VENT about getting cancelled....

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Disclaimer: I need to vent! I'm frustrated. I work 36 hours/week normally, three 12s.

Soooo the last 5 shifts in a row I've been scheduled to work, I've been cancelled (or attempted to be cancelled). I was actually surprised the first time - I haven't been cancelled in so long, I didn't know what to do with myself. But no problem, I had some stuff to take care of anyway. No big deal.

They called to cancel me the next night I was scheduled too. I said, well, I don't want to lose another 8 hours... can I please come in and work 8? They said well... sure... okay.

Next night I'm scheduled to work... my phone rings two hours before I'm supposed to go in. Cancelled, twelve hours, straight up. Well, fine, I got 8 hours last night and at least I'll be at home with the hubby (he works nights too).

Then the NEXT night... sleeping before work, phone rings, cancelled for four hours, then floated for eight. Uhhh... ok... is it my turn to be cancelled already?? At least I get 8 hours! Not ten minutes later, the phone rings... float to one floor for 4 hours and then another for 8. Well, anytime I get floated I get a little nervous and feel like a new grad all over again, but hey I'll throw on some scrubs on and go to work.

Then I have to work the NEXT night... I get the call... cancelled for all 12 hours. *** :madface:

So, out of the past week I worked 12 out of 36 hours. The week before that, I worked 24 hours... so I lost half my paycheck.

I'm really aggravated. I think this puts us nurses in a REALLY bad spot... use up your time off, or just don't get paid. I'd rather PLAN my time off, and DO something or GO somewhere, rather than sit at home and watch TV for hours, then not have enough time off to take a REAL vacation.

Anybody else in this boat?!?! I've heard about the census being low in other hospitals in my area, but business was booming until about a week ago. Now it's like a ghost town.

Are you flex/registry/per-diem--whatever they call it at your facility?

... Yes, could you clarify? You write that you work 36/week "normally". Is that a full time staff position? Or are you Per Diem and happen to typically get 36/week? Although you do speak of using up your time off or not get paid, so I presume you are a full time staff person. I am just curious because if you were per diem, I would totally understand this. But if you are full time, it surely seems excessive.

Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

Full time staff, no union. And unfortunately "my" night to work, when our assignment calls for 3 RNs, I work with two travel nurses. Sigh.

I did work in 1 contract that allowed them to cancel me 1 12 hour time per month, I know how it feels to be LC'd a bunch but what staff need to realize, I am there to work and don't have family or activities that can replace the time I am there to work. I also, as a traveler, don't have vacation hours to fall back on to I now watch closely for those contracts that are set 36 hour or more.

Last week I showed up to work twice and got the... "oops, someone was supposed to call you, we don't need you." On the third day, I got cancelled. On the fourth day (I picked up another day after being sent home twice), they attempted to cancel me. In my contract I can only be cancelled 12 hours per pay period, so the hospital system ended up sending me to orient at a new facility for 12 hours and had to pay me to be "non productive" for 12 hours because no one wanted me :) It was extremely frustrating though!

(Yes I know, I'm kind of responding to an old thread...)

I'm supposed to be full time and recently been cancelled on weekly basis so only working 24 hours a week instead of 36. The financial toll is frustrating. It's also facility-wide. Nurses and CNAs had been cancelled often as of recent.

this is why every nurse needs a union for representation... but the lone star state is probably the last one to get a union if ever (sigh)

there are not a lot of facilities that I know of that want or invite professional nurses to be a part of union. I worked for 1 facility but there were still issues. I work contract and like many I often get to work. I try to not allow a cancellation clause to be put into the contract since the challenge I faced one other time, however, this present contract has it in again and I missed it. Last week they put me on call 2 of my three shifts. I was disappointed with them even though up to now I felt we were working together nicely. I was able to make up the shifts since it is a holiday weekend and we were busy and low staffed. I have a travel company behind me and hopefully this was 1 charge nurse's way of power struggle with the upper management and it won't continue to be an issue. I feel for the fulltime staff and feel that we all can rotate on call or LC'd or work in other areas. I am not cross-trained but willing to work as a sitter or aide where I can be helpful

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

When I worked in Pedi this would occur in the summer months. So I cross-trained to ER and was able to work.

Specializes in ICU.

Full time employees can and should refuse to take call. (Unless you really want to be off and use up your PTO).

YOU CAN REFUSE TO TAKE CALL. Now they send you to another area but they can NOT put you on call if you are a FTE.

They know it and know that you can legally file for partial

unemployment benefits. Expect to be fired if you actually do this. What other profession puts up with this crap? Doesmanagement have to lose PTO and take on call? I think not.

IF someone dares to say we're putting you on call just say no thanks I am scheduled to work today you will have to find someone else to put on call. Go in as usual clock in and just nicely wait for an assignment.

I would find out from your manager how it is determined who is mandatory to stay home. It should be a fair system with a rotating list.

+ Add a Comment