Clock out by 8am or get reprimanded!!!

Not a chance...it's in the regs in every state (Was an Occupational Health Nurse in a previous life!!!)

At my job, we are suppose to call the "boss" one hour ahead of time if we think we are going to have overtime. So I quess we are suppose to be psychics too. Of course, my residents are always scheduling "their falls" at the end of my shift. So I always call the "boss" late. However, the fact is that they are going to pay me for my time no matter how late I call.

I have a coworker who routinely stays a full hour after giving report to chart. She's a good, conscientious nurse, but with horrible time management skills. Because she is easily overwhelmed, charge assigns as few patients as possible- and only low acuity patients- to her. For some reason, it still takes her well over an hour to complete one assessment, and even longer for discharges (I'm not talking discharge teaching, etc., I mean just the actual process of bringing in the paperwork, having it signed, and wheeling the patient out). We help her out when we can, and still the late charting.

It's not the nurse's fault, though- I think it's the NM who has allowed this to happen for too long. We all get the lecture about clocking out on time, but for some reason this particular RN gets to slide.

Man, don't even get me started!!!!!!!!:angr yfire

It's sickening to think about how much free time I have given my employer over the past couple of years. This was mostly at one hospital in particular w/ this same company, but they are starting this crap where I am now as well.

Lemme tell you....at the first hospital, we would get "counseled", etc. about clocking out late, etc., but then if you clocked out and then stayed to chart, you would get in trouble too (guilty conscience? No, they just know that what they are doing is illegal). I mean, the supervisors for the next shift would actually come around about 30 minutes after the new shift started. She would write your name down and tell your manager if you were still there! Damned if you do, damned if you don't!!

I think its time to start an organizing campaign with CNA.

To me working off the clock gives the hospital an opportunity to disavow your actions in the event of an adverse event leaving you swinging in the wind.

From a management standpoint, the response will be that you are expected to perform necessary duties within your 8 hour shift, and if you need extra time, that is on you, and performed voluntarily in the interest of maintaining a good performance rating. There is an answer for everything. The only hospital that I ever worked in that did not have these petty little issues was one in which the DON actually worked a shift on the floor once a month. That should be a rule....

One of the great "irks" in nursing- darned if you do and darned if you don't.
If all employees take a stand- management has to address ot vs workload. But there are many employees who tiptoe around management, or don't want to rock the boat, or are just fearful.
It can sometimes be like a really dysfunctional relationship, can't it? Employees the enablers- management the abusers.
Take a stand. Life is too short, and our children shouldn't be dealing with this craziness just because we don't want to stand up for what is right.
We need to work these kinks out quickly, and get on with the business of taking care of people.

Indentured servitude by any other name is still indentured servitude.

There are managers who will suck you dry at every opportunity and then claim poor performance when you are continually given overload. I think that this devaluation of people is a very overt form of bullying which cannot be tolerated.

What does it take for nurses to not act like scared bunny rabbits with administration? What are we recruiting into nursing? Why are you allowing administratrion to bully you and make yo work for free? This whole scenario, by the way, is why NURSES NEED TO UNIONIZE! YOU HAVE NO POWER WITHOUT A GROUP CONCERTED EFFORT, WHICH MEANS A UNION. DON'T TELL ME ABOUT NEW JERSEY BEING ANTI UNION. UNIONS WERE BORN IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THIS COUNTRY AND LEAD THE WAY IN TERMS ON UNION MEMBERSHIP AND POWER.

Call NNOC, and get some union activity going. Reporting the hospital to the labor board IS FINE, but will only allow scapegoating by the hospital towards the nurses who reported them. Again, you have NO POWER WITHOUT UNION REPRESENTION!
JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

And from a mangement standpoint, it is necessary to provide staff with adequate coverage to meet all patient needs (and "wants") within those 8 or 12 hours!

[And spare me any flames from managers and supervisors--I AM one, also; but only hire intelligent, professional nurses, and treat them that way to the very best of my ability!!]