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. ***
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.