is this a common thing with OVERTIME

[CHEWEYchum]

I am currently a patient care technician (PCT) at a smaller hospital. In our E.D. our PCTs are trained to preform everything from lab draws to EKGs to stocking, etc. We are also cross-trained as monitor techs and usually rotate between these two jobs regularly. I am a full time employee and have been for two years. I have expressed multiple times to my superior my need for a fourth shift and how my finances are pretty much dependent on it. The problem (in my opinion), is when the schedule is released with empty spots for PCTs/monitor techs to fill in, she will have already filled these spots with RNs. I AM NOT sayign nurses are not capable of performing the job, I AM saying that i don't feel that overtime for PCTs should be mixed in with overtime for nurses (obviously because PCTs cannot fill nursing spots). I have asked to fill certain spots that are covered with nurses, and the reply is that "we have enough nurses scheduled already."

so my question is------Should i be ok with this? Am i overreacting? Does this happen elsewhere? Should i re-express my concern? And how?

[DedHedRN]

Maybe they prefer to schedule in nurses because they can do many things that you cannot, and it picks up the slack and makes patient care better.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Im thinking about it, just trying to figure out how to tell the boss that you've been frustrated about something that's been happening for a while now, and that it needs to change or you're going to find the hours elsewhere...........any ideas?

Don't threaten your boss unless you are truly prepared to get on her bad side. Are you prepared to quit or be fired? Burn your bridges? Lose a good reference?

Just say you would like more hours, how can we get more hours for me? And be nice about it.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

Are the Rns getting an extre shift a week or is the hospital cutting out all ot? Our hospital has cut all it. So there are days we r overstaffed and nurses have to float. Many are going to agency to get the extra shift.

[CHEWEYchum]

Don't threaten your boss unless you are truly prepared to get on her bad side. Are you prepared to quit or be fired? Burn your bridges? Lose a good reference?

Just say you would like more hours, how can we get more hours for me? And be nice about it.

agreed, ive done this already, maybe just do it again, and in the process look for somethign else and then let her know in a nonthreatening way

[NoviceRN10]

Maybe they prefer to schedule in nurses because they can do many things that you cannot, and it picks up the slack and makes patient care better.

Exactly. Nurses can do everything a PCA does, but a PCA cannot do everything a nurse does.

[darynash]

One of the reasons for staffing extra shifts with a RN than a PCT is that, when the poop hits the fan, a RN can take an assignment and a PCT can't.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

It happens at my facility frequently. If census is low and there is an open CNA slot, they will place an RN in that slot before giving a CNA OT. If no RN wants the slot or wants to work as a CNA, then the CNA can have the OT.

Different places will handle it differently. There are union vs. non-union facilities, then there are in house procedures for offering OT that must be followed etc etc.......

[ItsTheDude]

i'd think it's union or contract related, otherwise, it doesn't make biz sense.

[steelydanfan]

i'd think it's union or contract related, otherwise, it doesn't make biz sense.

I don't get it either. Why pay an RN to do a PT's job. Unless they think they can pull the RN to take an assignment if needed. Also remember that an RN is STILL an RN no mattter what role she is assigned, so they have one heck of a high-functioning tech there, while waiting to pull them into an assignment.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

I don't get it either. Why pay an RN to do a PT's job. Unless they think they can pull the RN to take an assignment if needed. Also remember that an RN is STILL an RN no mattter what role she is assigned, so they have one heck of a high-functioning tech there, while waiting to pull them into an assignment.

My place often does it when they are expecting a large amt. of admits. The RN functioning as a CNA often does the admits and if things get too hairy, they just take an assignment. Gives the supervisors more options to work with if the ER is flooded I imagine.

[CHEWEYchum]

agreed, but still very annoying when i first interviewed for the job i was told "we have a lot of overtime available here, and are looking for people with good availability" among other things. Now i feel like i was BS'd just to fill a spot when they were in fact shorthanded. If i was a manager i would try to do a better job of making EVERYONE in my dept feel appreciated, not just the RN'S. Because she ISN'T