Anyone else sick and tired of being asked to work every weekend?

[RN1263]

I do my one week of on call per month which is required. However, every Friday I'm asked and put on a guilt trip to work Sat. also. I have worked every Sat. for over a month, then did my week/weekend of on-call this past week and they still asked me to work this Sat. AGAIN and I said NO.

To me it's a management problem, but they always make it the nurses problem. It's not my fault they excepted 5 admits on Sat., refuse to move them, then want the nurse on-call to do it, but know they can't. That's when they start the heavy guilt trip...."you won't help out (so and so) boy wait until YOU are on call"..... Also, they cop a nasty attitude & tone in their voice if you say no.

Any suggestions? I don't want to work every weekend. Also we've had two nurses put in their 2 week notice, so things aren't going to get any better, but possibly worse.

[KateRN1]

Can you do a cost/benefit analysis to see if it would be worthwhile for your agency to hire a Baylor?

Here's how it works at our agency. Our Baylor works Fri, Sat, and Sun. He is paid the same salary as a full-time Mon-Fri nurse and has a slightly lower visit requirement. (Full time weekday is 30, his is 28.) We cover six large counties and he drives all over, so his days are very full with first visit usually before 8 am and last around 6 or 7, more or less, depending on the schedule for the weekend. We do have staff that volunteer to pick up overflow if needed, but they only get used about 1 weekend out of 4. He gets full salary and benefits, including sick time and vacation time. And boy do we hate it when he's out sick! In addition to the weekend visits, he turns in all paperwork by 9 am Monday morning and gives a weekend report to all clinical managers to make sure that all needs are followed up.

If you have enough visits and starts on the weekend to justify a full-time nurse and can prove it to your manager, you may be able to make your case.

[RN1263]

Can you do a cost/benefit analysis to see if it would be worthwhile for your agency to hire a Baylor?

Here's how it works at our agency. Our Baylor works Fri, Sat, and Sun. He is paid the same salary as a full-time Mon-Fri nurse and has a slightly lower visit requirement. (Full time weekday is 30, his is 28.) We cover six large counties and he drives all over, so his days are very full with first visit usually before 8 am and last around 6 or 7, more or less, depending on the schedule for the weekend. We do have staff that volunteer to pick up overflow if needed, but they only get used about 1 weekend out of 4. He gets full salary and benefits, including sick time and vacation time. And boy do we hate it when he's out sick! In addition to the weekend visits, he turns in all paperwork by 9 am Monday morning and gives a weekend report to all clinical managers to make sure that all needs are followed up.

If you have enough visits and starts on the weekend to justify a full-time nurse and can prove it to your manager, you may be able to make your case.

This would take some thought.... Our owners have 4 HHA and the administrator of my agency would have to get their approval I'm sure. Also, they feel that they have this area covered by having a nurse on-call to work, however there is too much work for one nurse, but the other nurses including myself no longer want to work every weekend to "help out". The solution I already pitched was to hire a PRN RN to help the on-call nurse on the weekends, but I didn't get an answer if they are going to do that or not.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[RN1263]

Thats great, wish I could stand up for myself and say no more seeing some pts every weekend unless on call. I end up seeing 2-4 pts every weekend. I know that is not many but I do not get the extra weekend oncall money for them.

Actually, you could do the same thing I did....why not? Why should you work every weekend?