On call

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

Hello

I recently took a Unit Manager position at a SNF here in Florida. I worked LTC back when I was an LPN but it's been years. For the most part I am happy with the job. I'm salary, which kind of stinks because I'm having more and more time consuming job duties added to me, but ill deal with it. My biggest concern is that myself and the other unit mgr are the only two on call...ever. We rotate every other week. I have only had the job 3 weeks and tonight, after being called in last night for 3 hours then working 10 hrs today I am called in for an 11-7 shift. It seems like every other day I'm being told that bc of census were over our nursing hours and since I'm salary, I have to send a nurse home and take the cart. I don't really mind that, but it takes from time to do my work. On top of the extra hours, I'm 7 months pregnant. Am I dealing with the typical nurse manager situations or am I being taken advantage of? I really want to make this job work and help make our building better, but I don't know how much I can physically take.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

For what this is worth, I think you 2 unit mgrs are being suckered. Everywhere I've ever been, on-call was shared with more mgt staff (ADON, Staff Devel, MDS, shift supervisors, DON (depends)).

What I see as a problem is that as you get pulled more & more to the floor, you'll not be able to complete your unit mgr responsibilities and that sets you up for failure. And as for being salaried, I'm sure they're not too liberal with handing out comp time for all the extra time you're doing.

Is the other unit mgr fairly new to the position also? Or has this been a long time occurrence. I think you're being stretched too thin.

JMHO and 3 cents.

Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.

She has only been in the position for 6 months. We are going to a corporate training event tomorrow and I was thinking of talking to her about it. I am interested in knowing how our other facilities handle on call and just who should be responsible for sharing that time. I'm just exhausted (I spent 4 hours of my 10 hr day on the cart again today because we are over our nursing hours with the current census). I still had reports and clinical issues to complete. I'm excited to make the facility better, but like you said, I don't want to be taken advantage of.

LTCRN4LIFE

245 Posts

You are being taken advantage of. I would never do this to my staff. I am on call 24/7 although I do have a buffer on weekends. My managers take it rotationally....though I also take it on weekends too as we get paid to do w/e call but not during the week.

CapeCodMermaid, RN

6,090 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I am on call 24/7 for any and all problems that may happen in the building. I am not, however, part of the on-call rotation. We have 6 nurses rotate weekend on call. I have supervisor coverage 7 days a week and we have a manager on duty...one manager spends four hours in the building on weekend days. Of course when it's my turn I get all the nursing issues to deal with along with everything else. The on call nurses very rarely get called with anything but staffing issues. I get called for everything...and no, no on call pay for me.

Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.

Capecodmermaid, are you the DON or UM? My DON does get calls with every and any little issue. She never takes on-call (which i wouldn't expect her to). My question really was who exactly is included in the on-call rotation. After attending training this week I'm realizing that most of our other facilities include ADON, Risk Mgr, and Staff development. All of which are currently open positions at my facility :( for now, it's just the two of us. The best answer we have been able to come up with from our standpoint is to hire more PRN LPN's and to better document the excessive call-ins so we can clean house.

AlleeBooRN

67 Posts

Specializes in OB, ER.

I am also on call 24/7 now that i have made it my own its getting better some days on the edge of burn out but i have a couple good nurses that step up for me when i need it

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