MANDATION- what has your facility tried?

[txtopaandback]

Just wondering, what ploys other facilitities have tried to get away with? I worked (note the past tense) at a facilty that when staffing got critically low r/t resignations, terminations and call-offs or just short scheduling informed staff that they would call you on your day off or after your shift had ended and you had clocked out to be "MANDATED BY PHONE". No one at this facilty except admin was ever "ON CALL". But, they would call CNA's LPN's and RN's to come in.

[plumrn, BSN, RN]

If they are so short of help, and refuse to use agency, how can they fire one more nurse for not coming in on short notice? Seems to me, they will be cutting their own throats by firing one more employee.

[sjoe]

plum writes: "If they are so short of help, and refuse to use agency, how can they fire one more nurse for not coming in on short notice? Seems to me, they will be cutting their own throats by firing one more employee."

If these people were going to use reason and logic while making their policies and staffing their facility, the problem of being short-staffed probably wouldn't exist in the first place. IMHO.

[deespoohbear]

Originally posted by hey_nurse

I live in a small Ohio town, and work in a LTC facility. The DON and Administrator don't seem to care if people have a life outside the facility. If the stna"s refuse to stay they can be fired, and if a nurse leaves it is considered abandenment, can lose your job and be reported to the board. When i am forced to mandate staff I make every effort to cover the shift so it doesn't happen but seems to be happening daily. I think I'll do some reserch today about mandation.

My way of handling this would be handing in my notice. Pronto. Then I would consider contacting the newspapers and other media outlets to make them aware of the conditions. Like another poster states, I have a life outside of my place of employment. If my employer refuses to acknowledge that fact, time to get another employer. Best wishes.

[CNABRW]

My facility has a list that is of people's names and your date of employment. They will ask if you would take a shift if everyone says no they will mandate you.The only way you can get around mandation is if you had worked a double that week on your on time.Who has time for this?They will go down the list and tell people they are being mandated if someone refuses they get written up and have to talk to the head superviser. This also results in a class A point which is the lowest but you still get in trouble.If you refuse mandation again within 1 calender year you are then fired.They refuse to use agency and wont sent anyone from the larger facility which they also own.They don't care about babysitting issues or school the next day.Overtime is paid but it isn't enough when you have to work from 3-11 and then get mandated from 11-7 and still have to go to school full time the next day!I think New York needs to change their laws...They all ready have a sortage of nurses why do that to yourselves?

[Bird2]

My facility has a list that is of people's names and your date of employment. They will ask if you would take a shift if everyone says no they will mandate you.The only way you can get around mandation is if you had worked a double that week on your on time.Who has time for this?They will go down the list and tell people they are being mandated if someone refuses they get written up and have to talk to the head superviser. This also results in a class A point which is the lowest but you still get in trouble.If you refuse mandation again within 1 calender year you are then fired.They refuse to use agency and wont sent anyone from the larger facility which they also own.They don't care about babysitting issues or school the next day.Overtime is paid but it isn't enough when you have to work from 3-11 and then get mandated from 11-7 and still have to go to school full time the next day!I think New York needs to change their laws...They all ready have a sortage of nurses why do that to yourselves?

It sounds like a bad situation no matter what the facilities do. I know for a fact that the day they accept agency the diaster begin. The nurses at the LTC I work chose working extra hours rather than deal with agency. When we first began using agency the nurses and cna's were relieved because they also fought the mandation then they realized the messes they had to fix was not worth it. Unfortunately the extra hours they work can increase med errors and burn out. Many of the applications we get for nurses and cnas are not eligible for hire so getting the staffing up can be challenging. These applicants look good until the references are checked. I am amazed at the number of nurses that can not be rehired at there previous employment or tell you that they left without notice.