that 8 hours.

= about $63 or so.

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Did you make a complaint with payroll?! You need to do so ASAP. You should be paid for all time clocked in and they are screwing you. Sorry for being crass. Don't let them get away with it. Stick up for yourself now and they will be less apt to do it again. That's a lot of lost time. You aren't there to work for free.

If you are nervous to speak up keep in mind that your manager sure as hell would complain if they were being docked for no reason. They will respect you more for speaking up. You can report them if they don't. Many a nurse has and when they are investigated they often end up sending checks to a lot of people for back pay. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.
We have the same sort of thing going on where I am. Not as bad though. I have even asked the director about what is going on. She said hiring more people is not in the budget. So, there are days that we suffer too. Thankfully it is not an ICU. The thing that is really funny is that there is suppose to be a law in the state I work in to staff according to acuity. I do not see that happening. Because, If that were happening, we would have more workers. I am really concerned about this because it is just not safe sometimes.

I never could understand how there's never any money in the budget to hire someone, but there's always money in the budget for overtime... yet, if they hire someone.. it would probably be cheaper.... :uhoh3:

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You do need to complain. Because you complain does not make you a whinner. Do not let the same thing happen to you which happened to me. I got burned out by working to much and because of it, I made a very stupid mistake and lost my job and nearly lost my license. I now work in medical adminstration where I only work 10 hours a day and off every other Friday as well as every weekend. I am much happier and healthier. I still retain my nursing license but I am not sure I would like to go back to which I consider a catch 22 situation.

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Specializes in ICU, Psych.

Our ICUs are always short, same reasons. Also the pay in NWFL is very low, making retention even harder. The only thing that our hospital does is for every 8th shift and above per 14 day pay-period they give Nurses and Aids a bonus of $150 at nights for nurses and 75 for Aids. On day shift its half of that, but days are seldom short.

I hope things get better for you soon.

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Specializes in inpatient rehabilitation.

I totally understand where you are coming from. The unit where I work has had high turnover and when I was hired I was one out of 4 RNs just hired because many had quit. Now we just had 2 RNs quit and are in a bad staffing situation. The first couple weeks I worked an extra shift every week because like you I felt guilty and didn't want my coworkers, who I like, to suffer. But now I am getting burned out and when they call I just don't answer the phone. I understand they are desperate but even when I say no the first time they call back. This situation only makes more of us want to quit. They have hired two nurses now but they have to go through orientation, so we won't have full staffing for another 2-3 months. I have already been put in the mandatory overtime situation, I work 12 hours and had to stay 16 due to staffing. That is insane! I was not alert enough and really feel it is not safe. I also do not enjoy my days off because I'm either being woken by phone calls or not enjoying the rest of my day after they call becuase I feel bad. But you can't feel bad.

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While I'm in no way excusing short staffing, I just wanted to clarify that it IS more expensive in per hour staffing costs to hire someone than to pay for overtime. Or even expensive agency staff sometimes. Besides the hourly wage, employers are also paying for benefits and workers comp and all that other stuff. And then there's the risk that they'll invest in the orientation of new nurse (eg paying for the new employee to not work for several weeks) and then lose them after a few months and have to start all over.

Of course, it's penny-wise and pound foolish for facilities to put off hiring needed staff in an attempt to keep costs low. They end up burning out their present staff and risking loosing already trained and dependable staff, making a bad situation worse. Not to mention the patient safety aspect of chronic short staffing.

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Specializes in inpatient rehabilitation.

JJoy,

I agree with what you are saying. I can see both sides of it. But I think my unit in specific needs to fix the problems as to why the staff are leaving so much in the first place instead of just hiring new staff and losing them months later like you said. All of us nurses have made suggestions and have not seen results, it's frustrating. And we have seen great nurses come and go. There is also the problem of being so short staffed that nobody is reprimanded when they do something wrong. We have CNAs that get away with coming in 20 minutes late and think it's okay because they have never been talked to. We also have a nurse who comes in 5-10 minutes late every time she works and it's hard for the nurse who she is coming in for because they have to stay overtime. This person has never been confronted by management therefore it continues.

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