age for not taking call

shodobe · Jan 11, 2006

Interesting? We have no such policy. If you can work then you have to take your full compliment of call unless prior arrangement has been made. Couple of more years and no more weekends or holidays. Whoo hoo! Mike

suzanne4, RN · Jan 11, 2006

I have never heard of that rule either............

Trauma Columnist · Jan 11, 2006

Wow - I think this might be specific to your hospital. Here, if you walk, talk and punch the clock - you can do anything. It does sound like ageism to me.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 11, 2006

55 AND have been employed at the facility for 30+ years.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jan 11, 2006

Sounds like a rule made by somebody to apply to them, personally.

Everybody has to take their turn. If you're too old to take your turn, you should retire. I used to work w/ a 72 yr. old floor nurse. She was slower then she was at 40, BUT, if you told her that she didn't have to take her turn, with whatever, she'd of been in your face about it, "I"m drawing a paycheck, I'll do my fair share."

I agree that seniority has its privileges. But that is too far. That isn't taking advantage of seniority; it's taking advantage of you.

~faith,

Timothy.

amnesia · Jan 12, 2006

Our Level 1 Trauma staffs 24/7. Anyone 55 or older has the option of not taking call. Weekends are also waved, along with holidays. Can't wait!

DNRme · Jan 14, 2006

The only staff who don't take call are night shift. Otherwise if you get a check, you get the call. (trauma center w/24 hr. staff)

grimmy, RN · Jan 14, 2006

the only staff who don't take call are night shift. otherwise if you get a check, you get the call. (trauma center w/24 hr. staff)

[color=darkslategray]ditto for where i work. i know of a 70 year old st who takes neuro call quite frequently.

mcmike55 · Jan 18, 2006

Our place is also 60, but, I'm not sure of the 55 mark, I just turned the big 5 zero, so I'll be checking up on that.

We started this policy a few years ago. It came about when a couple of our more senior nursing staff members got into that age range. Up until then we were all too young!

I have noticed, and I bet others are noding in agreement, that it's a bit harder to rebound from an all nighter, than it used to be.

I believe our policy also states the no call thing is voluntary.

I may take it when I get there, but that's going to have to be a "game time decision". I'll see how my health is, and consider the burden it would be putting on the other RN"s in surgery.

Zash,,,,you have a point, but my immediate reaction is, that just because a nurse is having trouble handling call, doesn't mean that you put that person out to pasture. To me, call is only a part of the job.

A nurse that has been around for a while can be an amazing wealth of knowledge,,,,,and you just want to throw that away, because her/his knees are giving them too much trouble to take a couple nights of call !!!???!!!???

I suggest a compromise,,,maybe the senior nurse after a certain age, can opt out of regular call, but be willing to stay over more often, and cover for vacations or illness.

Just a thought. Mike

JLynnOR · Mar 12, 2006

I worked somewhere that had a formula where your age plus years of service at the hospital added up to X number of years, and you were then off call. That really kept some of the people pretty loyal to the place--e.g. one nurse who'd started there at age 21 and was off call in her fourties.

I worked at another hospital that just revoked their "20 yrs of service and you're off call" policy. This led to utter chaos. Most of their experienced staff has quit and gone elsewhere.